Patents Examined by Daniel Wicklund
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Patent number: 9122245Abstract: A timepiece mechanism cassette including at least one bearing surface for positioning the cassette in a movement, a plate and a bar, at least one of which is rigid, and functional components arranged between or on the plate and the bar. At least two of the functional components are movable relative to each other. The plate and bar form an inseparable single piece component with at least one of the functional components and with at least one elastically deformable connecting element. The plate and bar are movable between a proximate position where they are separated by a minimum distance and a distal position where they are separated by a maximum distance. The plate and bar include a snap fit connection for holding them in the proximate position.Type: GrantFiled: March 18, 2014Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: Nivarox-FAR S.A.Inventors: Marc Stranczl, Thierry Hessler, Jean-Luc Helfer
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Patent number: 9122248Abstract: A case for a timepiece, of the wristwatch type, comprises a middle, a back and attachment members for attachment to a bracelet. The back is attached to the middle to pivot between open and closed positions, to use the timepiece as a table clock when it is in the open position. A first attachment member allows the attachment of a chain to use the timepiece as a pocket watch, and a second attachment member comprises at least one recess arranged so that one bracelet end can be inserted therein, in the open position of the back, and locked by the back when it is closed. The invention also relates to the corresponding timepiece and to an assembly comprising such a timepiece associated with adapted bracelet and chain. Advantageously, the transition from any configuration of the timepiece to another configuration can be carried out without using a tool.Type: GrantFiled: April 11, 2012Date of Patent: September 1, 2015Assignee: Bovet Fleurier, SAInventor: Pascal Raffy
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Patent number: 9105413Abstract: A pushbutton of a portable apparatus is locked against inward axial movement by engagement with a locking member when the locking member is unthreaded a distance A from the apparatus body and brought into abutment with a fixed stopper member. The pushbutton is released from its locked state when the locking member is threaded into the apparatus body and brought out of abutment with the stopper member and into abutment with the apparatus body. In its unlocked state, a head portion of the pushbutton is axially spaced a distance B from an opposedly facing portion of the locking member, wherein A?B.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2013Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.Inventors: Haruki Hiranuma, Koremoto Takeda
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Patent number: 9075397Abstract: The chronograph mechanism includes a control device and a chronograph gear train designed to be driven directly or indirectly by a barrel, this chronograph gear train including a second-counter mobile and a mobile with a first precision corresponding to a first fraction of a second. The chronograph mechanism also includes at least one indicator which displays the seconds and first fractions of a second of the duration measured. The chronograph gear train includes an additional mobile (5) with a second precision corresponding to a second fraction of a second, which is driven by the mobile (3) for the first fraction of a second by a mobile (4) compensating the backlash; and the chronograph mechanism also includes an indicator for the second fractions of a second, which are smaller than the first fractions of a second, of the duration measured, which indicator is actuated by the additional train.Type: GrantFiled: April 6, 2012Date of Patent: July 7, 2015Assignee: RICHEMONT INTERNATIONAL S.A.Inventors: Alain Girardbille, Hugo Lopez, Demetrio Cabiddu
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Patent number: 9063523Abstract: An electronic timepiece can determine the reception state in detail, and can display the reception state with high precision. A GPS wristwatch 1 has a reception unit that receives a satellite signal transmitted from a positioning information satellite; a reception level calculating unit 47 that calculates a reception level from the signal strength of the satellite signal; and a reception level display unit 48 that displays the reception level calculated by the reception level calculating unit 47. The reception level calculating unit 47 selects a specific number of satellite signals received from the positioning information satellites in order of greatest signal strength, and calculates the reception level from the signal strengths of the selected satellite signals.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2012Date of Patent: June 23, 2015Assignee: Seiko Epson CorporationInventors: Toshikazu Akiyama, Katsuyuki Honda, Norimitsu Baba, Jun Matsuzaki
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Patent number: 9058020Abstract: A mechanism for advancing, by periodic jumps, a cage of an escapement mechanism, including: a pivoting retaining mechanism authorizing or preventing pivoting of the cage, depending on whether the retaining mechanism is moving or not; and a stopping mechanism cooperating with the retaining mechanism to allow or prevent the pivoting of the retaining mechanism according to the position of the stopping mechanism. The trajectory of the retaining mechanism interferes with that of the stopping mechanism, both being external to the cage, and the retaining mechanism includes a flirt pinion carrying a flirt arranged to cooperate with the stopping mechanism and whose trajectory interferes with the stopping mechanism, the flirt pinion cooperating with a toothing of the cage, via an inverter wheel set.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2011Date of Patent: June 16, 2015Assignee: Blancpain SAInventor: Marco Rochat
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Patent number: 9052692Abstract: A mechanism for advancing, by periodic jumps, a pivoting cage for an escapement mechanism, including: a retaining mechanism authorizing or preventing the pivoting of the cage, depending on its movement; and a stopping mechanism authorizing or preventing the pivoting of the retaining mechanism, depending on its angular position. A constant force device causes periodic cooperation of the retaining mechanism, which includes a flirt arranged to perform complete revolutions and is connected to an input thereof, with the stopping mechanism, which includes a star wheel and is connected to an output thereof, whose trajectories interfere with each other, to pivot the cage when the stopping mechanism allows the pivoting of the retaining mechanism and to stop the cage when the stopping mechanism locks the retaining mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: June 16, 2011Date of Patent: June 9, 2015Assignee: Blancpain S.A.Inventor: Edmond Capt
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Patent number: 9010996Abstract: Device for detecting and synchronising the position of at least one first wheel (16) of a timepiece mechanism (1) for an electronic analogue watch, wherein this first wheel (16) extends in one plane, the detection and synchronisation device (30) comprises at least one light source (32) emitting a light beam (34) and at least one light detection system (36), and this detection and synchronisation device is characterised in that a first light-reflecting element (40) projects from one of the upper or lower surfaces of the first wheel (16) of the timepiece mechanism (1), wherein the light source (32) and the light detection system (36) are arranged so that in a determined position of the first wheel (16) of the timepiece mechanism (1), the light beam (34) emitted by the light source (32) is reflected by the first reflective element (40) in the direction of the light detection system (36).Type: GrantFiled: February 8, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.Inventors: Jean-Jacques Born, Pierpasquale Tortora, Cedric Nicolas, Pascal Lagorgette
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Patent number: 9001627Abstract: The invention concerns a timepiece display module intended to display a series of alphanumerical characters and/or pictures at different moments. The display module includes a platform (3) arranged to be actuated in rotation about an axis and several wheel sets (5) arranged on the platform (3) so that each wheel set (5) turns on itself while orbiting about the axis of rotation of said platform (3) when the latter is actuated in rotation. The display module further includes several wings (1) which are arranged on each wheel set so (5) as to be positioned in turn at the center of the display module. Each wing (1) of each wheel set (5) is actuated such that the wings are oriented in a identical plane at the center of the display module and are adjacent to each other so as to form a central display unit (2).Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2012Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Harry Winston S.A.Inventor: Denis Giguet
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Patent number: 8982673Abstract: The calendar mechanism includes a 31 wheel set (31) for controlling a date indicator, a date drive means for driving the 31 wheel set, a 12 wheel set (12) for controlling a month indicator, and a monthly drive means for driving the 12 wheel set at the end of each month. The monthly drive means is activated by the 31 wheel set during the change from the end of one month to the first day of the next month. The calendar mechanism further includes a manually activated month corrector device arranged to advance the 31 wheel set in one stroke to an angular position corresponding to the indication of the first day of the next month, so that the monthly drive means, activated by the change from one month to the next, increments the 12 wheel set by one step.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2012Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.Inventors: Eric Goeller, Alain Zaugg
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Patent number: 8979359Abstract: A balance spring including a first hairspring, the inner coil of which includes a collet arranged to be mounted on a staff, and a second hairspring connected to the outer coil of the first hairspring by a raised terminal curve device. The inner coil of the second hairspring includes a device for shifting the pinning point including a free end arranged to be pinned up to a stud in the plane of the second hairspring.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2012Date of Patent: March 17, 2015Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.Inventor: Jean-Philippe Rochat
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Patent number: 8971157Abstract: A display apparatus which includes: a first display wheel that has a first display section; a second display wheel that has a second display section; a driving section that rotates in a forward direction and a reverse direction, and rotates the first display wheel in the forward direction and the reverse direction; and a rotating section that rotates only the first display wheel in the forward direction when the first display wheel is rotated in the forward direction, and rotates the second display wheel in the reverse direction together with the first display wheel when the first display wheel is rotated in the reverse direction.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2013Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Casio Computer Co., Ltd.Inventor: Yuta Saito
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Patent number: 8953415Abstract: The timepiece movement has an instantaneous actuator controlled by the movement and arranged to actuate a mechanism of the movement by pushing away one element (126) of the mechanism against a return force. The actuator includes a trailing wheel (205) driven by the movement, an eccentric (207) free to rotate coaxially to the trailing wheel and arranged to abut against and therefore be driven by the trailing wheel, a small wheel (219) returned by a spring against the periphery of the eccentric, a pivoting wheel set having a projecting portion (213) free to rotate coaxially to the trailing wheel and arranged to abut against and therefore be driven by the eccentric, the projecting portion (213) of the pivoting wheel set being arranged to push the element (126) of the mechanism away in passing against a return force.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2012Date of Patent: February 10, 2015Assignee: Montres Breguet SAInventor: Eric Goeller
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Patent number: 8942070Abstract: A mathematical watch displays time using mathematical problems. The answers to the mathematical problems indicate the current time. The mathematical problems are periodically updated on a screen of the mathematical watch. The mathematical watch also displays an angle shape that indicates the current temperature.Type: GrantFiled: March 23, 2013Date of Patent: January 27, 2015Inventor: Bhavesh Shah
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Patent number: 8908478Abstract: A tap sensitive alarm clock has a housing (20), a vibration sensor (22) mechanically coupled to the housing for receiving a shock due to a user tapping the housing, and a control circuit (24) coupled to the vibration sensor for controlling a function of the alarm clock. An audio unit (26) is coupled to an audio circuit (25) for generating sound, e.g. a loudspeaker in an alarm clock or a wake up light. To avoid interference of the sound and the vibration sensor, the alarm clock is provided with a filter (23) coupled to the vibration sensor and the control circuit. The filter has a filter curve matched to block frequencies occurring in the sound. Advantageously it is avoided that the sound frequencies trigger the function, while the sensor is sensitive to other frequencies up to the frequency range of the sound for reliably detecting the tapping.Type: GrantFiled: August 4, 2011Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.Inventors: Schelte Heeringa, Roelof Jan Wind, Frans Wiebe Rozeboom, Jacob Hendrik Botma, Hielke Simon Van Oostrum, Michiel Allan Aurelius Schallig, Robert Godlieb
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Patent number: 8908477Abstract: A method is provided to authenticate a watch. The watch includes at least one processing and control circuit provided with a time base, hands to indicate a time, the hands being driven by a motorized device controlled by the processing and control circuit, and a device to store identification data. The method includes enabling at least one activation member of the watch, which is connected to the processing and control circuit, to change into watch authentication mode. The method includes operating an indicator device of the watch, which includes the hands, after enabling the activation member so that at least one of the hands is driven by the motorized device to be moved in succession into time indicating positions on a time-indicating dial to indicate successive digits or numbers of an identification code of at least one of a brand and a serial number of the watch to be authenticated.Type: GrantFiled: October 3, 2012Date of Patent: December 9, 2014Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Jean-Bernard Peters, Francois Klopfenstein, Emmanuel Fleury
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Patent number: 8870448Abstract: A bracelet strand (1) for a wristwatch has a first end (2) suitable for a connection to a watchcase (29). A comfort pad (10) is arranged on the inner surface of the bracelet strand (1) towards this first end (2). This comfort pad (10) has a longitudinal opening (15).Type: GrantFiled: March 27, 2012Date of Patent: October 28, 2014Assignee: Rolex S.A.Inventors: Daniele-Antonio Bianco, Benjamin Celant, Adrien Catheline, Yannick Droux
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Patent number: 8770832Abstract: A watch with an adjustable bezel is disclosed and claimed. The adjustable bezel is an assembly including a lower bezel plate that attaches to the watch face and an upper bezel plate that is adjustable attached to the lower bezel plate. The upper bezel plate is connected to the lower bezel plate such that it is moveable to be positioned atop either half of the lower bezel plate. The exposed surfaces of the upper and lower bezel plates contain indicia that cooperate to form a complete set that extends around the perimeter of the watch. By moving the upper bezel plate to the opposite side of the lower bezel plate, different surfaces of the bezel plates are exposed. These different surfaces contain a second set of cooperating indicia that is different from the first set. Thus, the present invention allows the user to easily adjust the multiple viewable indicia on the watch.Type: GrantFiled: January 24, 2013Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Inventor: Howard Kuo