Patents Examined by Edwin A. León
  • Patent number: 12265359
    Abstract: A mechanical isotropic harmonic oscillator including a frame, a mass configured to oscillate, and three flexure rods, each flexure rod connecting the mass to the frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE (EPFL)
    Inventors: Simon Henein, Lennart Rubbert, Ilan Vardi
  • Patent number: 12266497
    Abstract: A line-of-sight quick-alignment linkage for a three-phase electric disconnect switch interconnects a drive pipe, actuator arm, and a calibration mechanism of the switch. The linkage includes a quick-alignment straight edge configured to be aligned with the line-of-sight from the pivot point of the drive pipe to the actuator arm when the drive pipe is in the fully closed drive pipe position. The calibration mechanism, the actuator arm, and other phase operating levers of the other phases are then set to their fully closed positions to calibrate the linkage. The quick-alignment straight edge may be positioned on the calibration mechanism along with a visual indicator parallel to quick-alignment straight edge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: SOUTHERN STATES, LLC
    Inventors: Juan Camilo Gill-Gaviria, Joseph R Rostron
  • Patent number: 12265360
    Abstract: Provided is a timepiece component including a train wheel bridge, wherein the train wheel bridge includes a base material in which a first groove, a second groove, and a flat portion are formed along a first direction, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the flat portion is provided between the first groove and the second groove, in the first direction, in the first groove and the second groove, a wide width portion and a narrow width portion are alternately provided, in the second direction, the wide width portion and the narrow width portion are alternately provided, and a depth of the wide width portion is deeper than a depth of the narrow width portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazushi Kawanishi, Saki Ogawa
  • Patent number: 12266224
    Abstract: A programmable digital chess clock is provided that includes a QR code, other 2D barcode, and/or 1D barcode reader for reading a QR code, other 2D barcode, and/or 1D barcode that encodes instructions for programming and setting the digital chess clock. In some embodiments, the digital chess clock includes a microcontroller operatively arranged to program and set the digital chess clock, wherein the QR code, other 2D barcode, and/or 1D barcode reader is operatively arranged to read the QR code, other 2D barcode, and/or 1D barcode and send a signal to the microcontroller to program and set the digital chess clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Inventor: Tianqi Liu
  • Patent number: 12264538
    Abstract: A sunrise wake system includes a sunrise shade assembly that includes a sunrise shade, a blackout shade, configured over a window to block out exterior light and then produce emitted light that mimics the natural light of a sunrise. A person may set a wake time and a sunrise profile and the system will activate at the wake time and run the selected sunrise profile. A mobile phone operating a system APP may interface with the sunrise shade assembly to provide instructions to the shade controller to activate a light strip to emit light that changes in wavelength and temperature according to the sunrise profile. A light strip may include a plurality of light devices that emit different wavelengths of light including a red light device. The light strip may be extended around a portion of the blackout shade to provide a large length and area of light emission.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: ETHEREALCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Benjamin Russell Stephen Voller-Brown, Michael Jialin Li
  • Patent number: 12259691
    Abstract: An electronic watch includes memory that stores a reference time and a time difference relative to the reference time, a timekeeper that clocks the reference time, a time display unit that includes an hour hand displaying a display time based on the reference time and the time difference, a calendar display unit that displays a date based on the reference time and the time difference, an operation device that includes a crown or a button, and a controller that, in a set time-difference setting range, corrects the time difference at a regular interval for each of operations of the operation device, and updates the hour hand and the date in accordance with the corrected time difference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yoshihide Kaneko
  • Patent number: 12259687
    Abstract: Disclosed is a unidirectional clutch wheel assembly that includes a first wheel, a second wheel coaxial with the first wheel and including an inner toothing, a rigid drive member rotationally fixed with respect to the first wheel and at least one rigid pawl connected to the rigid drive member by an elastic strip. The rigid pawl is locked against the inner toothing by the rigid drive member to rotationally fix the first and second wheels to each other when the first wheel or the second wheel is rotationally driven in a direction corresponding to coupling. The inner toothing has asymmetrical teeth. The rigid pawl is arranged, in its position locked against the inner toothing, to be in point contact, in top plan view, with two consecutive teeth of the inner toothing and with the rigid drive member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: PATEK PHILIPPE SA GENEVE
    Inventors: Pascal Humair, Jean-Baptiste Le Bris
  • Patent number: 12259688
    Abstract: Jumper device (80) for a timepiece device (100) including at east one first arm (81) including a first beak (81a) for positioning a first mobile unit (10), at least one second arm (82) including a second beak (82a) for positioning a second mobile unit (20), an elastic element (84) for returning the first arm and the second arm to configurations positioning the first and second mobile units, and a lever (83; 83?) interfaced between, on the one hand, the elastic return element, and on the other hand, the first and second arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: ROLEX SA
    Inventors: Pierre-Alain Graemiger, Pierre Villaret
  • Patent number: 12259689
    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: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Helfer, Dominique Lechot
  • Patent number: 12253830
    Abstract: A timepiece and a tool to separate a back from a middle, which jointly delimit a watch case of this timepiece, inside which a horological movement is housed, this tool having the appearance of a wedge, i.e. an acute-shaped part formed by a first face and a second face which intersect at an angle of less than 90° and which are connected to one another by a rounded portion, the first face of the tool being oriented such that it extends parallel to a mean plane wherein the horological movement is located when an horologist engages this tool between the back and the middle in order to separate this back from this middle, the rounded portion being connected to the second face by a curved portion, the curvature whereof is directed towards the inside of a surface delimited by the first and second faces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Omega SA
    Inventor: Philippe Loetscher
  • Patent number: 12253831
    Abstract: Wearable electronic devices, such as watches, can include a watch body and a band device that can be used together or independently of one another. The band device can provide continual operation of its functions even in the absence of the watch body. The assembly of the watch body and the band device can provide secure engagement, communication, and power sharing. Accordingly, neither the watch body nor the band device need to independently include components that provide every function that will be desired by the user. Instead, functions that are desired on a continual or long-term basis can be provided by the band device, and functions that are desired on an intermittent or short-term basis can be provided by the watch body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael J. Ershov, Travis J. McQueen
  • Patent number: 12253829
    Abstract: A watch case (10) including a back (30) driven into a middle (20) by a joint (40), and including a body (31) from which radially extends a lip (32), the body (31) including an axial annular shoulder (310) and the lip (32) including a radial annular shoulder (320). The middle (20) has an axial opening (21), an axial annular shoulder (200), and a radial annular shoulder (201) resting against the radial annular shoulder of the lip, the joint being interposed between the axial annular shoulders. The axial annular shoulders have peripheral profiles of complementary shapes, substantially circular, including one and the other, a first circular-arc-shaped portion having a first radius (R1, R2), and a second circular-arc-shaped portion to which is connected the first portion, having a second radius (r1, r2) the value of which is lower than that of the first radius (R1, R2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 18, 2025
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Joël Allimann, Simon Garcin
  • Patent number: 12248276
    Abstract: A horological resonator mechanism, including a structure carrying, via a flexible suspension, an anchor unit from which is suspended an inertial element oscillating about a pivot axis extending in a first direction Z, in a first degree of rotational freedom RZ, under the effect of the return forces of a flexure pivot including longitudinal elastic strips, each fixed to the inertial element and to the anchor unit, the flexible suspension allowing the anchor unit to move in five degrees of freedom, this resonator is a composite assembly made of at least two different materials, on the one hand for the flexure pivot, and on the other hand for the flexible suspension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Mohammad Hussein Kahrobaiyan, Dominique Lechot, Pascal Winkler
  • Patent number: 12248279
    Abstract: An impact striking mechanism (1), in particular for a horological movement (3), the mechanism (1) including at least one resonant element (5) enabling a sound to be emitted when it is struck, and a hammer (8) capable of moving between a rest position (9) and a strike position (11) in which it strikes the resonant element (5) in order to cause it to vibrate, characterised in that it comprises a system for actuating the hammer (8) including a movable impactor (16, 17, 18) configured to move from a release position (19) to an impact position (21), in which it at least partially transmits the momentum thereof to the hammer (8) to move it from the rest position (9) thereof to the strike position (11) thereof in order to cause the resonant element (5) to vibrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.
    Inventors: Marc Stranczl, Polychronis Nakis Karapatis
  • Patent number: 12248278
    Abstract: A key for holding a dial foot, the key including a cylindrical head arranged at the end of a rod, the head and the rod being coaxial, the head including a flat and a collar extending over a portion of its periphery in an angular sector defined around the longitudinal axis of the rod, on either side of the flat. The collar includes a cross section with a frustoconical shape and, with respect to the periphery of the head, forms a minimum radial projection, substantially zero, at the ends of this angular sector and forms a maximum radial projection between these ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Baptist Wyssbrod, Matthieu Erard
  • Patent number: 12248282
    Abstract: A display device includes a substrate having a through-hole. The display device also includes a display unit formed on the substrate and surrounding the through-hole, and the display unit is configured to display an image and includes pixels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: SAMSUNG DISPLAY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ki Nyeng Kang, Keum Nam Kim, Jong Hyun Choi
  • Patent number: 12248280
    Abstract: A motor group including motor modules, each including a motor device driving a display wheel set, with a center pipe fixed on a plate, including a device for rotational guiding, about a main axis, of a display wheel set internal or external to the center pipe, this module includes an axial stop arranged to limit to a predetermined value the axial play in the direction of the main axis between the center pipe and the display wheel set, wherein a protruding surface of the center pipe or of the display wheel set, or an added axial stop, captively mounted between the center pipe and the display wheel set, or fixed to the display wheel set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Raphael Balmer, Pascal Lagorgette
  • Patent number: 12248281
    Abstract: Disclosed is a smart watch protective shell, including a main shell, an upper shell and two connectors; the main shell is a hollow cavity and is used for wrapping a smart watch and protecting the smart watch from being damaged; the upper shell is arranged on the main shell; a user watches content on a watch face of the smart watch through the upper shell; the connectors are respectively detachably connected to two ends of the smart watch; and two ends of the main shell are respectively detachably connected to the corresponding connectors to fixedly cover the main shell on the smart watch. According to the present disclosure, the protective shell is fixed on the smart watch, thus achieving zero-frictional removal and mounting of the protective shell and effectively reducing damage of mounting and removal to the smart watch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Inventor: Guangxiang Zhuang
  • Patent number: 12243705
    Abstract: To realize both toughness and size reduction of a safety switch. A safety switch is a safety switch into and from which a bolt of an actuator is inserted and pulled out. The safety switch includes a casing having a shape elongated along a first direction, a metal head having a receiving space for receiving the bolt of the actuator and provided on a first end side of the casing in the first direction, a detector for detecting a first state in which the bolt is received in the receiving space, a lock mechanism, a switching device and a first attachment portion provided in the head and having a first attachment hole into which a first attachment member is inserted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: KEYENCE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Choryon Oh, Yu Babasaki, Lye Tatt Cheah
  • Patent number: 12244913
    Abstract: A connection device for an appliance with an appliance housing includes a main body having an appliance-side end, a connection-side end facing away from the appliance-side end, and a conduit extending from the appliance-side end to the connection-side end, a securing element securing the main body to a wall section of the appliance housing, and a conductor leading through the main body from the connection-side end to the appliance-side end. The main body has a first abutment surface facing the appliance-side end. The securing element has a second abutment surface facing the first abutment surface. The first abutment surface and the second abutment surface enclose therebetween a receiving region for clamping reception of the wall section of the appliance housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH
    Inventors: Gregor Karrasch, Anne Weiss