Patents Examined by Edwin A. León
  • Patent number: 11720063
    Abstract: A system for fastening and/or extracting a dial disposed on a support. The dial includes a holding portion configured to bring the dial against the support and an extracting portion configured to move the dial away from the support. The system includes a movable organ configured to displace or be displaced between a fastening position and an extraction position. The movable organ includes a holding surface configured to cooperate with the holding portion so as to bring the dial against the support and an extraction surface configured to cooperate with the extraction portion so as to move the dial away from the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: Blancpain SA
    Inventors: Bernat Monferrer, Orane Romano
  • Patent number: 11714384
    Abstract: The stem-crown of a water-resistant watch case includes a tubular stem inserted into a tubular opening of a middle part of the watch case, and a crown including a first portion connected in part to the stem and a second handling portion. The first portion includes an annular contact surface inclined at less than 90° with respect to a longitudinal central axis of the stem-crown starting from the first portion towards the outside of the second portion. In a rest position, the first portion is in contact against an annular receiving surface of the middle part of complementary shape to one end of the tubular opening towards the outside. The crown further includes a washer under a bearing part of the first portion and contacting the stem, being configured to bear in an annular slot of the middle part between the tubular opening and the annular receiving surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Omega SA
    Inventors: Nicolas Lazzari, Cédric Kaltenrieder-Ellis
  • Patent number: 11714383
    Abstract: A device (1), and timepiece having the device, for displaying a succession of periodic events which form an annual cycle, including a periodic events indicator member (2) and a mechanism (4) for managing a duration during which the periodic events are displayed by the periodic events indicator member (2). The management mechanism includes a cam (8) for managing a duration during which the periodic events are displayed, which cam is arranged such that it controls the change from the indication of a periodic event to the indication of a subsequent periodic event by the periodic events indicator member, a periodic driver (10) for driving the management cam (8) and a member (6) disposed between the management cam and the periodic events indicator member and arranged such that it drives the periodic events indicator member (2) during a change in event. The device displays the periods of the zodiac.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTUDE HORLOGERE SUISSE
    Inventor: Stephane Bachmann
  • Patent number: 11710605
    Abstract: A power relay having terminal tabs includes an on-off contact element having at least one movable contact and at least one stationary contact, an on-off drive element, at least two pairs of input/output terminal tabs, and at least one pair of control terminal tabs. The on-off drive element makes the movable contact come into contact with or separated from the stationary contact. The two pairs of input/output terminal tabs are electrically connected to at least one pair of input/output portions of the on-off contact element. The one pair of control terminal tabs is electrically connected to control terminal portions of the on/off drive element. Each of the input/output portions is electrically connected to two of the input/output terminal tabs, which are arranged side-by-side in their thickness direction and in vicinity with each other. The input/output terminal tabs and the control terminal tabs have a same thickness and width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: OMRON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroyuki Iwasaka, Kazuki Furukawa, Shinichi Ogawa, Hiroyuki Harimochi, Ayata Horie
  • Patent number: 11703807
    Abstract: A dead-beat escapement break away assembly which consists of, a pallet engagement collet with at least one magnet attached thereto and a pallet alignment feature attached thereto; a pendulum crutch attachment mechanically coupled to the pallet engagement collet; a pallet which is adapted to be magnetically coupled to the pallet engagement collet so as to mechanically engage the pendulum crutch attachment to the pallet, thereby enabling the pallet to break away from the pallet engagement collet when sufficient force is applied to the pallet to overcome the magnetic force of the magnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Inventors: Kevin Farrelly Nolan, Jeremy Michael Turner, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
  • Patent number: 11703803
    Abstract: A braking device (100), separate and remote from its guide members, having resilient strips (3; 31; 32) borne by a braking mobile component (10) trapped between a structure (1) and a bolt (6) and movable perpendicularly to the axis of a horological mobile component arbor (30), on which the strips bear, and either all of the bearing forces on the arbor (30) of the strips (3) are exerted within a single angular sector having a centre angle (a) of less than 180°, or, opposite a first straight or convex strip (31) tangentially braking this arbor (30), a second strip (32) allows for relative mobility between the braking mobile component (10) and this arbor (30) in a direction of mobility (DM), the latter being: either parallel to the first resilient strip (31), or wavy and deformable perpendicularly to the direction of mobility (DM).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSE
    Inventors: Ivan Villar, Anne Philipps
  • Patent number: 11705291
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to a switch guard that prevents inadvertent pressing by a user of the direction-control switch of a handheld power tool. On each side of the housing of the tool, a pair of protrusions extend from the housing, one just to the front of the switch and one just to the rear. Whether the power tool is being operated right- or left-handed, the protrusions prevent a user's thumb or forefinger from inadvertently pressing the direction-control switch while the tool is in operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignees: Robert Bosch Tool Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH
    Inventor: James B. Stevens
  • Patent number: 11703801
    Abstract: A shock-proof device (200) for a movement configured to allow the movement of the horological movement (210) along at least three degrees of freedom. The shock-proof device (200) includes at least one damping element (230) configured to damp the shocks of the horological movement (210) and a crown (100) configured to move between a first position (101) wherein the horological movement (210) is free along at least three degrees of freedom and a second position (102) wherein the horological movement (210) is rigidly connected to the crown (100).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Develonment Ltd
    Inventor: Philipp Tschumi
  • Patent number: 11703805
    Abstract: A timepiece mobile for a semi-instantaneous jump mechanism, including a stop member, an elastic return device, and a drive wheel including, around an axis a hub for guiding this movable stop member with respect to the drive wheel and including a disengageable stop finger movable between a wound position where its radial extension is maximum with respect to the axis, and an unwound position where its radial extension is minimal with respect to the axis, this stop finger being moved away from the axis by the elastic return device, and the stop member including a housing the walls of which are arranged to bearingly cooperate, during the winding of the elastic return device with a contact surface that this elastic return device includes to limit the value of the winding and to limit the deformation of the elastic return means to its elastic range only.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSE
    Inventor: Julien Saglini
  • Patent number: 11705290
    Abstract: A control module for an electric switch comprising: a body part, a main control shaft, an operating shaft and a drive system operationally connecting the main control shaft to the operating shaft such that the operating shaft is adapted to be rotated by the main control shaft. Rotation axes of the main control shaft and operating shaft are perpendicular to each other. The body part comprises a first side wall, a second side wall, a top wall and a bottom wall. The bottom wall is provided with a bottom recess adapted to receive a portion of an add-on, a bottom part of the main control shaft being accessible through the bottom recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventor: Antti Kultalahti
  • Patent number: 11703802
    Abstract: A timepiece incudes a crown (4) housed in a cavity (10) provided in the case and open towards the outside, such as a cavity (10) in the side wall of the case (1) of a wristwatch, in the rest position of the crown (4). To bring the crown out of its rest position, the user rotates a rotary knurling-roller (5). The knurling-roller (5) is coupled to a tube (15) wherein is inserted a crown body (18) integral with the crown. The rotation of the knurling-roller actuates rotation as well as translation of the tube, which is linked only in translation to said cylinder (18). The tube displaces the crown in an axial direction without rotating the crown around its central axis (6). At least one control position of the crown and the rod can be reached, by rotating the knurling-roller (5) without having to manually pull the crown outwards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: MECO SA
    Inventors: Hervé Avril, Gregory Kissling, Rémy Thiry, Valon Hoti, Samuel Geiser
  • Patent number: 11698654
    Abstract: To prevent an erroneous operation and improve operability, a button device and a timepiece including the button device are provided. The button device includes: a cylindrical first guide protector 11 protruding from the lateral face of a wristwatch case 1; and a first button 12 disposed in the first guide protector 11 to be slidable inward and outward of the wristwatch case 1. The first button 12 includes a first button head 13 disposed in the first guide protector 11, and a first button shaft 15 passing through a first through hole 14 of the wristwatch case 1. The first button head 13 is inclined obliquely upward relative to the lateral face of the wristwatch case 1. The first guide protector 11 protects the outer periphery of the first button head 13, and this prevents accidental and erroneous operation of the first button 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2023
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Keishirou Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 11693365
    Abstract: Provided is a watch component made of silicon and including a front surface, a back surface, and a side surface intersecting with the front surface and the back surface, the watch component including a first recessed portion formed at the front surface side, a second recessed portion formed at the back surface side, and a communicating groove causing one of the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion to communicate with the side surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Inventors: Takeo Funakawa, Munehiro Shibuya
  • Patent number: 11693370
    Abstract: A display device includes a display panel that has a curved part at least at a part of an outer edge of the display panel. The display device also includes a bent connector that is arranged along the curved part and electrically connected to the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Koji Namiki
  • Patent number: 11693367
    Abstract: A timepiece includes an arithmetic circuit, a first switch that controls connection of a temperature compensation table storage to a power supply circuit, and a second switch that controls connection of a device-difference compensation data storage to the power supply circuit. The arithmetic circuit calculates a compensation amount based on a temperature measured by a temperature detector, a temperature compensation data, a device-difference compensation data, and outputs to a frequency adjustment control circuit and a theoretical regulation circuit. The first switch is controlled to the connect state during a first power supply connection period including a temperature compensation data read period. The second switch is controlled to the connect state during a second power supply connection period including a device-difference compensation data read period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Inventor: Yutaka Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11694865
    Abstract: A tilt ball switch has a chamber space, and includes a first terminal, a second terminal including two outer terminal members and an inner terminal member, and a conductive ball movably disposed in the chamber space and convertible between a conducting state, in which the conductive ball is in contact with the first terminal and the inner terminal member so that the first terminal is conductively connected to the outer terminal members, and a non-conducting state, in which the conductive ball is prevented from being in contact with one of the first terminal and the inner terminal member so that the first terminal is prevented from being conductively connected to the outer terminal members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Inventor: Tien-Ming Chou
  • Patent number: 11688569
    Abstract: A switch includes a power in contact, a piston, a power out contact, a plurality of flexible locking elements, an earthing contact, and a threaded rod. In a first position, the piston contacts the power in contact and the power out contact. In a second position, the piston contacts the power out contact. In a third position, the piston contacts the earthing contact and the power out contact. The piston comprises an inner threaded section that engages the threaded rod. Rotation of the threaded rod moves the piston along an axis of the switch between the different switch positions. The piston comprises a groove extending in a direction parallel to the axis. Each of the flexible locking elements is configured such that a part of each of the flexible locking elements moves into and out of the groove as the piston is moved along the axis of the switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Michal Skuci, Josef Cernohous, Radek Javora, Tomas Kozel
  • Patent number: 11687040
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a composite timepiece or jewellery component: a base is made in a substrate with an apparent surface remaining visible; each visible apparent surface is mirror polished; each polished apparent surface is coated with a first transparent or coloured semi-transparent layer of a first material in a dry process, or PVD or CVD or ALD process, or lacquering or zapon varnish process; a decorative element is affixed and bonded to an external surface of the first layer; the first layer and each decorative element is coated with a second layer of a transparent treatment material in a dry process, or PVD or CVD or ALD process, or lacquering or zapon varnish process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: OMEGA SA
    Inventors: Frederic Jeanrenaud, Gregory Kissling
  • Patent number: 11687036
    Abstract: A timepiece includes a drive module, a dial including a central opening, an hour pipe passing through the central opening of the dial and driven in rotation by the drive module, and a dial attachment device. The attachment device includes a holding tube arranged around the hour pipe and mechanically connected to the drive module. The holding comes to bear against the dial or against a dial support to which the dial is attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventor: Raphael Balmer
  • Patent number: 11687039
    Abstract: A method for assembling at least a first element and a second element to form, once assembled, an external component for a portable device, including the steps of: a) making the first element; b) making the second element; c) arranging at least a first groove in the first element and at least a second groove in the second element; d) placing and holding the first and second element end-to-end with at least a third connecting element which is inserted and locked in the first and second grooves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Comadur SA
    Inventor: Alexandre Netuschill