Patents Examined by Kevin Andrew Johnston
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Patent number: 11703807Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 18, 2020Date of Patent: July 18, 2023Inventors: Kevin Farrelly Nolan, Jeremy Michael Turner, Stephen Bernard Froelicher
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Patent number: 11693365Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: August 1, 2019Date of Patent: July 4, 2023Inventors: Takeo Funakawa, Munehiro Shibuya
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Patent number: 11687041Abstract: A mechanical oscillator, formed of a mechanical resonator and a device for maintaining oscillation, and an auxiliary oscillator forming a reference time base including a synchronisation device arranged to slave the medium frequency of the mechanical oscillator on that of the auxiliary oscillator. The synchronisation device includes an electromagnetic braking device which is formed of a coil and at least one permanent magnet and arranged such that an induced voltage is generated between the terminals of the coil in each alternation of the oscillation of the mechanical resonator. The synchronisation device is arranged to be able to reduce momentarily the impedance between the terminals of the coil during distinct time intervals, any two successive time intervals exhibiting between the respective starts thereof a time distance substantially equal to a positive whole number multiplied by half of a set-point period for the mechanical oscillator.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2019Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventor: Lionel Tombez
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Patent number: 11687040Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: March 12, 2020Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: OMEGA SAInventors: Frederic Jeanrenaud, Gregory Kissling
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Patent number: 11687034Abstract: A display mechanism (100) allowing display change with a single display mobile (150) so as to indicate a first piece of information with a first counter (110) and second piece of information with a second counter (120). This change is performed by the permutation of a clutch organ (130) displacing between a first position (131) and a second position (132) when the clutch organ (130) is controlled by a control organ (140).Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2020Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: BLANCPAIN S.A.Inventor: Mehdi Denden
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Patent number: 11673801Abstract: A method for fabrication of a micromechanical part made of a one-piece synthetic carbon allotrope based material, the method including: forming a substrate with a negative cavity of the micromechanical part to be fabricated; coating the negative cavity of the substrate with a layer of the synthetic carbon allotrope based material in a smaller thickness than the depth of the negative cavity; and removing the substrate to release the one-piece micromechanical part formed in the negative cavity.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2018Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: NIVAROX-FAR S.A.Inventors: Philippe Dubois, Sebastiano Merzaghi, Christian Charbon
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Patent number: 11669052Abstract: A timepiece reduces power consumption while maintaining required precision. The timepiece has a frequency divider that frequency divides an oscillation signal and outputs a reference signal; nonvolatile memory that stores information related to a temperature characteristic of the oscillation frequency of the crystal oscillator; multiple registers; a temperature measuring circuit; an evaluation circuit; and a temperature compensation circuit.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2020Date of Patent: June 6, 2023Inventor: Masaya Ninomiya
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Patent number: 11662690Abstract: A method for manufacturing at least two mechanical parts to be arranged in a timepiece mechanism including magnetised functional areas having antagonistic polarities, the parts being arranged in a timepiece mechanism to cooperate with each other in relative displacement, the method including a step of constructing a blank of each of the two parts including at least one functional area from which the parts are able to cooperate with each other and a step of obtaining each of the parts including a sub-step of transforming said at least one functional area of the blank of each of these parts into a magnetised functional area from which emanates a magnetic field, at least one feature of which is configured so that this magnetic field participates in achieving a separation of the magnetised functional areas of the two parts when they are in a stop position in the mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2020Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSEInventor: Sylvain Huot-Marchand
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Patent number: 11662691Abstract: A wearable device can include an electronic device and a band for securing the electronic device to the user. The electronic device can detect an identification of the band, which can serve as an input to initiate actions performed by the electronic device. For example, a type, model, color, size, or other characteristic of a band can be determined and used to select a corresponding action performed by the electronic device. Identification of the band can be performed by components of the electronic device that also serve other purposes. Existing sensors, communication elements, and/or detectors can be used to detect and identity a band provided to the electronic device. The electronic device can respond to the identification of a particular band by performing particular functions, such as changing an aspect of a user interface or altering settings of the electronic device.Type: GrantFiled: May 11, 2020Date of Patent: May 30, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventor: Timothy M. Johnson
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Patent number: 11649412Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mechanical timepiece part (1) including at least one functional area (2) wherein a lubricant (9) is able to be confined, the method including a step (10) of constructing a blank of the part (1) including the at least one functional area (2) and a step of transforming (12) the at least one functional area (2) into a magnetised functional area (2) capable of cooperating with the lubricant (9) when it has magnetic properties.Type: GrantFiled: November 18, 2020Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSEInventor: Sylvain Huot-Marchand
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Patent number: 11650545Abstract: An analogue information display system for a watch provided with a mechanical movement includes a display dial including a plurality of apertures, a moving display part supporting graphical representations, disposed in such a way that the graphical representations supported thereby appear in the plurality of apertures in order to generate the information, and an indicator member configured so as to designate a piece of information generated in an aperture to be notified to the wearer of the watch.Type: GrantFiled: October 21, 2019Date of Patent: May 16, 2023Assignee: Tissot SAInventor: Jean-Marc Koller
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Patent number: 11640141Abstract: The timepiece includes a tourbillon including a carriage that bears a sprung balance and a magnetic escapement device, the latter including an escape wheel set, formed of an annular magnetic structure, and a magnetic element coupled with the magnetic structure and having an oscillating movement that is synchronous with the oscillation of the mechanical resonator. The mechanical escapement is arranged so as to have alternately energy accumulation phases, from a conversion of mechanical energy supplied by the barrel into magnetic potential energy in the magnetic escapement, and transfer phases of energy accumulated in the magnetic escapement to the magnetic resonator. During the energy transfer phases, the magnetic element is subjected to a magnetic force such that the magnetic escapement then converts into mechanical energy magnetic potential energy accumulated in the preceding energy accumulation phase to be able to maintain the oscillation of the mechanical resonator.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2019Date of Patent: May 2, 2023Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.Inventors: Polychronis Nakis Karapatis, Marc Stranczl, Benoit Legeret
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Patent number: 11640139Abstract: A horological regulator mechanism including a resonator mechanism having a virtual pivot and flexure bearing, with a quality factor greater than 1,000, the inertial element whereof indirectly cooperates with a free escapement mechanism, during the operating cycle whereof the resonator mechanism has at least one phase of freedom wherein it is not in contact with the escapement mechanism, this regulator mechanism comprises a pair of components including rubbing surfaces arranged to cooperate and be in contact with one another, whereby the first rubbing surface is formed by the surface of an element comprising silicon carbide.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2020Date of Patent: May 2, 2023Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventor: Sylvain Huot-Marchand
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Patent number: 11630421Abstract: A timepiece striking mechanism including a mechanism for controlling a hammer arranged to strike a resonant component in an impact position, and movable within a working zone between a recoil and rest position and this impact position, this mechanism includes a device for limiting recoil of the hammer after impact, formed either by eddy current braking means arranged to brake the hammer when it enters a back zone, connected and contiguous to the working zone and opposite the impact position, and/or by mechanical friction and/or elastic return means integral with the hammer or an anchor-piece integral with the hammer, and arranged for friction and/or abutting engagement with a moving braking component or a surface of a fixed part of the striking mechanism.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2019Date of Patent: April 18, 2023Assignee: Montres Breguet S.A.Inventors: Marc Jung, Marc Abt, Marc Stranczl, Benoit Legeret
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Patent number: 11614715Abstract: A user-worn device includes a band portion and a display portion. The band portion comprises a wire that is configured to create a first magnetic field that follows the curvature of the band portion. The display portion comprises a first electromagnet that is configured to produce a second magnetic field. The display portion orbits around the band portion in a first orbital direction when the first and second magnetic fields interact.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2020Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Subha Kiran Patnaikuni, Sarbajit K. Rakshit
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Patent number: 11614714Abstract: A strand of a wristband (10) comprising an end intended for fixing removably to a watch case, wherein said strand comprises a projection (16) or a groove arranged at said end, said projection (16) or groove being intended to become lodged within a groove or projection of a watch case, and wherein said strand comprises at least one vertical opening (17) arranged in the thickness of said projection (16) or of a wall forming said groove and wherein said strand comprises an elastic element (30), so as to be able to accept a pin (20) through the elastic element (30) and through at least part of the length of said at least one vertical opening.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2019Date of Patent: March 28, 2023Assignee: ROLEX SAInventors: Fabien Grand, Flavien Kressmann, Jean-Baptiste Robin
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Patent number: 11599067Abstract: An electronic timepiece includes a communication unit receiving identification information for identifying a radio station from the radio station, a storage unit storing a database having, as a record, the identification information and time difference information indicating a time difference associated with the identification information, a timekeeping unit in which a set time difference being a time difference with respect to a reference time is set, a first time difference correction unit correcting the set time difference to the time difference information associated with the identification information received by the communication unit, an operation unit accepting user operation, a second time difference correction unit correcting the set time difference according to the operation, and an update processing unit updating the database by changing the time difference information to the set time difference corrected by the second time difference correction unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2020Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Inventor: Eiji Kinoshita
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Patent number: 11599068Abstract: Provided is a radio-controlled timepiece that can reduce overall power consumption. The radio-controlled timepiece 1 has a receiver circuit 12 that executes during a specific time limit a reception process to acquire multiple time data from the standard time signals at different times; storage 22 that stores multiple time data; a timekeeper 23 that keeps an internal time; a time setting adjuster 24 that corrects the internal time based on coherent time data when the number of coherent time data, which is time data that is mutually coherent, in the multiple time data reaches a threshold; and a reception controller 21 that extends the time limit when the number of coherent time data is less than the threshold when a specific time that is shorter than the time limit has past since the reception process started.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2020Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Inventor: Takuya Tanabe
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Patent number: 11599064Abstract: Horological resonator (100) including an inertia mobile component (1) oscillating about an axis of oscillation (D1) and including at least one magnetic area (10), the total resultant magnetic moment of all of the magnetic areas (10), included in the inertia mobile component (1), is aligned in the direction of the axis of oscillation (D1), this inertia mobile component (1) bearing at least one balancing magnet (6), the direction of the magnetic moment thereof crosses the axis of oscillation (D1) to obtain magnetic balancing of the inertia mobile component (1).Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2020Date of Patent: March 7, 2023Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Jérôme Favre, Olivier Matthey, Dominique Lechot, Baptiste Hinaux, Laurent Nagy, Jean-Claude Martin
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Patent number: 11586145Abstract: A component intended to be in friction contact with another component, the component being coated with an electrically conductive layer in one piece, at least partially covering every surface of the component, the friction occurring on at least one of these surfaces, called the functional surface, the functional surface being surrounded by a plurality of side surfaces, the component having on its functional surface a texture formed of a succession of troughs coated with the electrically conductive layer, the troughs each extending between two side surfaces such that the electrically conductive layer remains in one piece over the component despite the wear caused by friction on the functional surface. The invention also relates to the method for manufacturing the component by the DRIE (deep reactive ion etching) process, wherein surface defects on the sides machined by the DRIE process are used to form the troughs.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2020Date of Patent: February 21, 2023Assignee: Nivarox-FAR S.A.Inventors: Marco Verardo, Christian Charbon