Patents Examined by Renee S. Luebke
  • Patent number: 11815857
    Abstract: A horological movement provided with a generator and a circuit for regulating the frequency of rotation of this generator, the regulation circuit being arranged to be able to detect the zero crossings of an induced voltage generated in the stator by the rotating rotor and to generate first braking pulses which are triggered after zero crossings and each end before the induced voltage reaches a peak value, preferably before the rectified induced voltage reaches a power supply voltage provided by a power supply capacity. In addition, the regulation circuit is arranged so as to be able to further generate second braking pulses each of which occurs after detection of the end of a charging period of the power supply capacity during which the induced voltage reaches a peak value and each end before the induced voltage crosses zero.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Born, Philippe Sauvain, Stéphane Perrier, Olivier Matthey
  • Patent number: 11809136
    Abstract: A micromechanical timepiece, and a method for making the same, having a plurality of mutually secured functional sub-assemblies stacked in a direction (Z) to form a multistage assembly, wherein each functional sub-assembly comprises a single semiconductor material and is secured to another sub-assembly via bridges made of the semiconductor material, and in that at least one sub-assembly comprises at least two portions, the portions being movable relative to each other and relative to another sub-assembly to which at least one of the portions is secured via at least one deformable link integrally formed between the portions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: CSEM Centre Suisse d'Electronique et de Microtechnique SA—Recherche et Développment
    Inventors: Michel Despont, Philippe Niedermann
  • Patent number: 11789406
    Abstract: A stop pawl for a horological movement, including a body provided on the periphery with a lug for latching with the toothing of a ratchet; a hub intended to cooperate freely in rotation with a fixed rod according to an angular displacement between an active position meshing the lug with the toothing of the ratchet and an inactive position, via intermediate positions; wherein the pawl includes at least one device for returning the pawl during its angular displacement, from the inactive position to the active position; and wherein the return device and the body are made in one piece. A horological movement and timepiece can include such a pawl.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Julien Christan
  • Patent number: 11774078
    Abstract: An interconnected wire trough has a trough body extending in the length direction and a wire assembly installed in the trough body, characterized in that an interconnection mechanism for connecting to another interconnected wire trough is provided at one end of the trough body, and the wire assembly includes a wire extending along the length direction of the trough body and at least two connectors arranged on the wire. The wire trough has a simple structure and can be quickly assembled to form an interconnection power supply structure which can realize the rapid installation of space lighting and can realize seamless connection of lamps with different parameters, making the appearance more tidy and beautiful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: Self Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Xiaoyun Liu, Kai Xu, Zuping He, Guoqing Zeng
  • Patent number: 11762336
    Abstract: A system and method to determine angular movement of an arbor integral with a crown of a watch, the arbor being rotatable on itself in a longitudinal direction. The system includes a rotating reflector mounted on the arbor, and two emitter/detector pairs disposed on either side of the reflector, each including a light source for illuminating the reflector, and a light detector for receiving the light reflected on the reflector and for generating an electrical signal representative of the reflected light. A processor processes the electrical signals, and determines a parameter relating to the angular movement of the arbor. The rotating reflector is a cylinder of revolution and light absorption points are made on the circumference of an external cylindrical surface. When the reflector rotates in a regular manner and in the same direction of rotation, the representative electrical signal generated by each detector has a sinusoidal shape.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Pierpasquale Tortora, Vittorio Zanesco
  • Patent number: 11762337
    Abstract: A timepiece with a double-sided display, including a first display member and a second display member coaxial to the first display member and integral therewith with a first common arbor. The centers of mass of the first display member and the second display member are, in projection on a plane perpendicular to their common axis. The first display member and/or the second display member is arranged to display a visual animation, and is movable above a back, and, either above a mask partially and incompletely covering the back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Omega SA
    Inventors: Gregory Kissling, Luc-Alain Grandjean, Rocco Catanese, Caroline Schuster
  • Patent number: 11754977
    Abstract: A timepiece includes a base, a case, a frame, and a gimbal coupling mechanism. The case holds a time display. The case is pivotably connected to the frame for rotation about a first axis. The frame is pivotably connected to the base for rotation about a second axis between an extended and a retracted position. The frame form a two-axis gimbal supporting the case. The gimbal coupling mechanism operably couples the frame and the case whereby rotation of the frame from the retracted position to the extended position then back to the retracted position rotates the case about the first axis to facilitate flipping of the case so as to selectively hide or show the time display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Nove Limited
    Inventor: Alexander Meerovitsch
  • Patent number: 11735340
    Abstract: A varistor is provided having a rectangular configuration defining first and second opposing end surfaces offset in a lengthwise direction. The varistor may include a first terminal adjacent the first opposing end surface and a second terminal adjacent the second opposing end surface. The varistor may include an active electrode layer including a first electrode electrically connected with the first terminal and a second electrode electrically connected with the second terminal. The first electrode may be spaced apart from the second electrode in the lengthwise direction to form an active electrode end gap. The varistor may include a floating electrode layer including a floating electrode. The floating electrode layer may be spaced apart from the active electrode layer in a height-wise direction to form a floating electrode gap. A ratio of the active electrode end gap to the floating electrode gap may be greater than about 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2023
    Assignee: KYOCERA AVX Components Corporation
    Inventors: Michael Kirk, Marianne Berolini, Palaniappan Ravindranathan
  • Patent number: 11710609
    Abstract: What is presented is a key module (110) for a keyboard. The key module (110) comprises a key tappet (220) comprising a coupling portion for coupling to a keycap for the key module (110). The key module (110) also comprises a module housing (230) formed to movably accommodate the key tappet (220), in order to enable a translational actuation movement of the key tappet (220) between a rest position and an actuated position relative to the module housing (230). The key module (110) further comprises a wire bracket (560) for providing tactile and/or acoustic feedback. The wire bracket (560) is elastically deflectable in the course of the actuation movement. The wire bracket (560) is bent with an overall bending angle of less than 360 degrees. The wire bracket (560) is fixed to the key tappet (220).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: CHERRY GMBH
    Inventor: Eduard Ruff
  • Patent number: 11709460
    Abstract: A digital display and a digital time device are provided, which includes a housing, a drive assembly, display assemblies and a mainboard assembly. The housing is provided with seven windows arranged to form the shape of the character “”. The mainboard assembly is fixedly connected to the housing and is located behind the windows. Seven curved grooves are provided inside of the drive assembly. The display assemblies include display sheets and pull rods. One end of each pull rod is fixedly connected to the display sheets. The display sheets are slidingly connected to the mainboard assembly. There are seven display assemblies. Each pull rod is slidingly connected to the curved grooves in one-to-one correspondence, and each display sheet is one-to-one correspondence with the windows. The present invention can achieve many advantages, such as low power consumption, great waterproof, strong moisture resistance capabilities and high stability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Inventor: Kevin Sheu
  • Patent number: 11703808
    Abstract: A watch includes a striking mechanism, including an attached gong (4) and a hammer (15), as well as a battery (6) and an integrated circuit (7) powered by the battery and configured to produce current pulses, and an electrodynamic actuator (17) which is connected to the integrated circuit and configured to receive said pulses, the actuator being integral with the hammer or connected to the hammer to generate in response to the pulses a movement of the hammer from a rest position thereof, the movement being able to actuate an impact of the hammer on the gong. The mechanism also includes a spring (27) connected to the hammer so as to return the hammer to its rest position after the impact. Depending on particular embodiments, the hammer undergoes one or more pre-oscillations before reaching the impact. The hammer and the gong may be provided with attracting magnets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jérôme Favre, Lionel Paratte, Laurent Nagy, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Patent number: 11687037
    Abstract: A device (1000) for the winding and time-setting of a watch (1) with an oscillating resonator (2), which includes: an automatic winding mechanism (304) for a mechanical or automatic watch, which includes at least one watch reception support (305), a viewing system (1002), a stoppage monitor (500) to observe the stoppage of a resonator (2), and a controller (900) arranged to identify the stoppage time displayed by the watch (1) in the stoppage position thereof, to compute the time remaining until a synchronization between the actual time indicated by the clock (1001) and the stoppage time, and, when the remaining time has elapsed, to activate the automatic winding mechanism (304) for rewinding the power storage device of the watch (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Baptiste Hinaux, Jérôme Favre
  • Patent number: 11615924
    Abstract: A MEMS switch includes: a housing, a switching assembly; a first actuation electrode, a first contact, a second contact, and a second actuation electrode. The switching device has a stress gradient along the thickness direction, such that in response to applying no voltage between the first actuation electrode and the second actuation electrode, the switching assembly contacts with the first contact. In response to applying a first voltage between the third actuation electrode and the fourth actuation electrode, the switching assembly is driven to deflect such that the switching assembly is spaced apart from both the first contact and the second contact. In response to applying a second voltage between the third actuation electrode and the fourth actuation electrode, the switching assembly is driven to deflect such that the switching assembly contacts with the second contact. The first voltage is smaller than the third voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: AAC Technologies Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shawn Jay Cunningham, Dana Richard DeReus
  • Patent number: 11545796
    Abstract: A coaxial cable connector includes a body configured to engage a coaxial cable having a conductive electrical grounding property, a post configured to engage the body and the coaxial cable when the connector is installed on the coaxial cable, a nut configured to engage an interface port at a retention force, and a conductive insert received inside the nut. The conductive insert is configured to increase the retention force between the nut and the interface port so as to provide an electrical ground connection between the interface port and the nut when the nut is in a loosely tightened position on the interface port, and/or the conductive insert is configured to make the electrical ground connection with the interface port before a center conductor of the coaxial cable makes an electrical connection with an internal contact of the interface port when the nut is coupled with the interface port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: PPC BROADBAND, INC.
    Inventors: Harold Watkins, Richard Maroney, Amos McKinnon, Noah P. Montena
  • Patent number: 11539154
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a connector housing having a mating end configured to be mated with a mating connector and a mounting end configured to be mounted to a circuit board. The connector housing includes a receptacle at the mating end receiving the mating connector. The electrical connector includes power contacts held by the connector housing extending between a mating end having a power-in contact interface configured to be coupled to the mating connector and a terminating end having a power-out circuit board interface configured to be coupled to the circuit board. Each power contact includes a power take-off between the mating end and the terminating end having a power-out cable plug interface configured to be electrically connected to a cable plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GMBH
    Inventors: Michael James Horning, Douglas Edward Shirk, Howard Wallace Andrews, Jr.
  • Patent number: 11539270
    Abstract: A resistor pack assembly including an anti-rotation housing. The anti-rotation housing includes a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, one or more anti-rotation lugs extending away from the first surface, and an internal cavity extending from the second surface into the anti-rotation housing towards the first surface. The resistor pack assembly also including a positive rail located at least partially within the internal cavity, a negative rail having an inner circular face and an outer circular face located radially outward from the inner circular face, and an insulator ring is interposed between the second surface of the anti-rotation housing and the outer circular face of the negative rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dhaval Patel, Andrew R. Wilkinson, Andrew P. Grosskopf, Edward C. Allen, Kyle S. Sirbasku, Duane C. Johnson
  • Patent number: 11529881
    Abstract: A load contact module for a charging plug-in connection includes: a load contact, which is designed to electromechanically contact a load contact to be inserted and/or slid on; a mounting portion, which is designed to connect the load contact module to a support of a charging plug and/or of a charging socket; and a temperature sensor for the temperature monitoring of a charging process, wherein the temperature sensor has a distance from the mounting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: PHOENIX CONTACT E-Mobility GmbH
    Inventor: Dirk Moseke
  • Patent number: 11532446
    Abstract: A button structure of an input device, including a circuit board, a dome element, and a trigger, is provided. The dome element is disposed on the circuit board, and is electrically conductive and elastic. The trigger is disposed at a center of the dome element, and is electrically insulative and flexible. The trigger has a conductive layer facing the circuit board. The dome element is configured to be pressed to drive the conductive layer of the trigger to abut against a trigger circuit of the circuit board to generate a trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: Acer Incorporated
    Inventors: Yu-Shih Wang, Chih-Chun Liu, Cheng-Nan Ling, Wen-Chieh Tai
  • Patent number: 11515100
    Abstract: A modular breaking unit with a holder-guiding assembly, wherein: the modular breaking unit includes a casing unit; a holder for holding a movable contact of the modular breaking unit is accommodated in the casing unit; the movable contact of the modular breaking unit is mounted on the movable contact holder; the holder-guiding assembly is installed in the casing unit and arranged to support and guide the movable contact holder to move between an open position and a closed position; the holder-guiding assembly is made of thermoplastic material; the movable contact holder is made of thermosetting plastic material. A contactor including at least one said modular breaking units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: Schneider Electric Industries SAS
    Inventors: Yuanzhong Wang, Jiaren Xiao, Xuedong Xia
  • Patent number: 11482811
    Abstract: A lever-type connector includes: a first housing; a second housing capable of fitted to and removed from the first housing; a lever rotatably supported by the second housing for fitted to and removed the first housing and the second housing by a rotation operation; a support shaft provided on the second housing; a bearing portion provided on the lever and comprising a shaft sliding groove for sliding the support shaft; a cam follower provided on the lever; a cam groove provided on the first housing, the cam groove to which the cam follower is engageable; a guide protrusion provided on the second housing, and a guide groove provided on the lever, the guide groove to which the guide protrusion is engageable. When the first housing and the second housing are completely fitted by the rotation operation of the lever, the lever becomes slidable with respect to the second housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignees: YAZAKI CORPORATION, NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masatoshi Nakamura, Kazuto Ohtaka, Takahiro Yoneda, Aritsugu Hirose