Patents Examined by Sean R Brannon
  • Patent number: 11960248
    Abstract: A Dewar device for mechanical and/or functional components of a watch, the device being provided with a bracelet and a casing including an enclosure wherein a case of the watch can be disposed so that a crystal of the case is arranged opposite a crystal of all the elements of the casing defining this enclosure and at least one fastening device fastening the watch case in the enclosure of the casing by keeping it remote from all the elements of the casing defining this enclosure, the Dewar device including a device for actuating at least one push button by rotating a pivoting bezel of the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Omega SA
    Inventors: Antoine Ummel, Serge Droz
  • Patent number: 11960245
    Abstract: A timepiece includes a case including a protrusion protruding inward from an inner wall, a crown including a shaft passing through the side surface of the case, a head provided at one end of the shaft, and a drive wheel provided at the other end opposite from the one end of the shaft, an internal rotary ring provided in a position where the internal rotary ring overlaps with the protrusion in the plan view and having teeth that engage with the drive wheel, and elastic members disposed between the protrusion and the internal rotary ring and each including a convex section that engages with the teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshio Mishima, Takumi Oshio, Yoshihiro Hidai
  • Patent number: 11947319
    Abstract: A dewar device (1) for mechanical and/or functional components (2) of a watch (3), the device (1) being provided with a bracelet and a casing (4) including an enclosure (5) wherein it is possible to arrange a case (6) of the watch (3) and at least one reversible connecting element (7) fixing the watch (3) case (6) in the enclosure (5) of the casing (4) while keeping it remote from all the elements (10a, 10b, 10c) of the casing (4) defining this enclosure (5), the at least one reversible connecting element (7) being provided with a body forming a structure (8) including at least one recessed area (9).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: OMEGA SA
    Inventors: Gérald Perruchoud, Florent Cosandier
  • Patent number: 11940764
    Abstract: An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention may comprise: a housing comprising a first plate comprising an inner surface defining a part of a space inside the housing and an outer surface forming a part of the exterior of the housing, and a side member formed integrally with the edge of the inner surface and formed substantially perpendicular to the inner surface so as to form a recess together with the inner surface, the side member comprising an opening; a speaker structure arranged adjacent to the opening inside the recess, the speaker structure comprising a first surface comprising a speaker vibration plate facing the opening, and a second surface facing away from the first surface; an engaging member mounted substantially perpendicularly to the inner surface so as to fix the speaker structure to the housing; and a fixing member fixed to the housing so as to contact at least a part of the second surface and arranged so as to pressurize the second surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwonho Son, Sangyoup Seok
  • Patent number: 11934154
    Abstract: A timepiece includes three types of decorative plates. A first type of decorative plate includes numbers from 1 to 12 indicative of time in hours and is rotatable around a central axis of the time piece. A second type of decorative plate includes a plurality of second type of plate pieces collectively rotatable relative to the first type of decorative plate and each rotatable around its respective axis. The third type of decorative plate includes a plurality of third type of plate pieces collectively rotatable relative to the central axis of the timepiece and each movable radially with respect to the central axis of the timepiece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO TIME CREATION INC.
    Inventor: Toyonori Muraji
  • Patent number: 11934151
    Abstract: Exemplary arrangements relate to a universal world timepiece such as a clock having a movement (11) in connection with indicators such as hands (16, 18, 20). The timepiece includes a stationary oriented 24-hour clock face (101, 301, 401, 501) including hour marks for each hour, and a dial (103, 303, 403, 503) which is movable relative to the 24-hour clock face. The example dial has a unique icon such as a different Latin letter for each hour of the 24 hours. A computer (10) of the timepiece may operate to determine geographic coordinates and/or or to receive wireless time signals and to determine the time zone in which the timepiece is currently located. The computer operates to cause the dial to be rotatably positioned responsive to the time zone determination, to cause a particular icon to be linearly aligned with a particular hour mark of the clock face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Inventor: Hussam Hebbo
  • Patent number: 11927922
    Abstract: A coiling limitation device for a timepiece barrel includes at least one non-return notch arranged to cooperate with a sliding flange of the spring of the barrel, which is integrated in a watch including a resonator cooperating with an escapement mechanism. This device includes an acoustic device for the acoustic monitoring of the coiling of the barrel of a watch positioned on a receptacle included by the device, which acoustic devices are arranged to identify a click noise during each start of cooperation between the sliding flange and a notch. The device includes piloting devices arranged to stop the coiling of the barrel at the instant of the perception of the click noise or the repetition of the click noise.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jérôme Favre, Jean-Jacques Born, Nakis P. Karapatis, Michel Willemin, Jean-Claude Martin
  • Patent number: 11921466
    Abstract: A method for updating (500) the date for a watch implemented by an updating device (100). The updating method (500) including storing in memory the current date (171) according to a perpetual calendar programmed on a time zone (175), receiving a second signal (181) before verifying a first signal (131) after having received the second signal (181). A comparison is carried out between the second signal (181) and the current date (171) in order to control the driving of at least one date-disc (120) with a drive member (160) if the second portion (127) is different from the current date (171) until the first sensor (130) detects a first portion (126) of the at least one date-disc (120).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSE
    Inventor: Pascal Lagorgette
  • Patent number: 11921460
    Abstract: A device (100) for display of an indication of the time or derived from the time includes: a first display mobile unit (10) including a first toothing (11b), a second toothing (11c) and a first disk (12) carrying digits (13) intended to indicate the units of indication of time or derived from time; a second display mobile unit (20) including a third toothing (21b), a fourth toothing (21c) and a second disk (22) carrying digits (23) intended to indicate the tens of indication of time or derived from time; and a mechanism (90) for driving the first and second mobile that includes a command mobile unit (30) including a fifth toothing (30a) adapted to cooperate by obstacle, in particular by meshing, with the first and third toothings, and a second command mobile unit (40) including a sixth toothing (40a) adapted to cooperate by obstacle with the second and fourth toothings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: ROLEX SA
    Inventor: Pierre-Alain Graemiger
  • Patent number: 11914330
    Abstract: A timepiece including: a dial; a windshield glass having a plurality of curved surfaces that differ from each other in curvature; and a hand disposed between the dial and the windshield glass, wherein the windshield glass includes: a first curved surface having a first curvature and including a center of the windshield glass; a second curved surface disposed adjacent to the first curved surface and having a second curvature larger than the first curvature; and a third curved surface disposed adjacent to the second curved surface and having a third curvature larger than the second curvature, a thickness of the first curved surface and a thickness of the second curved surface are equal, and in plan view, a distal end of the hand is disposed on a center C side of the windshield glass with respect to a boundary between the second curved surface and the third curved surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventors: Koki Hayashi, Kenichiro Matsumoto, Kazunori Hoshino, Hiroshi Watanabe
  • Patent number: 11906935
    Abstract: A removable case back of an electronic or electromechanical watch case, the case back allows the wireless charging or recharging of a power source. The case back includes a first multi-function sub-assembly having a buzzer, an inductive coil on or integrated in a printed circuit board, the inductive coil being covered by a magnetic shield on an inner side of the watch case, and a second multi-function sub-assembly on the first multi-function sub-assembly having an enclosure structure for accommodating the power source, such as a battery or an accumulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Marc Schenk, Laurent Mouche
  • Patent number: 11906932
    Abstract: A dial for a timepiece, preferably a watch, the dial being provided with a relief portion which is made as an assembly of pieces on different levels, juxtaposed on a base, such that the relief portion is formed by the upper surfaces of the pieces. A method for manufacturing the dial with several separate pieces, the upper surfaces of the pieces being subjected to a polishing step and/or possibly an enamelling step. The pieces are then cut along a defined contour and then assembled edge-to-edge on a base, so as to create the relief portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: Omega SA
    Inventors: Frederic Jeanrenaud, Gregory Kissling
  • Patent number: 11886151
    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 pyramidal cavity configured to receive the first pivot of the arbor of the rotary wheel set, the cavity having at least three faces giving its pyramidal shape, 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 a face being generated, the normal at the contact zone or zones forming a contact angle (?h) relating to the plane perpendicular to the arbor of the pivot, wherein the contact angle (?h) is less than 45°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Helfer, Dominique Lechot
  • Patent number: 11886146
    Abstract: A horological movement includes an escapement with a magnetic system to generate magnetic force impulses, so as to sustain the oscillation of the mechanical resonator associated with the escapement. In order to make possible an effective self-starting of the assembly formed of the mechanical resonator and of the escapement during a winding of the barrel, after a stop of the horological movement due to the unwound barrel spring, the escape wheel includes teeth and the pallet assembly includes two mechanical pallet-stones arranged to receive, upon starting, at least one mechanical force impulse of the escape wheel via one of the teeth thereof, the mechanical force impulse generating a starting force torque on the pallet assembly that is transmitted to the balance of the mechanical resonator to begin an oscillation of the latter so that the assembly can operate normally after a starting phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Dominique Lechot, Marc Stranczl, Benoît Légeret
  • Patent number: 11874633
    Abstract: A method for adjusting the operating frequency of an electronic watch via a computer application installed in a portable electronic device, the adjustment method including the following steps, performed by the computer application: generating a pulsed reference signal in the portable electronic device, converting the pulsed reference signal into a modulated optical signal consisting of light pulses, transmitting the modulated optical signal to the electronic watch via the light source or via a modulation of the light emitted by the screen of the portable electronic device, and the following steps, performed by the electronic watch: reconstituting the pulsed reference signal from the modulated optical signal received by the optical sensor, correcting an inhibition value stored in the memory of an adjustment circuit of the electronic watch as a function of the pulsed reference signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Francois Klopfenstein
  • Patent number: 11860581
    Abstract: A wristwatch includes an outer case that comprises an opening portion, a windshield glass disposed in the opening portion, a crown arranged at a side surface of the outer case, a bezel arranged around the windshield glass, a protective member fixed to a side surface at which the crown of the outer case is disposed, wherein the protective member has a notch portion that covers at least a portion of a side surface of the outer case and at least a portion of a side surface of the bezel and exposes the crown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Inventor: Genta Kawabe
  • Patent number: 11860579
    Abstract: A device is for fastening a back on a middle of a watch. The back includes a cover arranged to form a bearing surface with the middle and a body arranged to rest in the middle. The device includes a ring disposed between the back and the middle, the ring being arranged to ensure the water resistance and indexing of the back. The ring includes an upper part ensuring the water resistance and a median part including positioning to ensure precise placement of the back.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Joël Allimann, Jean-Claude Martin, Simon Garcin
  • Patent number: 11860583
    Abstract: An “all or nothing” actuating mechanism for a timepiece movement is described, which includes: an actuating lever that is able to move between an inactive position and an active position; a movable control lever for moving the actuating lever between its inactive and active positions; a return member for returning the control lever to its initial position; and a control member capable of pivoting between a first state in which it locks the actuating lever in its inactive position, and a second state, in which it releases the actuating lever to allow it to move to its active position. The control lever is arranged to be able to act on the control member, and move it from its first state to its second state, the actuating mechanism including a jumper tending to return the control member to its first state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: MANUFACTURE D'HORLOGERIE AUDEMARS PIGUET SA
    Inventor: Julien Martel
  • Patent number: 11860582
    Abstract: A winding device includes a motor for driving a watch holder carrying at least one automatic watch with a mobile oscillating mass, and a multimeter for measuring a variation in a resistive torque opposed to the motor by the watch holder equipped with watches, depending on a degree of winding of the watches. The multimeter includes a speed meter to determine a speed and/or a variation in the speed of the motor, a torque meter to determine a value of a torque and/or a variation in the torque at the watch holder, and/or a current meter to determine a value of a current and/or a variation in the current of an electric motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Michel Willemin, Jérôme Favre, Nicolas Livat
  • Patent number: 11853012
    Abstract: A winding machine includes motorization means arranged to move a support, carrying at least one watch or one horological movement, along a path in a plane. The motorization means are arranged to move each support parallel to a starting position corresponding to the loading or unloading of a watch or of a movement on the support, the axes of a three-dimensional frame of reference specific to the support always remaining parallel to the oriented directions that the axes occupy in the starting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Helfer, Cédric Decosterd, Nicolas Loetscher, Philipp Schneider