Patents by Inventor Alain Vuilleumier

Alain Vuilleumier has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9116507
    Abstract: A universal timepiece includes a manual mechanism to shift selectively some of geographical labels borne by a dial by 1/24th of a revolution, to make it possible to change, by one hour, local times associated with the geographical labels during a change from wintertime to summertime or from summertime to wintertime.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Alain Vuilleumier, Jean-Jacques Born, Dominique Lechot
  • Patent number: 9025419
    Abstract: The universal timepiece comprises a winter/summer switching mechanism (27, 29, 31, 25, 19, 19H, 19E, 20, 20H, 20E, 21, 21E, 21H, 22, 22E, 22H, 23, 23E, 23H, 11, 11A, 12, 12A, 13, 13A, 14, 14A, 15, 15A, 17) arranged to be driven intermittently by the movement to selectively displace some of the geographic indications carried by the dial (3) by 1/24th of a turn in order to change by one hour the local time associated with these geographic indications during a change from winter time to summer time or from summer time to winter time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2015
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Dominique Lechot, Alain Vuilleumier, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Publication number: 20140078869
    Abstract: The universal timepiece comprises a winter/summer switching mechanism (27, 29, 31, 25, 19, 19H, 19E, 20, 20H, 20E, 21, 21E, 21H, 22, 22E, 22H, 23, 23E, 23H, 11, 11A, 12, 12A, 13, 13A, 14, 14A, 15, 15A, 17) arranged to be driven intermittently by the movement to selectively displace some of the geographic indications carried by the dial (3) by 1/24th of a turn in order to change by one hour the local time associated with these geographic indications during a change from winter time to summer time or from summer time to winter time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Dominique LECHOT, Alain VUILLEUMIER, Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Publication number: 20140003198
    Abstract: A universal timepiece includes a manual mechanism to shift selectively some of geographical labels borne by a dial by 1/24th of a revolution, to make it possible to change, by one hour, local times associated with the geographical labels during a change from wintertime to summertime or from summertime to wintertime.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2012
    Publication date: January 2, 2014
    Applicant: THE SWATCH GROUP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LTD
    Inventors: Alain Vuilleumier, Jean-Jacques Born, Dominique Lechot
  • Patent number: 7773462
    Abstract: A watch includes a mechanical or electromechanical timepiece movement, analog time indicators, a lunar indicator indicating lunar date on a scale and driven by the timepiece movement to perform one revolution in one or two synodic months, and Chinese calendar indicator members actuated by a calendar mechanism driven from the lunar indicator. A month moving part provided with an indicator of lunar months is driven via a rocking lever so as to perform one revolution per ordinary year of twelve months and per leap year of thirteen months. The other Chinese calendar indicators are driven from the month moving part and comprise a first year indicator performing one revolution in twelve years, a second year indicator performing one revolution in ten years, and a third year indicator performing one revolution in nineteen years and associated with a cam representing the Chang cycle of ordinary years and leap years.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Alain Vuilleumier, Frédéric Meylan
  • Publication number: 20090274010
    Abstract: The described watch comprises a mechanical or electromechanical timepiece movement, analog time indicators (24, 25), a lunar indicator (27) indicating the lunar date on a scale (31) and driven by the timepiece movement to perform one revolution in one or two synodic months, and Chinese calendar indicator members which are actuated by a calendar mechanism (50) driven from the lunar indicator (27). A month moving part (70) provided with an indicator (34) of the lunar months is driven via a rocking lever (60) in such a manner as to perform one revolution per ordinary year of twelve months and per leap year of thirteen months.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development, Ltd.
    Inventors: Alain Vuilleumier, Frédéric Meylan
  • Patent number: 7433269
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic timepiece comprising manual control means (21, 23) for the selection of different modes and an analog display provided with indicators (26, 27, 28, 32, 34) moved separately by electric motors to indicate the time on a dial (22) in a time mode and other information in one or more other modes, said indicators comprising at least an hour hand (26), a minute hand (27), a day indicator (32) and a month indicator (34). In addition, at least one of the modes to be selected is an event indication mode, in which the Gregorian date of a movable event is delivered by the electronic circuits of the timepiece and is displayed at least by the day indicator (32) and month indicator (34), said timepiece having means for the display of the number of the Gregorian year.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2008
    Assignee: ASULAB S.A.
    Inventors: Alain Vuilleumier, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Patent number: 7307917
    Abstract: The invention concerns a lunar month display mechanism, for a lunisolar calendar mechanism. The mechanism includes concentrically a plate, which determines the position of the additional month in the bissextile years. The plate is provided with a hand associated with a scale of twelve months and carries a planetary wheel permanently braked by a restraining device. The drive wheel, driven over one twelfth of a revolution at each new moon, meshes with the planetary wheel and moves the plate and hand forward. At the start of a bissextile month, the stop fingerforces the wheel to rotate overcoming the force of the restraining device while the drive wheel is rotating, such that the hand remains close to the number of the preceding month. The position of the stop finger is determined by a year cam. This mechanism can be used in particular in a Chinese calendar display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2007
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Frédéric Meylan, Alain Vuilleumier
  • Publication number: 20070147176
    Abstract: The invention concerns a lunar month display mechanism, for a lunisolar calendar mechanism. The mechanism includes concentrically a plate, which determines the position of the additional month in the bissextile years. The plate is provided with a hand associated with a scale of twelve months and carries a planetary wheel permanently braked by a restraining device. The drive wheel, driven over one twelfth of a revolution at each new moon, meshes with the planetary wheel and moves the plate and hand forward. At the start of a bissextile month, the stop finger forces the wheel to rotate overcoming the force of the restraining device while the drive wheel is rotating, such that the hand remains close to the number of the preceding month. The position of the stop finger is determined by a year cam. This mechanism can be used in particular in a Chinese calendar display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2006
    Publication date: June 28, 2007
    Applicant: THE SWATCH GROUP RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT LTD
    Inventors: Frederic Meylan, Alain Vuilleumier
  • Publication number: 20060221772
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electronic timepiece comprising manual control means (21, 23) for the selection of different modes and an analog display provided with indicators (26, 27, 28, 32, 34) moved separately by electric motors to indicate the time on a dial (22) in a time mode and other information in one or more other modes, said indicators comprising at least an hour hand (26), a minute hand (27), a day indicator (32) and a month indicator (34). In addition, at least one of the modes to be selected is an event indication mode, in which the Gregorian date of a movable event is delivered by the electronic circuits of the timepiece and is displayed at least by the day indicator (32) and month indicator (34), said timepiece having means for the display of the number of the Gregorian year.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2006
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Inventors: Alain Vuilleumier, Jean-Jacques Born