Patents by Inventor Jean-Jacques Born

Jean-Jacques Born 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: 10972027
    Abstract: A DC motor including a continuous rotation rotor; a first inductor characterized by first parameters; a second inductor characterized by second parameters; a voltage supply unit; a measurement unit for detecting time instants when a first induced voltage in the first inductor equals a second induced voltage in the second inductor; and a control unit for controlling the application of drive voltage pulses to the inductors. The rotor faces first the second inductor before facing the first inductor when being rotated. At least one of the second parameters is selected different from a corresponding parameter of the first parameters such that a maximum induced voltage in the first inductor is greater than a maximum induced voltage in the second inductor. The control unit is arranged to trigger each of the drive voltage pulses after a detection of an equal induced voltage in the first and second inductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Laurent Nagy, Christophe Germiquet, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Patent number: 10948881
    Abstract: Timepiece movement fitted with an electromagnetic transducer comprising at least one coil and a rotor formed of a central shaft, of two magnetic plates that are mounted on the central shaft and of a plurality of bipolar magnets which are axially polarized and mounted on at least one of the two magnetic plates, said at least one coil penetrating at least partially into a circular space which is defined by the rotor between its two magnetic plates and left free by this rotor. The central shaft comprises a pinion which engages with a wheel of the timepiece movement, this pinion being arranged between the two magnetic plates and said wheel being partially arranged between the two magnetic plates, in an angular sector of the circular space that is left free by the electromagnetic transducer, so as to engage with the pinion. Advantageously, said wheel has a roller that is almost or entirely non-conductive and a non-magnetic staff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Born, Yvan Ferri
  • Patent number: 10948879
    Abstract: A method for adjusting the rate of a watch with an oscillator arranged to generate oscillation at a nominal frequency N0, with a servo-system including a master oscillator arranged to generate excitation oscillation at an excitation frequency NE, which is approximately equal to, or equal to the nominal frequency N0, or to an integer multiple of this nominal frequency N0, the watch is subjected to excitation oscillation or to a modulated motion, generated by the master oscillator, during a transition phase after which the oscillator of the watch is stabilised at excitation frequency NE, and there is incorporated in the servo-system a winder for mechanical or automatic watches, arranged to move a support on which such a watch is fixed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jerome Favre, Michel Willemin, Jean-Jacques Born, Dominique Lechot, Gianni Di Domenico
  • Patent number: 10928779
    Abstract: An isochronous pivot for a resonator including two flexible strips joining attachment points of a first and a second element, defining two strip directions, and a pivot axis, at the intersection of their projections or at their intersection, each strip having a free length between its attachment points, and an axial distance between the pivot axis and the attachment point thereof farthest from the axis, the attachment point ratio X=D/L being greater than one for each strip, the strip directions defining with the axis a first apex angle whose value in degrees includes between f1(X)=108+67/(10X?6), and f2(X)=113+67/(10X?6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Dominique Lechot, Jerome Favre, Baptiste Hinaux, Jean-Jacques Born, Jean-Luc Helfer, Pascal Winkler
  • Publication number: 20210011432
    Abstract: A universal device is for preparation of a watch with a gain/loss correction crown and an oscillating resonator. The device includes winding and a gain/loss corrector with a robotic manipulator for manoeuvring the crown. It also includes an adjustment device with a gain/loss correction device including a gain/loss-corrector oscillator generating an oscillation to subject the watch to an oscillation at a correction frequency NC and/or to a modulated movement. The gain/loss correction device includes a gain/loss controller that controls the oscillation of the gain/loss-corrector oscillator, interfaced with a device to measure the gain/loss of the watch. The gain/loss correction device also includes an automatic winder with a watch-holder stand subjected to the oscillations or movements generated by the gain/loss-corrector oscillator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jérôme FAVRE, Jean-Jacques BORN, Cédric NICOLAS, Baptiste HINAUX
  • Patent number: 10866565
    Abstract: A mechanical timepiece oscillator includes, between a first element and a second inertial element, two distinct flexible strips returning the inertial element to a rest position in an oscillation plane, the projections of these strips crossing each other, in the rest position, at a point, through which passes the pivoting axis of the second solid inertial element, the embedding points of the strips in the first element and the second inertial element defining two directions in which each strip has a free length between its embedding points, and an axial distance between the pivoting axis and the farthest of its embedding points, and, for each strip, the embedding point ratio is comprised between 0 and 1, and the vertex angle at the crossing point of the directions of the strips is less than 70°.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Dominique Lechot, Jerome Favre, Baptiste Hinaux, Jean-Jacques Born, Jean-Luc Helfer, Pascal Winkler
  • Publication number: 20200387114
    Abstract: A method for measuring the medium frequency of a digital signal derived from a reference periodic signal generated by an electronic oscillator (quartz oscillator) forming a timepiece (2) which includes an analogue time display device and a continuous rotation electromechanical transducer (generator or continuous rotation motor) which is kinematically linked to this display device and wherein the medium rotational speed is regulated by a regulation device. The medium frequency of the digital signal is determined by a measurement device (70) without galvanic contact with the movement of the timepiece. The measurement method makes it possible to determine the rate of the timepiece and the precision of the electronic oscillator based on regulation impulses detected by a magnetic sensor (72) and over a measurement period limited to the duration of an inhibition cycle of periods of the reference periodic signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Publication date: December 10, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Born, Laurent Nagy
  • Publication number: 20200319598
    Abstract: A horological movement (6) including: a plate (7); a mechanical resonator (8) including an oscillating balance (11) rotatably mounted relative to the plate (7), and a spiral spring (22) coupled to the balance (11); an electromagnetic regulator (29) coupled to the mechanical resonator (8) to regulate the frequency of the oscillations of the balance (11), and including at least one permanent magnet (30) fixedly mounted relative to the plate (7), at least one coil (31), a quartz or silicon resonator (32) and an electronic circuit (33) connected to the resonator (32) and to the coil (31), all mounted on the balance (11) while being completely included in an inner cavity (18) delimited by the latter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2020
    Publication date: October 8, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques BORN, Paulo BRAVO, Olivier MATTHEY
  • Publication number: 20200201259
    Abstract: A bearing for an arbor or staff of a rotary wheel set of a timepiece movement, the bearing including a bearing block provided with a housing and an endstone arranged inside the housing, the endstone having a main body provided with a cavity configured to receive a pivot of the arbor of the rotary wheel set, the pivot having the shape of a first cone having a first solid angle, the apex of the first cone being rounded with a predefined first radius of curvature in a range from 0.2 ?m to 50 ?m, the cavity having a second cone shape with a second solid angle, greater than the first solid angle, so that the pivot can rotate in the cavity, the apex of the second cone being rounded and having a predefined second radius of curvature. The second radius of curvature is smaller than the first radius of curvature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques BORN, Dominique LECHOT, Yves WINKLER, Christophe VINCENT
  • Publication number: 20200186061
    Abstract: A continuously rotating electric motor includes a rotor provided with permanent magnets and a stator formed by two coils in which, when the rotor is rotating, two induced voltage signals (UB1 and UB2) are respectively generated, which signals have an electric phase shift ? where 5°???90°, preferably 30°<?<65°. The control device includes a circuit for detecting intersection times (TC) at which values of the two induced voltage signals are substantially equal. The control device is arranged to generate electric driving pulses to rotate the rotor, which are respectively initiated at initiation times determined by respective intersection times, and such that the electric driving pulses can be applied to the two coils arranged in series. Preferably, the control device is arranged such that the initiation times of the electric driving pulses occur directly after detections of corresponding intersection times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques BORN, Laurent NAGY, Christophe GERMIQUET
  • Publication number: 20200186064
    Abstract: A DC motor including a continuous rotation rotor; a first inductor characterized by first parameters; a second inductor characterized by second parameters; a voltage supply unit; a measurement unit for detecting time instants when a first induced voltage in the first inductor equals a second induced voltage in the second inductor; and a control unit for controlling the application of drive voltage pulses to the inductors. The rotor faces first the second inductor before facing the first inductor when being rotated. At least one of the second parameters is selected different from a corresponding parameter of the first parameters such that a maximum induced voltage in the first inductor is greater than a maximum induced voltage in the second inductor. The control unit is arranged to trigger each of the drive voltage pulses after a detection of an equal induced voltage in the first and second inductors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Laurent NAGY, Christophe GERMIQUET, Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Publication number: 20200186059
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a method of controlling a rotational speed of a rotor (3) of a direct current electric motor (1) comprising an inductor circuit (A, B) for rotating the rotor, which is configured to rotate continuously and is equipped with permanent magnets. The method comprises: measuring the rotational speed of the rotor; determining a time drift in the rotor rotation compared to a reference signal; defining N speed thresholds with at least one being a variable speed threshold depending on the determined time drift, the N speed thresholds defining N+1 rotational speed ranges for the rotor; determining in which one of the N+1 rotational speed ranges the determined rotational speed of the rotor is; and finally selecting an action relative to the control of the inductor circuit, based on the determined rotational speed range, for controlling the rotational speed of the rotor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques BORN, Christophe GERMIQUET, Laurent NAGY
  • Publication number: 20200186065
    Abstract: A motor drive unit for driving a direct current electric motor including a moving part equipped with permanent magnets. The motor drive unit, which is powered by a voltage supply source, includes a switch circuit, an inductor circuit and a capacitor circuit including a set of capacitors. By selectively opening and closing the switches of the switch circuit, a series of consecutive low energy pulses can be generated such that the power consumption of the motor drive circuit is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2019
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Laurent NAGY, Christophe GERMIQUET, Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Patent number: 10539928
    Abstract: A watch winding device includes a motor driving a winding operation, an acoustic measurer of the oscillator of a watch in the winding position, and a controller analysing the signals transmitted by the measurer and comparing them to desired values that can be parameterized to regulate the operation of the motor by starting this motor when the operating amplitude of the oscillator is less than a minimum value, and by stopping this motor when the working amplitude is higher than a maximum value, these acoustic measurers are fixed in a base behind an sensing opening of the acoustic sensor. The device includes an acoustic duct which places a receiving port, located inside a chamber for housing a watch, in communication with a transmitting port movable by the motor facing this sensing opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2020
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques Born, Cedric Nicolas, Jerome Favre
  • Publication number: 20190332057
    Abstract: A timepiece resonator mechanism including a structure and an inertia element oscillating about an axis, subjected to return forces exerted by a RCC flexure pivot with elastic resonator strips, which are each fixed to the structure and to the inertia element and essentially deformable in a plane perpendicular to the axis, straight and extending in parallel or coincident planes, the crossing, in projection onto a plane perpendicular to the axis, of their directions defining this axis, these strips are fixed on the inertia element side to a stiff element, comprised in an anti-shock element and on which are fixed the strips and which is integral with anti-shock flexible elements arranged to keep suspended the inertia element, the anti-shock element providing shock protection for the strips of the flexure pivot.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventor: Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Publication number: 20190332056
    Abstract: A timepiece regulating mechanism including primary resonators each with an inertial weight suspended by flexible strips to a fixed structure with respect to which this weight pivots, and mechanical device of synchronizing the primary resonators which include, between the inertial weights, an articulated connection which, under normal conditions, allows pivoting of the inertial weights in opposite directions of rotation and with close rotation angles, and during a shock, prevents pivoting thereof in the same direction of rotation, the mechanism including an oscillator with a frictional rest escapement mechanism arranged to cooperate alternately with the primary resonators, on pallet stones of the inertial weights.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2019
    Publication date: October 31, 2019
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Jacques BORN, Pascal WINKLER, Gianni DI DOMENICO
  • Patent number: 10394190
    Abstract: A timepiece resonator mechanism includes a structure and an inertial element oscillating around an axis and subjected to restoring forces exerted by a plurality of elastic blades, each fixed directly or indirectly to the structure at a first end and fixed directly or indirectly to an inertial element at a second end. The elastic blade extends in a perpendicular plane to the pivot axis and is deformable substantially in this plane, where this resonator mechanism includes an axial stop including at least a lower axial stop and/or an upper axial stop, and the axial stop is arranged for the protection of the blade resonator mechanism against axial shocks in the direction of the axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Dominique Lechot, Pascal Winkler, Gianni Di Domenico, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Publication number: 20190250565
    Abstract: A timepiece movement, including a mechanism including an inertial element arranged to oscillate or pivot about a first axis of pivoting relative to a structure of the movement, and arranged to cooperate directly or indirectly with an energy distribution wheel set that pivots relative to the structure about a second axis of pivoting parallel to or coincident with the first axis of pivoting and subjected to a torque exerted by an energy source, wherein the energy distribution wheel set meshes directly or indirectly with at least one inertia wheel set that pivots about a third axis of pivoting relative to the structure, each inertia wheel set is arranged to pivot in the opposite direction to the energy distribution wheel set, and the total inertia of the inertia wheel sets is comprised between 60% and 140% of the inertia of the energy distribution wheel set.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Publication date: August 15, 2019
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jerome FAVRE, Olivier MATTHEY, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Baptiste HINAUX, Dominique LECHOT, Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Patent number: 10338527
    Abstract: A self-winding watch includes a movement connected to a winding device of a barrel spring including an oscillating weight pivoting around an axis A, a reduction wheel train cooperating with the oscillating weight to transmit the torque to the barrel, a storage unit for electrical energy, a photovoltaic cell arranged to receive the ambient light and charge the electrical energy storage unit, a control circuit connected to the terminals of the electrical energy storage unit and a driver connected to the circuit and coupled to the oscillating weight to displace it. The electrical energy storage unit, the control circuit an d the driver are integrated to the oscillating weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Lionel Tombez, Jean-Jacques Born, Michel Willemin, Pascal Winkler, Lionel Paratte
  • Publication number: 20190121297
    Abstract: The presentation case is arranged for receiving an electromechanical watch provided with a stepping motor for driving the watch hands. The presentation case includes a box with a support for receiving the watch, a system for detecting the position of the hands, means for resetting the watch, connected to the hand position detection system, and configured to reset the watch on the basis of information received from the hand position detection system and a time reference, when the watch is placed on the receiving support. The resetting means include a drive means for the stepping motor of the electromechanical watch, which is arranged inside the presentation case facing the stepping motor, when the watch is placed on the receiving support, and is configured to cause a rotation of the stepping motor by inductive coupling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Applicant: Harry Winston SA
    Inventors: Johnny Buehler, Jean-Jacques Born, Cedric Nicolas