Patents by Inventor Loïc Curchod
Loïc Curchod 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).
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Patent number: 11952667Abstract: A method for depositing a decorative and/or functional layer on at least a portion of a surface of a finished or semi-finished article made of a non-conductive ceramic material, this deposition method includes the following operations: subjecting the at least a portion of the surface of the article to a carburising or nitriding treatment during which carbon, respectively nitrogen atoms, diffuse in the at least a portion of the surface of the article, then depositing, by galvanic growth of a metallic material, the decorative and/or functional layer on at least a portion of the surface of the article which has undergone the carburising or nitriding treatment.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2021Date of Patent: April 9, 2024Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Loïc Curchod, Pierry Vuille
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Publication number: 20240027807Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, the display device including: two facing transparent substrates designated respectively front substrate and rear substrate, the front substrate being same disposed on the observer side, the front and rear substrates being provided on the inner faces thereof with transparent structured electrodes whereof the superposition defines shape pixels switchable between two optical states, the electrodes being connected to a voltage source via a control circuit, forming a cell closed by a sealing frame for receiving in the spaced delimited by the substrates and the sealing frame a liquid crystal composition; and a decorative pattern in direct contact with the front substrate or the rear substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 4, 2023Publication date: January 25, 2024Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Michel SAGARDOYBURU, Loïc CURCHOD
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Publication number: 20230189946Abstract: A method for depositing a coating on a substrate (100), including a step of depositing a thin intermetallic layer (110) on the substrate (100), so as to obtain, at the end of this step, an external part (10) having a predetermined final colour.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 18, 2022Publication date: June 22, 2023Applicant: OMEGA SAInventors: Loïc Curchod, Simon Springer, Stéphane Lauper, Ahmad Odeh, Marion Gstalter, Loïc Oberson, Gregory Kissling
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Publication number: 20230193454Abstract: A method for depositing a coating on a substrate (100), including successively depositing a thin intermetallic layer (110) on the substrate (100), so as to obtain an external part (10), and annealing the external part (10) in a dedicated enclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 6, 2022Publication date: June 22, 2023Applicant: OMEGA SAInventors: Loïc CURCHOD, Simon SPRINGER, Stephane LAUPER, Ahmad ODEH, Marion GSTALTER, Loïc OBERSON, Gregory KISSLING
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Patent number: 11549170Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article, the surface of the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, wherein the method includes the steps of: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article in a chamber in which a hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen gas mixture is heated; heating said article and the gas mixture using at least one resistive element traversed by an electric current to obtain dissociation of the hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen based gas molecules and an increase in the temperature of said article; keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thus created to obtain diffusion of the carbon/nitrogen atoms in the external surface of said article.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2017Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Cedric Faure, Loic Curchod
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Publication number: 20220390898Abstract: The invention relates to a timepiece including, in addition to a crystal (34), the following external elements: a back (2), a middle (1), a dial (3) and two bracelet strands (30), at least one of these external elements comprising at least one part made of an at least partially transparent or translucent ceramic material, the timepiece further including at least two point light sources (10) releasing heat, each light source (10) being capable of being separately switched on/off and being disposed in or directly beneath said at least one external element comprising the ceramic material, each light source (10) producing light that passes through the ceramic material of said external element, and wherein each light source (10) is configured to produce localised light on a point or quasi-point area (40) of the ceramic material of the external element concerned, so as to produce localised illumination on said external element.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 11, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Michel WILLEMIN, Loïc CURCHOD, Pierpasquale TORTORA, Simon SPRINGER, Cédric FAURE
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Publication number: 20220390900Abstract: Provided is a timepiece including, in addition to a crystal, the following external elements: a back (2), a middle part (1), a dial (3), and two bracelet strands (30), at least one of these external elements includes a body formed of a first portion made of a first opaque material and of a second portion made of a second partially transparent or translucent material. The first material being integral with the second material and the timepiece also includes at least one light source (10) producing light which passes through the second portion made of a partially transparent or translucent ceramic material comprising zirconia.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Michel WILLEMIN, Loïc CURCHOD, Pierpasquale TORTORA, Simon SPRINGER, Cédric FAURE
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Patent number: 11467540Abstract: An external element made from a first material for a wearable object, the first material being an insulating ceramic, wherein a surface of the external element is at least partially treated to include at least one conversion with an electrical conductivity.Type: GrantFiled: December 5, 2016Date of Patent: October 11, 2022Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Loic Curchod, Simon Springer
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Publication number: 20220267891Abstract: A method for depositing a rare material in a thin layer at the surface of an horological or jewellery external part includes providing a rough part of rare material, shaping the rough part of rare material so that it is adapted to be used as a target part for a PVD method, depositing material of the target part at the surface of a substrate consisting of an horological or jewellery eternal part by a PVD method so as to cover the external part.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 11, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Michel WILLEMIN, Simon SPRINGER, Loïc CURCHOD
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Publication number: 20220155729Abstract: A method for depositing a decorative and/or functional layer on at least a portion of a surface of a finished or semi-finished article made of a non-conductive ceramic material, this deposition method includes the following operations: subjecting the at least a portion of the surface of the article to a carburising or nitriding treatment during which carbon, respectively nitrogen atoms, diffuse in the at least a portion of the surface of the article, then depositing, by galvanic growth of a metallic material, the decorative and/or functional layer on at least a portion of the surface of the article which has undergone the carburising or nitriding treatment.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 16, 2021Publication date: May 19, 2022Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Loïc CURCHOD, Pierry VUILLE
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Patent number: 11300931Abstract: An external element of a timepiece or a piece of jewelry includes a body made of an insulating ceramic material, the body including a housing, a wireless communication system disposed in the housing, and at least one part of a surface of the external element includes a layer of metallic visual appearance, the layer being obtained by carburization, nitridation, or a combination of carburization, nitridation.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2017Date of Patent: April 12, 2022Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Yvan Ferri, Loic Curchod
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Patent number: 11144012Abstract: The present invention relates to a covering element for a portable object made of a first material, the first material being a ceramic material having a first color, characterized in that the surface of said covering element is at least partially treated so as to exhibit at least one conversion having a different color from the first color.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2016Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Loic Curchod, Cedric Faure, Michel Willemin, Simon Springer
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Patent number: 11142487Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article (1), the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, characterized in that the method includes the steps consisting in: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article inside a chamber (10) in which a gaseous mixture is arranged, this gaseous mixture including at least a first hydrogen and carbon based gas compound in a first concentration (C1) and a second hydrogen and nitrogen based gas compound in a second concentration (C2); heating the gaseous mixture until the molecules of the first and second compounds dissociate and keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thereby created to obtain diffusion of the carbon and nitrogen atoms in the external surface (2) of said article and to form stoichiometric carbonitride (ZrCx—Ny) at the surface, and prior to the step of heating the process gasesType: GrantFiled: June 16, 2017Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Cedric Faure, Loic Curchod
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Publication number: 20210181564Abstract: A liquid crystal display device, the display device including: two facing transparent substrates designated respectively front substrate and rear substrate, the front substrate being same disposed on the observer side, the front and rear substrates being provided on the inner faces thereof with transparent structured electrodes whereof the superposition defines shape pixels switchable between two optical states, the electrodes being connected to a voltage source via a control circuit, forming a cell closed by a sealing frame for receiving in the spaced delimited by the substrates and the sealing frame a liquid crystal composition; and a decorative pattern in direct contact with the front substrate or the rear substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 24, 2020Publication date: June 17, 2021Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.Inventors: Michel SAGARDOYBURU, Loïc Curchod
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Publication number: 20200264566Abstract: The present invention relates to a covering element for a portable object made of a first material, the first material being a ceramic material having a first color, characterized in that the surface of said covering element is at least partially treated so as to exhibit at least one conversion having a different color from the first color.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2016Publication date: August 20, 2020Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Loic CURCHOD, Cedric FAURE, Michel WILLEMIN, Simon SPRINGER
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Publication number: 20190250566Abstract: An external element of a timepiece or a piece of jewelry includes a body made of an insulating ceramic material, the body including a housing, a wireless communication system disposed in the housing, and at least one part of a surface of the external element includes a layer of metallic visual appearance, the layer being obtained by carburization, nitridation, or a combination of carburization, nitridation.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 12, 2017Publication date: August 15, 2019Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Yvan FERRI, Loic CURCHOD
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Publication number: 20190202748Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article (1), the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, characterized in that the method includes the steps consisting in: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article inside a chamber (10) in which a gaseous mixture is arranged, this gaseous mixture including at least a first hydrogen and carbon based gas compound in a first concentration (C1) and a second hydrogen and nitrogen based gas compound in a second concentration (C2); heating the gaseous mixture until the molecules of the first and second compounds dissociate and keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thereby created to obtain diffusion of the carbon and nitrogen atoms in the external surface (2) of said article and to form stoichiometric carbonitride (ZrCx—Ny) at the surface, and prior to the step of heating the process gasesType: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2017Publication date: July 4, 2019Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Cedric FAURE, Loic CURCHOD
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Publication number: 20190004481Abstract: An external element made from a first material for a wearable object, the first material being an insulating ceramic, wherein a surface of the external element is at least partially treated to include at least one conversion with an electrical conductivity.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 5, 2016Publication date: January 3, 2019Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Loic CURCHOD, Simon SPRINGER
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Publication number: 20180057923Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for obtaining a finished or semi-finished zirconia-based article, the surface of the article having a metallic external appearance and non-zero surface electrical conductivity, wherein the method includes the steps of: taking at least one zirconia article, pre-shaped in its finished or semi-finished form; placing said article in a chamber in which a hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen gas mixture is heated; heating said article and the gas mixture using at least one resistive element traversed by an electric current to obtain dissociation of the hydrogen and carbon/nitrogen based gas molecules and an increase in the temperature of said article; keeping said article in the reactive atmosphere thus created to obtain diffusion of the carbon/nitrogen atoms in the external surface of said article.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2017Publication date: March 1, 2018Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development LtdInventors: Cedric Faure, Loic Curchod