Patents by Inventor Nicolas FRANÇOIS

Nicolas FRANÇOIS 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).

  • Publication number: 20200201260
    Abstract: A decorative item made from a moulded material having a density of between 2 and 7 g/cm3, wherein the moulded material includes by weight: 60 to 90% of a metallic or ceramic material having a density higher than or equal to 5 g/cm3, 10 to 32% of a plastic material including a thermoplastic resin and a coupling agent, 0 to 8% of a reinforcement, 0 to 3% of a pigment. Also, a method of manufacturing this decorative item by injection moulding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Pablo RODRIGUEZ, Juliette MULLER, Nicolas FRANCOIS, Julien HUSER, Julien DAHAN
  • Patent number: 10691073
    Abstract: A removable bracelet for horology or jewellery, with a bracelet portion arranged to confine a watch or jewellery bar, including, at the end thereof a chamber arranged for housing the bar, the chamber including a lateral opening on a first side of the bracelet portion for the insertion or removal of the bar, the bracelet portion including a pusher controlling a tongue movable in a longitudinal direction against a spring, the pusher is movable in a transverse direction and includes a first profile arranged to cooperate with a second profile of the tongue to transform the transverse motion of the pusher into a longitudinal motion of the tongue, the bracelet includes a closure arranged on the first side for retaining the pusher in the depth of the bracelet portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Cedric Nicolas, Nicolas Francois
  • Publication number: 20200122039
    Abstract: A method of behavior generation is disclosed. Planning state data in a planning domain language format is received and a state description and an associated action description based on the planning state data are generated. The state description and the associated action description are parsed into a series of tokens for a machine learning encoded state and associated ML encoded action. The series of tokens describe the state and the action. The ML encoded state and ML encoded action is processed with a recurrent neural network to generate an estimate of a value of the state description and the action description. Output of the RNN is taken as input into a neural network to generate a value estimate for a state-action pair. A plan that includes a plurality of sequential actions for an agent is generated. The plurality of sequential actions is chosen based on at least the value estimate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Nicolas Francois Xavier Meuleau, Vincent-Pierre Serge Mary Berges, Amir Pascal Ebrahimi, Arthur William Juliani, JR., Trevor Joseph Santarra
  • Publication number: 20200122038
    Abstract: A method for generating behavior with a trait-based planning domain language is disclosed. A world model of a dynamic environment is created. The world model includes data defining a state for the world model. The data defining the state includes data describing objects within the environment. Input to update the state for the world model is received. The input includes data to change the state and data defining a goal for a future state. A machine-learning model is used to generate a planning state from the state for the world model. The planning state includes a plurality of planning domain objects and associated traits. Based on instructions associated with an action, one or more of modifying values within a trait associated with the planning domain object, adding a trait to the planning domain object, or removing a trait from the planning domain object are performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Publication date: April 23, 2020
    Inventors: Amir Pascal Ebrahimi, Nicolas Francois Xavier Meuleau, Trevor Joseph Santarra
  • Publication number: 20200108540
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a bracelet made of synthetic material for watches or jewellery including at least one strand, the method including a step of making, by moulding or extrusion, a band of synthetic material intended to form at least one strand, the method being wherein it then includes a step of chemical mechanical polishing the band. A bracelet made of synthetic material for watches or jewellery includes at least one strand formed of an extruded or injection moulded band, wherein at least one strand has a roughness Rp less than or equal to 3 ?m and preferably less than or equal to 2 ?m.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Publication date: April 9, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Claire RANNOUX, Blaise POINSOT, Nicolas FRANCOIS
  • Publication number: 20200061954
    Abstract: The invention relates to a timepiece component made of composite material including at least one reinforcement and one matrix, the reinforcement having a three-dimensional honeycomb structure with a plurality of cells into which the matrix is injected. The invention also concerns a method for manufacturing such a timepiece component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2017
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANCOIS, Gregory KISSLING, Stewes BOURBAN, Juliette MULLER, Jean-Luc BAZIN
  • Publication number: 20200030920
    Abstract: An electrode in which the metallurgical structure of the active surface includes incoherent chromium precipitates, more than 90% of which have a surface of projection of less than 1 ?m2, the incoherent chromium precipitates having a size at least between 10 and 50 nm. The electrode further has a fibrous structure that is visible in a cross-section of the active surface of the electrode following surfacing and chemical etching. The fibrous structure includes a plurality of radial fibers having a thickness of less than 1 mm and of a substantially central fiberless region that has a diameter of less than 3 mm. The electrical conductivity of the electrode is greater than 85% IUPAC. The method for obtaining the electrode in a continuous casting process as well as to a use of the electrode in a resistive spot welding process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANCOIS, Thierry SOREAU, Francois PRIMAUX
  • Publication number: 20200031029
    Abstract: A method for making a bracelet provided with an electronic component insert, the method includes fabricating a basic, flexible support for an insert in the form of a band, making conductive paths on the flexible support or in the flexible support, disposing on the flexible support various electronic components connected to the conductive paths, and coating the electronic components disposed on the flexible support with a transparent or opaque protective layer to finish the insert of the bracelet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: January 30, 2020
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANCOIS, Claire RANNOUX, Cedric NICOLAS
  • Patent number: 10520894
    Abstract: A watchmaking gasket, in particular a watch glass gasket for a timepiece, includes a polymer matrix charged with phosphorescent and/or fluorescent pigments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas Francois, Maria Fernandez Ciurleo, Claire Rannoux
  • Publication number: 20190357639
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an external component for watches or jewellery, especially a bracelet, includes the steps of: providing a substrate including a first face opposite to a second face and co-extrusion coating the first face and the second face of the substrate respectively with a first and a second band of synthetic material. The first band forms on the first face a transparent or translucent layer so that all or part of the substrate remains visible.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Claire RANNOUX, Nicolas FRANCOIS
  • Publication number: 20190125041
    Abstract: A device for attaching an end of a bracelet to an object, including a support plate, a control member, two pins slidably mounted on the same axis, called the sliding axis, wherein the control member is mounted to move in translation on an arbor, called the translation arbor, which is substantially perpendicular to the support plate, and wherein the control member is offset with respect to the sliding axis of the pins and connected to the latter by connecting elements able to transform the translational movement of the control member into a sliding movement of the pins when the control member is actuated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Cedric Nicolas, Dominique Lechot, Nicolas Francois
  • Patent number: 10260018
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for epilamization of at least one portion of a substrate surface comprising the steps of: a) preparing an epilame agent b) optionally, preparing the substrate surface c) placing the substrate and the epilame agent in a chamber at ambient pressure d) introducing CO2 into the hermetically sealed chamber at a pressure comprised between 25 bar and 74 bar and at a temperature comprised between 10° C. and 80° C. for a duration comprised between 1 minute and 30 minutes, e) reducing the pressure in the chamber, and f) removing the epilamized substrate from the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Claire Rannoux, Christophe Letondor, Nicolas Francois
  • Publication number: 20190064744
    Abstract: Removable bracelet for horology or jewellery, with a bracelet portion arranged to confine a watch or jewellery bar, comprising at the end thereof a chamber arranged for housing this bar, the chamber including a lateral opening on a first side of the bracelet portion for the insertion or removal of the bar, the bracelet portion including a pusher controlling a tongue movable in a longitudinal direction against a spring, this pusher is movable in a transverse direction and includes a first profile arranged to cooperate with a second profile of the tongue to transform the transverse motion of the pusher into a longitudinal motion of the tongue, the bracelet includes a means of closure arranged on the first side for retaining the pusher in the depth of the bracelet portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Cedric NICOLAS, Nicolas FRANCOIS
  • Publication number: 20190055011
    Abstract: A drive train for a helicopter, which includes an engine, a reduction gear and a main gearbox, the reduction gear including an output shaft, which are received in assembled front and rear housings, the output shaft being supported and guided rotatably by a plurality of rolling bearings, mounted in the housings. The drive train includes a redundant mount arranged around the output shaft and between a wall of the main gearbox and the front end of the front housing, and the redundant mount is configured, sized and attached to the wall of the main gearbox and to the front end of the front housing so as to create, if the front housing breaks, a secondary path for absorbing loads passing via the redundant mount, via the output shaft of the reduction gear and via the bearings.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 7, 2017
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Applicant: SAFRAN TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS
    Inventors: Thomas Marie Joseph DE DREUILLE DE LONGEVILLE, Frederic Nicolas Francois LAISNEZ
  • Publication number: 20190048211
    Abstract: The invention relates to a capsule comprising a shell containing a transparent and thermally conducting liquid, particles having a thermochromic coating and particles having a photochromic coating, the thermochromic particles being bulkier than photochromic particles, the liquid being such that, within a first range of temperatures, its density is greater than the density of the thermochromic particles and than the density of the photochromic particles, and such that, within a second range of temperatures greater than those of the first range, the density of the photochromic particles is less than the density of the liquid, which is itself less than the density of the thermochromic particles.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2018
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventor: Nicolas FRANCOIS
  • Publication number: 20190022912
    Abstract: A method of fabrication of a wristband of a watch or piece of jewelry, including: providing a first synthetic material; providing an extrusion line with a die plate for making an extrudate from the first material; providing one or more additional materials distinguished in their properties from the first material; providing a die plate including a first zone defining a profile allowing for fabrication of an extrudate having a hollow tubular profile at least at one of its ends in which the extrudate has a width corresponding to the length of one or two strands of the wristband; the die plate further includes a second zone allowing defining of particular profiles selected from among a flat profile, a curved profile, or a profile with projecting zones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 5, 2017
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Reserach and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Claire RANNOUX, Nicolas FRANCOIS, Yannick CELERIER, Catherine BLANC PETIOT, Benoit LAFIN
  • Publication number: 20180373203
    Abstract: An elastomer material for a wristband or components for horology configured to be in contact with skin, the elastomer material including a moisture wicking mechanism. The wicking mechanism includes hydrophilic microfibres capable of wicking away and neutralizing moisture through the material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventor: Nicolas FRANCOIS
  • Publication number: 20180361430
    Abstract: A method for core impregnation of a finished part made of plastic material with an additive, including: dissolving the additive in a liquid medium to form a solution; placing the plastic part at ambient pressure in a pressure enclosure; hermetically sealing the chamber; impregnating the plastic part with the solution by a fluid at supercritical or near supercritical conditions in the enclosure at a pressure between 3 MPa and 6 MPa, at a temperature between 25° C. and 65° C. for a duration between 1 minute and 15 minutes; releasing the pressure inside the enclosure so that the liquid medium diffuses outside the plastic part and to trap the additive inside the plastic part.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventor: Nicolas FRANÇOIS
  • Publication number: 20180364646
    Abstract: An exterior element for portable objects including a support, on which is arranged a first material, the first material being chosen to be capable of reflecting different visible wavelengths as a function of applied stress.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2016
    Publication date: December 20, 2018
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Claire RANNOUX, Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Milan CALIC, Stewes BOURBAN
  • Patent number: 10146185
    Abstract: An external element of a timepiece including a frame made of a first material, the external element further including at least one light sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventor: Nicolas Francois