Patents by Inventor Nicolas FRANCOIS

Nicolas FRANCOIS 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: 20250214107
    Abstract: A method (100) for depositing a coating on a substrate (1), which coating at least partially absorbs visible light, in order to form an item (10), such as a timepiece component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2024
    Publication date: July 3, 2025
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Nathalie Teres
  • Publication number: 20250207024
    Abstract: A photoluminescent material comprising, by weight, between 19.8% and 54.8% of a polymer matrix, between 45% and 80% of a photoluminescent compound, between 0.2% and 5% of a first dye system and optionally between 0% and 1% of a porous silica, and a second dye system and additives, the total percentage of the second dye system and additives being between 0% and 15%, the first dye system comprising one or more dyes chosen from a trichromy of pigments formed by green pigments, blue pigments and red pigments, and a synthetic black pigment. Also, to an item coated with this photoluminescent material or made as a whole from the photoluminescent material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2024
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Nathalie Teres
  • Publication number: 20250206964
    Abstract: An item (10) including a substrate (1) and a multilayer coating (20) deposited on the substrate (1), the multilayer coating (20) being formed by combining a plurality of layers (21, 22, 23, 24) including a binder and pigments, the coating (20) including pigments of different particle sizes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2024
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Nathalie Teres
  • Publication number: 20250207025
    Abstract: A photoluminescent material including, by weight, between 19.3% and 54.3% of a polymer matrix, between 45% and 80% of a photoluminescent compound, between 0.5% and 15% of a zirconium oxide, between 0.2% and 7% of an optical brightener and optionally between 0% and 5% of an aluminium oxide, between 0% and 0.3% of a porous silica, a dye system and additives, the total percentage of the dye system and additives being between 0% and 15%. Also, an item coated with this photoluminescent material or made as a whole from said photoluminescent material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2024
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Nathalie Teres
  • Publication number: 20250207018
    Abstract: A photoluminescent material including by weight a polymer matrix in a percentage comprised between 19.99% and 54.99%, a photoluminescent compound in a percentage comprised between 45% and 80%, porous silica in a percentage comprised between 0.01% and 1% and optionally a dye system and additives with a total percentage for the dye system and additives comprised between 0% and 15%. Also, an article made from or coated with this photoluminescent material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2024
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Nathalie TERES
  • Publication number: 20250208582
    Abstract: A method (100) for depositing over a substrate (1) a coating (20) absorbing visible light for the formation of an item (10), such as a watch component, including: providing a substrate (1); depositing an underlayer (21) covering at least one portion of the substrate (1) by application of a first liquid mixture including a binder, a solvent and pigments having a d90 percentile of nanometric dimension, the underlayer (21) being formed by evaporation of said solvent; depositing a stack (25) of a plurality of layers (22, 23, 24) with different particle sizes between each layer n of the stack (25) by successive application of a plurality of liquid mixtures including a binder, a solvent and pigments with different particle sizes; each layer of the stack (25) being formed by evaporation of the solvent and each layer n at least partially covering a preceding layer n?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2024
    Publication date: June 26, 2025
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Nathalie TERES
  • Publication number: 20250199480
    Abstract: A method for producing a timepiece component, a first part whereof includes a toleranced first reference surface, whereby, in a first step, a first material is chosen to produce this first part by additive manufacturing, and a base is prepared; in a second step, a base surface is etched in the base, which base surface is the negative of the first reference surface, and the base is positioned on an additive manufacturing means; in a third step, the first part of the component is grown by additive manufacturing in contact with the whole of the base surface; in a fourth step, the development of the first part is verified against a predetermined setpoint value, and the third additive manufacturing step is repeated iteratively until the desired level of development has been reached.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2024
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Marek DOVCIK, Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Sophie NAPOLI
  • Publication number: 20250194760
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an external part (10) including the steps of: producing a substrate (11) having a cavity (110); producing, by moulding, a decorative element (12) made of a transparent polymer material having a reflective particle filler, wherein the decorative element (12) is formed so as to have at least one decorative head (120) connected to an anchoring foot (121); and fastening the decorative element (12) in the cavity (110) so that the anchoring foot (121) cooperates with the cavity in a form-fitting manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2024
    Publication date: June 19, 2025
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Marek DOVCIK, Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Sophie NAPOLI
  • Publication number: 20240365936
    Abstract: A bracelet (10) for a portable object (1) including a first strand (11) and a second strand (12), each of the strands (11, 12) including a first end able to be attached to a case (2) of the portable object (1), wherein the first strand (11) includes a first optical device (21) having a first diameter (L1); the second strand (12) includes a second optical device (22) having a second diameter (L2), smaller than the first diameter (L1) of the first optical device (21), the first optical device (21) and the second optical device (22) being configured so that the superposition of the first optical device (21) and of the second optical device (22), by the superposition of the first strand (11) and of the second strand (12), forms a microscope having an eyepiece constituted by the first optical device (21) and an objective constituted by the second optical device (22).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2024
    Publication date: November 7, 2024
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Michel WILLEMIN, Nicolas FRANCOIS, Pierpasquale TORTORA, Marek DOVCIK, Sophie NAPOLI, Cedric NICOLAS, Stewes BOURBAN
  • Publication number: 20240206607
    Abstract: A method for coating an external part (1) used in the horology, fashion, jewellery and gemstone jewellery fields, the coating method comprising the steps of at least partially overmoulding the external part (1) with an overmoulding layer (4) made of a plastic polymer material selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic polymers of the polyurethane family and thermosetting polymers of the epoxy polymer family, or from the group consisting of thermoplastic acrylic resins.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2023
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Margarita LESIK, Ahmad ODEH
  • Publication number: 20240206600
    Abstract: A bracelet including an upper strip and a lower strip forming at least one strand of the bracelet, the bracelet includes a flexible intermediate layer disposed between the upper strip and the lower strip, the flexible intermediate layer being formed by at least one encapsulated phase-change material having a transition temperature of between 0° C. and 40° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2023
    Publication date: June 27, 2024
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Sophie NAPOLI
  • Publication number: 20240122312
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bracelet strand made of a transparent or translucent elastomer material, comprising a first end capable of connecting to a watch case, characterised in that it comprises a rigid insert having a solid part forming a reinforcement, and a hollow part arranged to receive a fluid and solid elements dispersed in the fluid, said hollow part being located at the centre of the solid part, and in that the insert is coated in the transparent elastomer, and is positioned at the first end capable of connecting to a watch case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Sophie NAPOLI, Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Marek DOVCIK
  • Publication number: 20230374707
    Abstract: A textile part (10) including at least two textile layers superimposed on one another and each including fibres, the layers being formed by an energy-generating layer (11; 12) configured to generate an electric current from light radiation or from mechanical stresses, and an energy storage layer (13) for supplying an electronic device with an electric current, the storage layer (13) being electrically connected to the generating layer (11; 13) and configured to store the electric current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nathalie MARINAKIS, Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Alain JORNOD
  • Publication number: 20230279288
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a master mixture comprising: from 40 to 95% by weight of a photoluminescent pigment, said pigment having a particle size limited by sifting at 30 ?m; 5 to 60% by weight of a polymer in the form of an elastomer or an elastomer precursor chosen from fluorinated polymers from the FKM family, the polyurethane (TPU) family, Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymers, silicones, ethylene propylene rubbers (EPR) and the thermoplastic derivatives (TPO) thereof and acrylic elastomers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: September 7, 2023
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Sophie NAPOLI, Nicolas FRANCOIS
  • Publication number: 20230137675
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a luminescent timepiece component for a portable object includes producing a pre-mixture of a phosphorescent pigment in an amount of 10 to 40% by weight, a fluorescent pigment in an amount of 1 to 4% by weight and a plasticiser in a maximum amount of 10% by weight; mixing a polymer base with the pre-mixture and extruding a first time the mixture obtained to obtain a homogeneous polymer mixture; extruding a second time the polymer mixture to form a strip of a predetermined thickness; and cutting the strip to obtain the desired luminescent timepiece component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Sophie Napoli, Nicolas FRANÇOIS
  • Publication number: 20230014460
    Abstract: The invention relates to a bracelet or strap, in particular a watch band, comprising at least one organic material based portion intended to be placed in contact with the user's skin, said organic material containing at least one functional agent, such as an antibacterial agent. According to the invention, said organic material also contains a cosmetic agent for the skin, arranged to be able to be in contact with the user's skin when the bracelet is worn. The invention also concerns methods for manufacturing such a bracelet or strap.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2022
    Publication date: January 19, 2023
    Applicant: Omega SA
    Inventor: Nicolas FRANCOIS
  • Publication number: 20220389190
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a luminescent horological component for a portable object.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Sophie NAPOLI, Nicolas FRANÇOIS
  • Publication number: 20220240633
    Abstract: A fashion item (100) including a thin wall with locally and selectively expandable areas including: an internal core (30) made of a lining material which can expand in contact with a liquid; a support layer (10) having an external face (11) opposite an internal face (12) on which the internal core (30) is arranged, the support layer (10) being configured so that the expansion of the lining material does not substantially cause its deformation; and an impermeable covering layer (20) attached to the support layer (10) so as to tightly enclose the internal core (30), the layer including one or a plurality of through holes (21) opening onto the internal core (30) and arranged relative to each other so as to form a predefined matrix, the covering layer (20) being configured such that the expansion of the lining material substantially causes its deformation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2021
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Nicolas FRANÇOIS, Sophie NAPOLI
  • Publication number: 20220183426
    Abstract: A timepiece component including a phosphorescent multilayer structure (3) comprising a front layer (1) with a transparent or translucent polymer matrix and comprising phosphorescent pigments and a reflective underlying layer (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2021
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Sophie NAPOLI, Nicolas FRANÇOIS
  • Publication number: 20210170659
    Abstract: An in-line method for marking a substrate made of extruded synthetic material, the method including the steps of extruding the synthetic material through an extrusion die to form the substrate, marking the substrate by scrolling the substrate obtained from the extrusion die between two rotatably mounted and temperature-controlled rollers with an upper roller and a lower roller, one of the rollers having an impression forming the negative of a decoration or a texture to be marked on one face of the substrate, this same roller or the other of the rollers including at least one notch allowing to guide the substrate as it passes through the extrusion die and between the two rollers. An installation can include in line the extrusion die and the marking device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Yannick CÉLÉRIER, Benoît LAFIN, Catherine BLANC PETIOT, Claire RANNOUX, Nicolas FRANCOIS