Patents by Inventor Pascal Winkler

Pascal Winkler 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: 10216149
    Abstract: Strip resonator for a mechanical watch movement, comprising a structure, an oscillating inertial element, and elastic strips forming a flat bearing for the inertial element, and a flat, anti-shock device arranged to protect each strip from rupture in the event of a shock, and including a first prestressed flexible element arranged to allow a variation in length during the expansion or contraction of a strip within a range of lengths corresponding to normal operation of this strip under the action of a stress of intensity lower than a first threshold, and to prevent the expansion or contraction of this strip when it is subjected to a tensile or respectively compressive stress of intensity higher than the first threshold, and the resonator includes, for the three-dimensional anti-shock protection of the strips, in an axial direction perpendicular to a main plane, axial protection means, which include, on the one hand, axial banking members for limiting the axial travel of at least one inertial element, and on t
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Jean-Luc Helfer, Dominique Lechot, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Publication number: 20190032644
    Abstract: Mechanical horological movement comprising at least one energy storage means designed to drive a gear train of which an output mobile component is designed to pivot about a drive axis and comprising a rotary resonator which comprises at least one central mobile component designed to pivot about a central axis and comprising an input mobile component designed to collaborate with the output mobile component, this rotary resonator comprises a plurality of inertial elements each one designed to pivot with respect to the central mobile component about a secondary axis perpendicular to the central axis and each returned towards a rest position, relative with respect to the central mobile component, by at least one elastic return element, and each secondary axis passes through the centre of mass of the inertial element associated with it.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Jean-Luc Helfer, Gianni Di Domenico, Yves-Alain Cosandier
  • Publication number: 20190033784
    Abstract: Mechanical timepiece oscillator comprising, 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 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: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Applicant: 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: 20190011887
    Abstract: A timepiece oscillator structure includes at least one divisible unit, which includes at least one component which includes at least one flexible blade or at least one blade with necks, joining two main units, each more rigid than the flexible blade or blade with necks, where the divisible unit includes at least one gripping unit adjacent to at least one main unit to which it is connected by at least one divisible linkage which is designed in order to make possible the detachment of this gripping unit from the component when the component is fixed, with at least the particular main unit which is adjacent to the gripping unit, to a more rigid external element than the flexible blade or than the necks of the blade with necks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Publication date: January 10, 2019
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Daniel MALLET, Pierre CUSIN, Raphael COURVOISIER, Pascal WINKLER
  • Patent number: 10152025
    Abstract: Movement including an escapement mechanism and a resonator including an inertial element subjected to the action of a flexible gimbal and cooperating with an escape wheel set pivoting about a main axis, which includes driving means cooperating in a continuous transmission of motion with complementary means of the inertial element in every angular position of the latter, the flexible gimbal tending to return these complementary means towards the main axis, and including elastic return means about axes orthogonal to the main axis and restricting the mobility of the inertial element in two rotational degrees of freedom, about a fixed position of the centre of inertia of the inertial element with respect to a plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2018
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Gianni Di Domenico, Jean-Luc Helfer
  • Patent number: 10126711
    Abstract: A timepiece resonator mechanism having a central wheel train fixed in rotation around an axis of an input wheel train subjected to a driving torque, arranged to turn continuously, and having a plurality of N inertial elements, each movable in relation to the central wheel train, and restored to the axis by elastic restoring device. The mechanism having device between all the inertial elements that are arranged to maintain all centers of mass of these inertial elements at the same distance from the axis at any time, and the elastic restoring device cause an elastic potential such as: Vtot=(d?0/dt)2·?j (Mj·Rj2), where: Vtot is the elastic potential, ?j is the sum over the js of the quantity between parentheses, (d?0/dt) is the speed of rotation to be imposed, Rj is the position of the center of mass G of the inertial element j of mass Mj.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2018
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Jean-Luc Helfer, Gianni Di Domenico
  • Patent number: 10001753
    Abstract: A device regulating motion of a mechanical horological movement includes: a frame; a resonator attached to the frame and including a first annular magnetic structure including N1 magnets arranged regularly in a circle and a resilient structure; a second annular magnetic structure including N2 magnets defining a central axis about which the structure rotates, N2 being different than N1. The resonator is configured so that a resonant mode in which the first magnetic structure is subject to curvilinear, or substantially circular, translation about the central axis may be excited by rotation of the second magnetic structure. The two magnetic structures define a magnetic cycloid gear such that the regulating device incorporates a reducer of frequency between the resonance frequency and the rotational frequency of the second magnetic structure which is rigidly connected to an escapement wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2018
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Gianni Di Domenico, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Patent number: 9983549
    Abstract: A watch including a movement including itself an isochronous timepiece oscillator mechanism including a fixed support bearing a crosspiece carrying N primary resonators each including a weight carried by a rotating flexible bearing fixed to this crosspiece. Each primary resonator has a center of mass which, at rest, is on the virtual pivot axis of its rotating flexible bearing and is arranged to oscillate in rotation about this virtual pivot axis. The primary resonators are arranged in rotational symmetry of order N about a main axis parallel to the virtual pivot axes, and oscillating motions of any two primary resonators are phase shifted by the value of the central angle formed by their respective virtual pivot axes with the main axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Jean-Luc Helfer, Gianni Di Domenico, Thierry Conus
  • Publication number: 20180136609
    Abstract: Strip resonator for a mechanical watch movement, comprising a structure, an oscillating inertial element, and elastic strips forming a flat bearing for the inertial element, and a flat, anti-shock device arranged to protect each strip from rupture in the event of a shock, and including a first prestressed flexible element arranged to allow a variation in length during the expansion or contraction of a strip within a range of lengths corresponding to normal operation of this strip under the action of a stress of intensity lower than a first threshold, and to prevent the expansion or contraction of this strip when it is subjected to a tensile or respectively compressive stress of intensity higher than the first threshold, and the resonator includes, for the three-dimensional anti-shock protection of the strips, in an axial direction perpendicular to a main plane, axial protection means, which include, on the one hand, axial banking members for limiting the axial travel of at least one inertial element, and on t
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Jean-Luc HELFER, Dominique LECHOT, Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Publication number: 20180136607
    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: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2017
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Dominique LECHOT, Pascal WINKLER, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Patent number: 9971309
    Abstract: The mechanical timepiece movement includes at least one barrel, a set of gear wheels driven at one end by the barrel, and an escapement mechanism of a local oscillator with a resonator in the form of a sprung balance and a feedback system for the timepiece movement. The escapement mechanism is driven at another end of the set of gear wheels. The feedback system includes at least one precise reference oscillator combined with a frequency comparator to compare the frequency of the two oscillators and a mechanism for regulating the local oscillator resonator to slow down or accelerate the resonator based on the result of a comparison in the frequency comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Gianni Di Domenico, Thierry Conus, Jean-Luc Helfer
  • Patent number: 9971303
    Abstract: A timepiece resonator mechanism with a pivoting weight pivoting about a virtual axis, and including a flexure pivot mechanism and a first and second fixed support to which is attached, by a first resilient assembly and respectively a second resilient assembly which together define the virtual axis, a rotary support carrying the pivoting weight, this flexure pivot mechanism is planar, the first resilient assembly includes, on either side of the virtual axis, a first outer flexible strip and a first inner flexible strip, joined to each other by a first intermediate strip stiffer than each of the latter, together defining a first direction passing through the virtual pivot axis, and the second resilient assembly includes a second flexible strip defining a second direction passing through the virtual pivot axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Jean-Luc Helfer, Gianni Di Domenico, Pascal Winkler
  • Patent number: 9958832
    Abstract: A timepiece regulating mechanism including, mounted to be movable, at least in a pivoting motion, with respect to a plate, an escape wheel configured to receive a drive torque via a gear train, a first oscillator including a first rigid structure, connected to the plate by a first flexible strip and a second flexible strip, crossed with each other, a second oscillator including a second rigid structure connected to the first rigid structure by a third flexible strip and a fourth flexible strip crossed with each other, and the second structure including a guide configured to cooperate with a complementary guide included in the escape wheel, synchronizing the first oscillator and the second oscillator with the gear train.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Davide Sarchi
  • Patent number: 9958831
    Abstract: A watch or movement including a timepiece resonator movement including two RCC flexural pivots mounted in series about an intermediate rotary support and having the same virtual pivot axis, each including two straight flexible strips of the same length, whose clamping points opposite to this pivot axis are at the same distance with respect to this axis, and which define linear directions, forming angles, in pairs, with this virtual pivot axis, whose value expressed in degrees is comprised between: 109.5+5/[(D/L)?(2/3)] and 114.5+5/[(D/L)?(2/3)], or more particularly between 107+5/((D/L)?(2/3)) and 112+5/((D/L)?(2/3)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Gianni Di Domenico, Dominique Lechot, Jean-Luc Helfer, Pascal Winkler
  • Publication number: 20180113420
    Abstract: A timepiece resonator mechanism having a central wheel train fixed in rotation around an axis of an input wheel train subjected to a driving torque, arranged to turn continuously, and having a plurality of N inertial elements, each movable in relation to the central wheel train, and restored to the axis by elastic restoring device. The mechanism having device between all the inertial elements that are arranged to maintain all centers of mass of these inertial elements at the same distance from the axis at any time, and the elastic restoring device cause an elastic potential such as: Vtot=(d?0/dt)2·?j (Mj·Rj2), where: Vtot is the elastic potential, ?j is the sum over the js of the quantity between parentheses, (d?0/dt) is the speed of rotation to be imposed, Rj is the position of the center of mass G of the inertial element j of mass Mj.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Jean-Luc HELFER, Gianni DI DOMENICO
  • Publication number: 20180107164
    Abstract: Movement including an escapement mechanism and a resonator including an inertial element subjected to the action of a flexible gimbal and cooperating with an escape wheel set pivoting about a main axis, which includes driving means cooperating in a continuous transmission of motion with complementary means of the inertial element in every angular position of the latter, the flexible gimbal tending to return these complementary means towards the main axis, and including elastic return means about axes orthogonal to the main axis and restricting the mobility of the inertial element in two rotational degrees of freedom, about a fixed position of the centre of inertia of the inertial element with respect to a plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Jean-Luc HELFER
  • Publication number: 20180107161
    Abstract: Timepiece movement for a mechanical watch, comprising, arranged on a main plate, a resonator mechanism with two degrees of freedom, and a maintaining mechanism subjected to the torque of driving means comprised in the movement, wherein this maintaining mechanism is a continuous maintaining mechanism, and includes a crank movable about a crank rotational axis, and which includes, on the crank rotational axis, an axial element subjected to the torque of driving means, and, off-centre relative to the crank rotational axis, a crankpin which is arranged to travel on a track of a stiff ring comprised in the resonator mechanism, this stiff ring being movable in the two degrees of freedom.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Gianni DI DOMENICO
  • Publication number: 20180088534
    Abstract: The invention relates to a self-winding watch comprising a movement connected to a winding device of a barrel spring comprising 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 said electrical energy storage unit and drive means connected to the circuit and coupled to the oscillating weight to displace it. According to the invention the electrical energy storage unit, the control circuit and the drive means are integrated to the oscillating weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Lionel TOMBEZ, Jean-Jacques BORN, Michel WILLEMIN, Pascal WINKLER, Lionel PARATTE
  • Patent number: 9804570
    Abstract: A mechanical clock movement includes a resonator, an escapement linked to the resonator, and a display of at least one item of time information. The display is driven by a mechanical drive device via a counter wheel train, the work rate of which is set by the escapement. At least the resonator is housed in a chamber, in which a reduced pressure in relation to atmospheric pressure prevails. The escapement is a magnetic escapement including an escape wheel coupled directly or indirectly to the resonator via a non-contact magnetic coupling system, wherein the magnetic coupling system is formed so that a non-magnetic wall of the chamber runs through the magnetic escapement so that a first part of the escapement is located inside the chamber whereas a second part of the escapement is located outside the chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Jean-Luc Helfer, Thierry Conus, Gianni Di Domenico, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Publication number: 20170300015
    Abstract: A device regulating motion of a mechanical horological movement includes: a frame; a resonator attached to the frame and including a first annular magnetic structure including N1 magnets arranged regularly in a circle and a resilient structure; a second annular magnetic structure including N2 magnets defining a central axis about which the structure rotates, N2 being different than N1. The resonator is configured so that a resonant mode in which the first magnetic structure is subject to curvilinear, or substantially circular, translation about the central axis may be excited by rotation of the second magnetic structure. The two magnetic structures define a magnetic cycloid gear such that the regulating device incorporates a reducer of frequency between the resonance frequency and the rotational frequency of the second magnetic structure which is rigidly connected to an escapement wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2015
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Jean-Jacques BORN