Patents by Inventor Raphaël BALMER

Raphaël BALMER 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: 20260118826
    Abstract: A watchcase (1) including a glass (2) and a rotating bezel (3). One of the glass and of the rotating bezel includes at least one resilient blade (4) arranged to engage with a toothing (5) included on the other of the glass and of the rotating bezel, to angularly index the position of the rotating bezel relative to the glass and therefore to the middle. Preferably, the resilient blade (4) extends from the glass (2) and the toothing is formed by the bezel (3) inside said rotating bezel. In an advantageous variant, the rotating bezel (3) and the glass (2) are arranged such that the rotating bezel can be clipped onto the glass.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2025
    Publication date: April 30, 2026
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Raphaël BALMER, Adrien Keller
  • Publication number: 20250215918
    Abstract: A device is for axially retaining a moving part of a horological movement about a shaft, the moving part including a cylindrical part arranged to be mounted coaxially on the shaft, the device including a clip intended to be mounted on the cylindrical part of the moving part. The clip includes a resilient retaining structure arranged to cooperate with the cylindrical part and to grip the cylindrical part over part of its periphery, and includes a locking beak passing through an opening extending radially inwards relative to the cylindrical part, the locking beak being arranged to cooperate with a slot in the shaft to hold the moving part axially in place.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2024
    Publication date: July 3, 2025
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Raphaël BALMER, Raphaël COURVOISIER
  • Patent number: 12321135
    Abstract: A fastening method is for fastening at least one display element of a watch using a fastening device. Indeed, the at least one display element is fastened thanks to the fastening method via the fastening device. For this, it is necessary to provide the at least one display element, at least one movement, and at least one split ring, then to deform the at least one split ring so as to adapt to the at least one display element before fastening the at least one split ring with the at least one display element to the at least one movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Laurent Mouche, Pascal Lagorgette, Raphaël Balmer
  • Patent number: 12117772
    Abstract: A motor module for a horological movement, the motor module including a plate bearing one or more cogs, and a cog bridge mounted on the plate, wherein the cog bridge includes a device for clipping the cog bridge onto the plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Raphaël Balmer
  • Publication number: 20240201631
    Abstract: A resilient casing ring (200) for casing a horological movement (10) inside a watch case (100) including a middle (110). The casing ring (200) includes an annular body (205) with a central axis (Z), and fastening tabs (210) carried by the annular body (205) and cooperating with the middle (110) to form a bayonet casing system (300) by rotation of the resilient casing ring (200) relative to the middle (110) about the central axis (Z), between an insertion position and a locked position. The casing ring (200) includes resilient retaining element cooperating with the horological movement (10) and exerting an axial force parallel to the central axis (Z) on the horological movement (10) by elastic deformation of the resilient retaining element when the resilient casing ring (200) is in the locked position in the middle (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 13, 2023
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGÈRE SUISSE
    Inventor: Raphaël BALMER
  • Publication number: 20240201634
    Abstract: A smart watch (1) including a case (100) having a middle (110), a horological movement (10) housed in the middle (110) and having a processing unit (13) and a communication module (12) electrically connected to electrical conductors (18) in the horological movement (10). The smart watch (1) also includes a common-ground device formed by a conductive resilient ring (200) having an annular body (205) with a central axis (Z), fastening tabs (210) carried by the annular body (205) and cooperating with the middle (110) to form a bayonet locking system (300) by the rotation of the conductive resilient ring (200) relative to the middle (110), about the central axis (Z), between an insertion position and a locked position. The conductive resilient ring (200) includes conductive lugs (250) in electrical contact with the electrical conductors (18) when the conductive resilient ring (200) is in the locked position in the middle (110).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Publication date: June 20, 2024
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Raphaël BALMER
  • Publication number: 20240194431
    Abstract: A control module (10) for an electronic device including a push-button (11) including a striker element (111), a switch (12) adapted to occupy a connected state and a rest state, said striker element (111) being configured to drive the switch (12) into one or the other of the connected and rest states, the control module further comprising a stop member (13) against which the striker element (111) comes to bear when it drives the switch (12) into the connected state or into the rest state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2023
    Publication date: June 13, 2024
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSE
    Inventors: Raphaël BALMER, Daniel PARASCHIVESCU
  • Patent number: 11688955
    Abstract: A fastening kit for a watch including at least one fastening device for fastening, according to a fastening method, at least one tube and for electrically connecting the at least one tube to a support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Raphaël Balmer
  • Publication number: 20220390897
    Abstract: A fastening method is for fastening at least one display element of a watch using a fastening device. Indeed, the at least one display element is fastened thanks to the fastening method via the fastening device. For this, it is necessary to provide the at least one display element, at least one movement, and at least one split ring, then to deform the at least one split ring so as to adapt to the at least one display element before fastening the at least one split ring with the at least one display element to the at least one movement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2020
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Laurent MOUCHE, Pascal LAGORGETTE, Raphaël BALMER
  • Patent number: 11480928
    Abstract: A device for controlling at least one electronic function of a portable object, in particular a timepiece, includes a control stem capable of moving axially between at least a first and a second stable position, or between at least a stable position and an unstable position. The control device also includes an actuation element made from an electrically insulating material rigidly connected to the control stem, as well as at least one flexible electrical switching element provided to be mechanically actuated by the actuation element when the control stem is moved axially, the at least one flexible electrical switching element being capable of moving between a closing position in which the at least one flexible electrical switching element closes an electrical circuit of the control device, and an opening position in which the at least one flexible electrical switching element opens the electrical circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Vittorio Zanesco, Raphaël Balmer, Damien Schmutz, Pascal Lagorgette
  • Publication number: 20210389725
    Abstract: A motor module for a horological movement, the motor module including a plate bearing one or more cogs, and a cog bridge mounted on the plate, wherein the cog bridge includes a device for clipping the cog bridge onto the plate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2021
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Raphaël BALMER
  • Publication number: 20210359431
    Abstract: A fastening kit for a watch including at least one fastening device for fastening, according to a fastening method, at least one tube and for electrically connecting the at least one tube to a support.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2021
    Publication date: November 18, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventor: Raphaël BALMER
  • Publication number: 20210232100
    Abstract: A display system (100) for a watch (200) and preferably of a watch (200) including a display device (110) configured to display an item of information, a pointing device (120) disposed above the display device (110) so as to define an overlap zone (130) and at least one movable element (140) disposed completely or partially above the display device (110) and at the periphery of the overlap zone (130) so as not to interfere with the capacitive or inductive field of the pointing device (120).
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 4, 2021
    Publication date: July 29, 2021
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSE
    Inventors: Pascal LAGORGETTE, Xavier Stehlin, Romain Besuchet, Raphaël Balmer
  • Patent number: 10884381
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a timepiece including: providing a portable object including a screen and a camera; testing accuracy of a piece of time information of the timepiece by using the camera of the portable object to compare with a piece of time information obtained from an external source; sending the time information from the portable object to the timepiece if a difference is detected, the timepiece including at least one phototransistor arranged at a case for receiving the time information, the timepiece to display the correct time information, the sending including: defining on the screen of the portable object an area of shape and dimensions similar to the case of the timepiece; holding the case of the timepiece against the area; sequentially displaying black or white in the area, in a sequence of black and white corresponding to a luminous coding of the time information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Fabien Balli, Raphaël Balmer, Laurent Christe, Jean-Bernard Peters
  • Publication number: 20200333748
    Abstract: A device for controlling at least one electronic function of a portable object, in particular a timepiece, includes a control stem capable of moving axially between at least a first and a second stable position, or between at least a stable position and an unstable position. The control device also includes an actuation element made from an electrically insulating material rigidly connected to the control stem, as well as at least one flexible electrical switching element provided to be mechanically actuated by the actuation element when the control stem is moved axially, said at least one flexible electrical switching element being capable of moving between a closing position in which said at least one flexible electrical switching element closes an electrical circuit of the control device, and an opening position in which said at least one flexible electrical switching element opens said electrical circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2018
    Publication date: October 22, 2020
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Vittorio ZANESCO, Raphaël BALMER, Damien SCHMUTZ, Pascal LAGORGETTE
  • Publication number: 20190049904
    Abstract: A method for adjusting a timepiece including: providing a portable object including a screen and a camera; testing accuracy of a piece of time information of the timepiece by using the camera of the portable object to compare with a piece of time information obtained from an external source; sending the time information from the portable object to the timepiece if a difference is detected, the timepiece including at least one phototransistor arranged at a case for receiving the time information, the timepiece to display the correct time information, the sending including: defining on the screen of the portable object an area of shape and dimensions similar to the case of the timepiece; holding the case of the timepiece against the area; sequentially displaying black or white in the area, in a sequence of black and white corresponding to a luminous coding of the time information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal LAGORGETTE, Fabien BALLI, Raphaël BALMER, Laurent CHRISTE, Jean-Bernard PETERS
  • Publication number: 20150316896
    Abstract: A three dimensional support element for a timepiece sensor, made in 3D-MID and including integrated electrical connection paths, a flexible connection interface formed of bent wire springs or flexible finger-pieces, and a rigid connection interface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2013
    Publication date: November 5, 2015
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSE
    Inventors: Raphaël BALMER, François KLOPFENSTEIN
  • Publication number: 20120075961
    Abstract: The timepiece includes first (1) and second (2) rings to which indications (3, 4) are affixed for displaying, in combination with each other, a time-related magnitude (5), which appears in a large aperture (6). The rings (1, 2) have equal dimensions, are arranged one on top of the other and off-centre in relation to each other such that, at the vertical of the large aperture, the outer edge (7) of the first ring (1) substantially borders the inner edge (8) of the second ring (2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSE
    Inventors: Raphaël BALMER, Stéphane CLAUDE