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).
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Publication number: 20230266713Abstract: A control device (2) mounted in an opening (20) in a middle (16) and including a support (14) and a rotatable part, which has a shaft (12), a gripping member (4) and a control member (6) forming a rotation sensor (26). The sensor includes a magnetic detector provided inside the watch case in a radial peripheral region of the control member. On a first side of a circular opening (22), the support has a cavity (24) which is open in the axial direction. The cavity is configured to house the control member fixedly mounted on the shaft, such that this control member can be momentarily retracted, at least for the most part, into the cavity following an axial movement of the shaft into a position in which the magnetic detector is mounted inside the watch case.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 17, 2023Publication date: August 24, 2023Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Hologère SuisseInventors: Fabian DUBOIS, Raphael Balmer, Vittorio Zanesco
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Patent number: 11687036Abstract: A timepiece includes a drive module, a dial including a central opening, an hour pipe passing through the central opening of the dial and driven in rotation by the drive module, and a dial attachment device. The attachment device includes a holding tube arranged around the hour pipe and mechanically connected to the drive module. The holding comes to bear against the dial or against a dial support to which the dial is attached.Type: GrantFiled: December 10, 2018Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventor: Raphael Balmer
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Patent number: 11688955Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 28, 2021Date of Patent: June 27, 2023Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère SuisseInventor: Raphaël Balmer
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Patent number: 11674542Abstract: An assembly including horological movement support, a motor plate of a timepiece and a fastener fastening the support to the plate. The fastener includes a self-tapping screw having a body that passes through a hole in the support. A recess in the plate or support is tapped when the screw is screwed into the recess. The shape of the recess has a variable width, which is wider at the opening extending to a smaller diameter at the bottom of the recess, the shape corresponding to that of the body of the screw.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2019Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSEInventor: Raphael Balmer
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Patent number: 11550266Abstract: A timepiece including a timepiece movement and sunrise and sunset indicating device that take account of the date and geolocation of the user, the device including a first device for receiving the current date, a second device for receiving a geolocation signal, and a disc bearing a representation of the sun, arranged to be capable of pivoting about an axis passing through the centre of the disc. The sunrise and sunset indicating device include a movable horizon arranged to move above the disc and to indicate the position of the sun with respect to the horizon.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2019Date of Patent: January 10, 2023Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Raphael Balmer
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Publication number: 20220404773Abstract: A timepiece mechanism includes at least two coaxial tubes that include a lateral opening so as to be able to be aligned and to receive a lubricant. A lubrication method for coaxial tubes of a timepiece mechanism includes assembling the coaxial tubes, aligning and injecting a lubricant into the opening.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2020Publication date: December 22, 2022Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventor: Raphael BALMER
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Publication number: 20220390897Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2020Publication date: December 8, 2022Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Laurent MOUCHE, Pascal LAGORGETTE, Raphaël BALMER
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Patent number: 11480928Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 12, 2018Date of Patent: October 25, 2022Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Vittorio Zanesco, Raphaël Balmer, Damien Schmutz, Pascal Lagorgette
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Patent number: 11385598Abstract: A portable object including a control stem, actuation of which in rotation can control at least one electronic or mechanical function of the portable object, a magnetized ring driven in rotation by the control stem, rotation of the magnetized ring and position of the magnetized ring being detected by two inductive sensors configured to be sensitive to a variation in magnetic induction in only two directions in space that are parallel to each other or that converge on a same point, with exception of a case in which these two directions are perpendicular to each other.Type: GrantFiled: October 5, 2017Date of Patent: July 12, 2022Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Vittorio Zanesco, Pascal Lagorgette, Pascal Meyer, Damien Schmutz, Raphael Balmer
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Patent number: 11353829Abstract: A watch case including a thumbwheel for controlling a watch function, configured to be manipulated by a user, movable inside a housing and configured to allow a limited translational motion of one portion of the thumbwheel in a radial direction of the case, against an elastic return configured to move the portion away from an interior of the case. The housing includes a control detector detecting presence of the portion close to the center of the case when pressure is applied by a user, and configured to activate or deactivate a sensor included in the case in proximity to the housing, configured, when a rotational movement is imparted to the thumbwheel by the user, to detect passage of a transmitter included in the thumbwheel.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2017Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Vincent Meyer, Raphael Balmer, Pascal Lagorgette
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Patent number: 11243499Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for setting a quartz watch, the watch comprising an optical sensor and a microcontroller configured to receive electrical signals generated by the optical sensor, the method being performed by way of a portable electronic appliance comprising a point light source and a microcontroller configured to control said point light source, the method comprising the following steps: placing the optical sensor of the watch facing the point light source of the electronic appliance on the order of the microcontroller of the electronic appliance, flashing the point light source of the electronic appliance so as to form a sequence of light pulses corresponding to a coding of setting parameters, the sequence then being received by the optical sensor of the watch decoding the received light sequence, by way of the microcontroller of the watch, in order to recover the setting parameters on the order of the microcontroller of the watch, setting the watch according to the setting paraType: GrantFiled: March 13, 2018Date of Patent: February 8, 2022Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Raphael Balmer, Jean-Bernard Peters
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Publication number: 20210389725Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2021Publication date: December 16, 2021Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère SuisseInventor: Raphaël BALMER
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Publication number: 20210359431Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 28, 2021Publication date: November 18, 2021Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère SuisseInventor: Raphaël BALMER
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Patent number: 11119447Abstract: A timepiece including a case middle closed by a glass and the following elements positioned in the case middle: a dial, a rigid mounting plate extending under the dial, a module including an electric motor, referred to as the motor module, a printed circuit board, of which at least a first portion is interposed between the mounting plate and the motor module, means for the assembly of the motor module on the mounting plate through the first portion of the printed circuit board.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2018Date of Patent: September 14, 2021Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Raphael Balmer, Pascal Lagorgette
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Publication number: 20210232100Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: January 4, 2021Publication date: July 29, 2021Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSEInventors: Pascal LAGORGETTE, Xavier Stehlin, Romain Besuchet, Raphaël Balmer
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Patent number: 10921754Abstract: A device for controlling at least two electronic and/or mechanical functions of a portable object of small dimensions includes a control stem that is axially movable between at least a first and a second position. The control stem is provided at a first end with an actuation member, and is provided towards a second end with a position indexing plate arranged to cooperate with an elastic member in order to match each of the first and second positions of the control stem with one of the mechanical or electronic functions.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2017Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Vittorio Zanesco, Pascal Lagorgette, Pascal Meyer, Damien Schmutz, Raphael Balmer
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Patent number: 10884381Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: January 17, 2017Date of Patent: January 5, 2021Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Fabien Balli, Raphaël Balmer, Laurent Christe, Jean-Bernard Peters
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Publication number: 20200333748Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: December 12, 2018Publication date: October 22, 2020Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventors: Vittorio ZANESCO, Raphaël BALMER, Damien SCHMUTZ, Pascal LAGORGETTE
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Publication number: 20200292994Abstract: A timepiece includes a drive module, a dial including a central opening, an hour pipe passing through the central opening of the dial and driven in rotation by the drive module, and a dial attachment device. The attachment device includes a holding tube arranged around the hour pipe and mechanically connected to the drive module. The holding comes to bear against the dial or against a dial support to which the dial is attached.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 10, 2018Publication date: September 17, 2020Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere SuisseInventor: Raphael BALMER
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Patent number: 10768577Abstract: A push-piece winding button control device is for a portable object of small dimensions. This device includes a pivoting control stem axially movable between at least a transitory first position and a stable second position. The device further includes a position indexing plate arranged to be integral in translation with the control stem, while keeping the same orientation relative to the frame. The device also includes a cam follower arranged to cooperate with a longitudinal cam path formed in the position indexing plate. The cam path includes a recess defining the stable position of the control stem, and a ramp-shaped profile portion which rises from the recess towards the transitory position.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2018Date of Patent: September 8, 2020Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTURING HORLOGERE SUISSEInventors: Pascal Lagorgette, Damien Schmutz, Raphael Balmer, Vittorio Zanesco