Patents by Inventor Thierry Conus

Thierry Conus 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: 9785118
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an assembly for holding or supporting a timepiece balance spring including a balance spring stud and a stud-holder, wherein said stud-holder includes: a base comprising an upper face and a lower face extending along a longitudinal axis; characterized in that the base includes a lug of non-constant shape protruding from one of the faces, said assembly further comprising a holding plate including a first opening and a second opening separated by a deformable arm, with the stud engaging in the second opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Julien Christan, Laurent Kaelin, Ivan Villar, Thierry Conus
  • Publication number: 20170248918
    Abstract: Method for attachment of a last outer coil of a timepiece balance spring inside a groove provided in a balance spring stud, wherein the method includes the step of adhesive bonding the last outer coil of the timepiece balance spring by means of a fluid adhesive whose viscosity is comprised between 200 and 400 mPa·s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2016
    Publication date: August 31, 2017
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Julien CHRISTAN, Thierry Conus
  • Publication number: 20170168455
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an assembly for holding or supporting a timepiece balance spring, comprising a balance spring stud and a balance cock on which is fixed a balance spring stud-holder, wherein said stud-holder comprises a holding means provided with a housing for housing the balance spring stud therein and a gripping means, at least said gripping means being movable with respect to the holding means in order to lock the balance spring stud inside its housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Publication date: June 15, 2017
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Florent STRAHM, Ivan VILLAR, Laurent KAELIN, Thierry CONUS
  • Patent number: 9645549
    Abstract: A balance spring includes a strip of polygonal section wound on itself into several coils. At least one coil of the balance spring includes a coil spacer device including at least four stop members mounted on the same face and protruding from the thickness of the at least one coil of the strip. Each of the at least four stop members is arranged to enter into contact with the opposite face of another coil of the strip preventing the other coil from touching the at least one coil in the event of a shock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Thierry Conus, Jean-Luc Helfer, Andres Cabezas Jurin, Patrick Gasser
  • Patent number: 9645551
    Abstract: A method of improving pivoting of a wheel set for a scientific instrument, including an arbor pivoting or oscillating about an axis, in which: static balancing of the wheel set is performed to bring the center of gravity onto the axis; a desired value is determined for resulting unbalance moment of the wheel set about the axis, corresponding to a predetermined divergence between a first principal longitudinal axis of inertia of the wheel set, and the axis; at a predetermined speed about the axis, the resulting unbalance moment is measured with regard to the axis; and an adjustment of the resulting unbalance moment is made within a given determined tolerance with regard to the desired value, and performed by machining both sides of a median plane including the two secondary axes of inertia of the wheel set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Thierry Conus, Marco Verardo, Ivan Villar, Andres Cabezas Jurin, Jean-Luc Helfer, Emmanuel Graf
  • Publication number: 20170123380
    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: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Jean-Luc HELFER, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Thierry CONUS
  • Publication number: 20170102672
    Abstract: Wristwatch comprising a mechanical device for executing a first mechanical function arranged to produce a first acoustic alarm signal, and an electronic device housed in a bracelet and arranged to produce a second acoustic alarm signal and/or a mechanical vibration, wherein the electronic device is arranged to produce the second acoustic alarm signal at the moment when the mechanical device for executing the first mechanical function produces the first acoustic alarm signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Applicant: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
    Inventors: Jean-Claude MARTIN, Jean-Jacques BORN, Thierry CONUS, Jean-Claude EGGEN, Emmanuel FLEURY, Michel WILLEMIN
  • Publication number: 20170045861
    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: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Publication date: February 16, 2017
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Thierry CONUS, Jean-Luc HELFER
  • Patent number: 9563175
    Abstract: An assembly for holding or supporting a timepiece balance spring including a base provided with an upper surface and a lower surface on which a balance spring stud and a stud-holder are arranged. The stud-holder secures the stud to an escapement mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2017
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Sueisse
    Inventors: Julien Christan, Laurent Kaelin, Ivan Villar, Thierry Conus
  • Publication number: 20160370766
    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: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2014
    Publication date: December 22, 2016
    Applicant: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSE
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Jean-Luc HELFER, Thierry CONUS, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Publication number: 20160299470
    Abstract: A balance spring includes a strip of polygonal section wound on itself into several coils. At least one coil of the balance spring includes a coil spacer device including at least four stop members mounted on the same face and protruding from the thickness of the at least one coil of the strip. Each of the at least four stop members is arranged to enter into contact with the opposite face of another coil of the strip preventing the other coil from touching the at least one coil in the event of a shock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2014
    Publication date: October 13, 2016
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogère Suisse
    Inventors: Thierry CONUS, Jean-Luc HELFER, Andres CABEZAS JURIN, Patrick GASSER
  • Patent number: 9465363
    Abstract: A timepiece oscillator comprising a structure and distinct, temporally and geometrically offset, primary resonators, each comprising a mass returned to the structure by an elastic return means, this timepiece oscillator comprises coupling means for the interaction of the primary resonators, comprising a wheel set subjected to a torque or drive force, this wheel set comprising drive and guide means arranged to drive and guide a control means articulated with transmission means, each articulated, remote from the control means, with a mass of a primary resonator, and the primary resonators and the wheel set are arranged such that the axes of articulation of any two of the primary resonators and the axis of articulation of the control means are never coplanar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal Winkler, Jean-Luc Helfer, Gianni Di Domenico, Thierry Conus, Jean-Jacques Born
  • Patent number: 9457536
    Abstract: An assembly of a member, made of a first material in an aperture of a part, made of a second material having no plastic domain, using an intermediate part made of a third material, mounted between the member and the part. The intermediate part includes a hole for receiving the member. The part includes pierced holes forming a deformation mechanism distributed around the aperture thereof. The elastically and plastically deformed intermediate part radially grips the member and stresses the elastic deformation mechanism of the part so as to secure the assembly in a manner that is not destructive for the part. Such an assembly can for example be used in the field of timepieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA MANUFACTURE HORLOGERE SUISSE
    Inventors: Thierry Conus, Marco Verardo, Igor Saglini, Frederic Kohler
  • Patent number: 9459589
    Abstract: The invention relates to a double balance spring (21) including, made in a layer of silicon-based material (11), a first balance spring (23) coaxially mounted on a collet (13, 27), the collet (13, 27) including an extending part (9) that projects from said balance spring and which is made in a second layer of silicon-based material (5). According to the invention, said extending part extends (17) into a third layer (7) of silicon-based material coaxially with a second balance spring (25) so as to form a one-piece double balance spring (21) made of silicon-based materials. The invention also relates to a timepiece including a balance spring of this type and the method of manufacturing the same. The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Nivarox-FAR S.A.
    Inventors: Pierre-André Bühler, Marco Verardo, Thierry Conus, Jean-Philippe Thiebaud, Jean-Bernard Peters, Pierre Cusin
  • Patent number: 9436162
    Abstract: A method for adjusting an oscillation frequency of a sprung balance assembly, in which a removal or a displacement of material is conducted on a component of this sprung balance assembly under an effect of a pulse of a laser source to conduct a micromachining or microfusion operation on the material of this component to vaporize or displace this material. This pulse is controlled by a controller configured to generate, sequence, interrupt any pulse and to control movements of a beam of this laser source, and the controller is automatically controlled by a measuring or comparing mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Laurent Klinger, Thorsten Kramer, Marc Lippuner, Thierry Conus, Marco Verardo
  • Publication number: 20160223989
    Abstract: A timepiece oscillator comprising a structure and distinct, temporally and geometrically offset, primary resonators, each comprising a mass returned to the structure by an elastic return means, this timepiece oscillator comprises coupling means for the interaction of the primary resonators, comprising a wheel set subjected to a torque or drive force, this wheel set comprising drive and guide means arranged to drive and guide a control means articulated with transmission means, each articulated, remote from the control means, with a mass of a primary resonator, and the primary resonators and the wheel set are arranged such that the axes of articulation of any two of the primary resonators and the axis of articulation of the control means are never coplanar.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2016
    Publication date: August 4, 2016
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Pascal WINKLER, Jean-Luc HELFER, Gianni DI DOMENICO, Thierry CONUS, Jean-Jacques BORN
  • Patent number: 9383725
    Abstract: A device for measuring the accuracy of a mechanical watch includes a time reference source, a calculating mechanism, and another data processing unit. The time reference source is formed by an internal time reference source, or by a receiving and processing mechanism arranged to receive and process signals transmitted by an external time source to permanently update a repeater clock internal to the device. The calculating mechanism is arranged to calculate time differences between display values, and/or between time reference points provided by the time reference source, and to calculate a variation in rate. The another data processing unit is arranged to store and process at least one variation in rate calculated by the calculating mechanism, and/or a viewing mechanism arranged to display at least one variation in rate calculated by the calculating mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd.
    Inventors: Michel Willemin, Cedric Decosterd, Thierry Hessler, Thierry Conus
  • Publication number: 20160179059
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an assembly for holding or supporting a timepiece balance spring including a balance spring stud and a stud-holder, wherein said stud-holder includes: a base comprising an upper face and a lower face extending along a longitudinal axis; characterized in that the base includes a lug of non-constant shape protruding from one of the faces, said assembly further comprising a holding plate including a first opening and a second opening separated by a deformable arm, with the stud engaging in the second opening.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Julien CHRISTAN, Laurent KAELIN, Ivan VILLAR, Thierry CONUS
  • Publication number: 20160179056
    Abstract: The present invention concerns an assembly (1) for holding or supporting a timepiece balance spring including a base (5) provided with an upper surface and a lower surface on which a balance spring stud (9) and a stud-holder (3) are arranged, wherein the stud-holder includes: means (6) of securing said stud to an escapement mechanism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2015
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Applicant: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
    Inventors: Julien CHRISTAN, Laurent KAELIN, Ivan VILLAR, Thierry CONUS
  • Patent number: 9348313
    Abstract: The invention relates to a timepiece movement including a resonator formed by the cooperation of a balance with a balance spring, said resonator being pivotally mounted between a bar and another part such as a bar or a main plate. According to the invention, the timepiece movement further includes a device preventing adhesion of said balance spring against said bar including a surface decreasing means formed on the bar for limiting the contact surface when the faces of said balance spring and of said bar touch each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogére Suisse
    Inventors: Laurent Klinger, Thierry Conus