Eta Sa Manufacture Horlogere Suisse

Swiss Timing Ltd

Montres Breguet S.a.

André Zanetta

Pierre-André Meister

Fabien Blondeau

Emmanuel Fleury

Lionel Paratte

Wilfried Noell

Toralf Scharf

Nicolas Golay

Roland Bitterli

Jean-Philippe Rebeaud

Yves Petremand

Silvio Dalla Piazza

Martin Bisig

Reto Galli

François Klopfenstein

Nikias Klohr

Frederic Choffat

Yves Pétremand

Christophe Grasso

Thomas Meier

Cédric Grimm

Lukas Holzer

Frédéric Choffat

Gaël Coron

Fabrien Blondeau

Jean-Phlippe Rebeaud

A base plate is to be fixed to the ground at the edge of a swimming pool. A starting block can be fixed on the base plate. The base plate includes in an inner cavity, measurement electronics with at least one force or motion sensor or at least one strain gauge, to provide a measurement signal to a processor processing unit of an electronic circuit to determine one or more race parameters to be stored in a memory of the electronic circuit and/or to transmit wirelessly or wired to the base station or a timing station.

Base plate for a swimming starting block, and base plate and starting block set

The competitor starting device in a sports competition is a starting block device. It includes one rear base for holding the device on a competition surface, a force detection sensor connected to a processing circuit, and two starting blocks for competitor's feet. Each block is adjustably mounted on a longitudinal bar, which is connected to the base and activates the sensor to determine a response time at the competition start. The longitudinal bar is connected to an H-shaped structure having two strips, spaced apart. The strip ends are rigidly connected to an immobile portion of the rear base, while a central bar connecting the strips is secured to the rear end of the longitudinal bar. When a force is applied to the block(s), the central bar is pushed in one direction via the bending of the strips to activate the sensor to determine a response time at the competition start.

Starting device for a competitor in a sports competition

The invention concerns a timepiece () including a display device () including a first and second display member () displaying first and second pieces of information, the value of the second piece of information being linked to the value of the first piece of information by a reduction ratio, wherein the first () and the second () display members are rotatably mounted in relation to a plate () and are driven by a drive device () with planetary gears, characterized in that the second display member () pivots on the axis of rotation (A) of a planet pinion (). The invention also proposes a timepiece () fitted with this display device () and a method for manufacturing this display device ().

Analogue display device including a planetary gear device

The invention relates to a timepiece () fitted with a glass () having an inside face and an outside face to the timepiece and a lighting device () comprising at least one ultraviolet or infrared light-emitting diode () to illuminate at least one zone () integrating fluorescent and/or phosphorescent pigments of an indicator element () visible through the glass, characterized in that the light-emitting diode is arranged on the periphery of the glass forming a waveguide capable of diffusing the ultraviolet or infrared light, and that means for diffusing ultraviolet or infrared light () from the glass towards the interior of the timepiece are arranged in the path of the ultraviolet or infrared light.

Timepiece fitted with a lighting device comprising an ultraviolet light-emitting diode

The invention concerns an electronic watch comprising an electric motor () for driving analogue display means (), and a time base () comprising an oscillator circuit () and a resonator (), both mounted in the same case (), characterized in that said case further comprises a control circuit () for said electric motor.

Resonator mounted in a case incorporating a watch module

The invention proposes an arrangement for the mechanical interfacing of a micromotor of the MEMS type with a toothed wheel in which the micromotor is produced in the upper layer of a plate made of crystalline or amorphous material and comprises at least one actuator which drives a rotor in rotation, characterised in that a pinion, coaxial with the rotor and arranged above the rotor, is connected in rotation to the rotor by means of at least one pin which is received in an associated housing and in that the pinion meshes with the toothed wheel.

Arrangement for the mechanical interfacing of a MEMS micromotor with a clock wheel and timepiece comprising this arrangement

An electronic timepiece () includes a case () which is fitted with a dial () and which contains an electronic control circuit () driving a display device (), of the type wherein the dial () includes a main body () in the form of a plate which is made of semiconductor material, and of the type wherein the control circuit () includes at least one control unit () and a time base circuit (), characterized in that the control circuit () includes at least one integrated circuit element () which is etched in the main body () of the dial (). The invention also proposes a dial () to be fitted to the timepiece ().

Timepiece including a dial made of semiconductor material

The invention proposes an analogue display member () fitted to a timepiece, of the type including a main body in which an arbor hole is arranged, characterized in that the main body is made of silicon based crystalline material. The invention also proposes a timepiece provided with such a display member (). The invention also proposes a method of fabricating analogue display members () to be fitted to timepieces, each analogue display member () including a main body, characterized in that it includes at least one step of micro-machining a wafer of silicon based crystalline material to form at least one main body in said material.

Analogue display member made of crystalline material, timepiece fitted therewith and method for fabricating the same

Assembly element () made in a plate of brittle material, including an aperture () provided for the axial insertion of an arbour (). The inner wall () of the aperture () includes elastic structures (), which are etched into the plate and which each include at least one support surface () for gripping the arbour () radially in order to secure the assembly element () relative to the arbour (). The assembly element () includes a first series (S) of elastic structures () etched in a top layer () of the plate and a second series (S) of elastic structures () etched in a bottom layer () of the plate. A timepiece may be fitted with this assembly element.

Assembly element including two series of elastic structures and timepiece fitted with the same

Assembly element made in a plate of brittle material, such as silicon, in particular for a timepiece, including an aperture provided for the axial insertion of an arbour, the inner wall of the aperture including elastic structures which are etched into the plate and which each include at least one support surface for gripping the arbour radially in order to secure the assembly element relative to the arbour. Each elastic structure is formed by a fork which is connected to the inner wall of the aperture by a bridge of material and which includes two branches extending, on either side of the bridge of material, generally towards the arbour. Each branch includes a support surface in proximity to the free end thereof. The invention also proposes a timepiece fitted with an assembly element of this type.

Assembly element including fork shaped elastic structures and timepiece including the same

The invention proposes a MEMS micromotor produced in a plate made of crystalline or amorphous material, in particular based on silicon, which comprises a lower layer forming a substrate, and an upper layer in which at least one actuator and a rotor is etched, the actuator driving the rotor in rotation about a shaft (), characterized in that the shaft () is connected to the plate, in that the shaft () extends axially through a hole of the plate, and in that the shaft () is clamped in the hole and centered in the hole by means of elastic fixing structures which are produced by etching in the substrate and which are arranged on the circumference of the hole.

MEMS micromotor and timepiece equipped with this micromotor

The invention proposes a drive module intended to engage with a clock wheel having a plate made of crystalline or amorphous material comprising a lower layer, which forms a substrate, and an upper layer, into which an MEMS type of micromotor is etched, wherein the micromotor has at least one actuator rotatably driving a rotor, characterized in that a pinion arranged coaxially to the rotor is rotatably connected to the rotor and disposed above the rotor, said pinion being provided to engage with the clock wheel in an engagement zone located close to an outer peripheral edge of the plate, that the rotor is disposed on the plate in order to minimize the distance between the outer peripheral edge of the rotor and the outer peripheral edge of the plate corresponding to the engagement zone, and that the diameter of the pinion is larger than that of the rotor so as to protrude relative to the plate into the engagement zone. The invention also proposes a process for the production of this module and a timepiece comprising such a module.

Drive module comprising an MEMS micromotor, process for the production of this module and timepiece fitted with this module

Assembly element () made in a plate of brittle material, including an aperture () provided for the axial insertion of an arbour (), the inner wall () of the aperture () including elastic structures (), which are etched into the plate to grip the arbour () radially. Each elastic structure () includes a first rectilinear elastic strip (L) which extends along a tangential direction relative to the arbour (). According to the invention, each elastic structure () is formed by a radial stack of several parallel elastic strips.

Assembly element including two superposed strip shaped elastic structures and timepiece fitted with the same

The invention concerns a control system for a servomechanism comprising a control member that can move between first and second positions defining a variable electric quantity respectively between a minimum quantity and a maximum quantity, characterized in that the control system further comprises low voltage powering means, voltage increase means connected to the terminals of the low voltage powering means and delivering a high voltage at output, means for measuring a value of the variable electric quantity, powered by the low voltage powering means when the high voltage is being generated, and means for regulating the voltage increase means arranged to increase the high voltage delivered for a variation in the measured electric quantity value lower than a variation threshold determined by the servomechanism, respectively to decrease the high voltage delivered for a variation in the measured electric quantity values higher than the determined variation threshold.

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Neuchâtel, Switzerland

André Zanetta