The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

Olivier Matthey

Gianni Di Domenico

Dominique Lechot

Baptiste Hinaux

Jerome Favre

Jean-Jacques Born

Pierre Cusin

Pascal Winkler

Michel Willemin

Alex Gandelhman

Jean-Luc Helfer

Laurent Klinger

Bruno Scagliarini

Jean-Claude Martin

Jérôme Favre

Laurent Nagy

Marc Stranczl

Paulo Bravo

Ahmad Odeh

Stéphane Perrier

Philippe Sauvain

Dominique Léchot

M Jean-Jacques Born

A timepiece and method for mounting a generator in the timepiece, this generator being formed of a rotor with permanent magnets and two coils. A supporting structure is preassembled with the rotor and an electronic module including the two coils is preformed. The method includes the following successive steps for laterally mounting the electronic module in the supporting structure so as to form the generator; assembly of an electronic module support with the supporting structure to form an articulation; rotation of the electronic module thanks to the articulation to bring the two coils closer to the axis of rotation of the rotor, so that these two coils are finally each located in a functional position at the same distance from the axis of rotation of the rotor; fastening of the electronic module to block the articulation after said rotation and thus maintain this electronic module in a functional angular position.

Timepiece comprising a generator and method for assembling such a generator

A method for manufacturing a plurality of generators, each intended to power supply an electronic circuit operating in a given power supply voltage range, includes a step of manufacturing coils distributed in N pluralities of coils, similar within the same plurality and different from one plurality to another, and a step of manufacturing a plurality of rotors which is carried out with tolerances limiting the cost of production. The plurality of rotors is classified into N classes of rotors which are associated respectively with the N pluralities of coils to form N pairs allowing the assembly of N groups of generators. The generators of each of the N groups of generators have magnetic coupling factors between their rotor and their stator which are located in a corresponding optimised value range, which is at least partially superimposed on the others of the N optimised value ranges relating to the N generator groups.

Method for manufacturing a plurality of generators adapted for a horological application

A horological movement provided with a generator and a circuit for regulating the frequency of rotation of this generator, the regulation circuit being arranged to be able to detect the zero crossings of an induced voltage generated in the stator by the rotating rotor and to generate first braking pulses which are triggered after zero crossings and each end before the induced voltage reaches a peak value, preferably before the rectified induced voltage reaches a power supply voltage provided by a power supply capacity. In addition, the regulation circuit is arranged so as to be able to further generate second braking pulses each of which occurs after detection of the end of a charging period of the power supply capacity during which the induced voltage reaches a peak value and each end before the induced voltage crosses zero.

Horological movement provided with a generator and a circuit for regulating the frequency of rotation of this generator

Inertia mobile component () for a horological resonator (), oscillating about an axis of oscillation (D), and including at least one magnetic area (), the total resultant magnetic moment of all of the magnetic areas (), included in the inertia mobile component (), is aligned in the direction of the axis of oscillation (D), this inertia mobile component () bearing at least one magnetic compensating element (), the magnetisation component thereof in a direction perpendicular to the axis of oscillation (D) can be adjusted in order to obtain a total resultant magnetic moment that is aligned in the direction of the axis of oscillation (D).

Inertia mobile component for horological resonator with magnetic interaction device insensitive to the external magnetic field

Horological resonator () including an inertia mobile component () oscillating about an axis of oscillation (D) and including at least one magnetic area (), the total resultant magnetic moment of all of the magnetic areas (), included in the inertia mobile component (), is aligned in the direction of the axis of oscillation (D), this inertia mobile component () bearing at least one balancing magnet (), the direction of the magnetic moment thereof crosses the axis of oscillation (D) to obtain magnetic balancing of the inertia mobile component ().

An oscillator includes a resonator, which has an inertial mass returned by an elastic return and carries entry and exit pallets cooperating with teeth of an escape wheel each provided with a magnet. Each pallet includes a magnetic arrangement, with an annular sector, centred on the axis of oscillation of the resonator, defining a first magnetic barrier area extending above and/or below a mechanical pallet-stone of the entry pallet or exit pallet, over the entire length of this mechanical pallet-stone acting as support for the teeth during the supplementary arc, in order to form a magnetic cylinder escapement mechanism.

Optimised magneto-mechanical timepiece escapement mechanism

A horological movement () including: a plate (); a mechanical resonator () including an oscillating balance () rotatably mounted relative to the plate (), and a spiral spring () coupled to the balance (); an electromagnetic regulator () coupled to the mechanical resonator () to regulate the frequency of the oscillations of the balance (), and including at least one permanent magnet () fixedly mounted relative to the plate (), at least one coil (), a quartz or silicon resonator () and an electronic circuit () connected to the resonator () and to the coil (), all mounted on the balance () while being completely included in an inner cavity () delimited by the latter.

Self-adjustable horological oscillator

A method for making a flexure bearing for an oscillator with an inertial element oscillating in a plane supported by flexible strips fixed to a stationary support returning it to a rest position includes: forming the bearing with basic strips in superposed levels, each having an aspect ratio of less than 10; breaking down the number of basic levels into a plurality of sub-units, each including one or two strips joining a basic support and a basic inertial element, which are made by etching substrates; assembling the sub-units by joining their basic inertial elements; and fixing the basic supports to the support, directly or via translational tables along one or two in-plane translational degrees of freedom, of lower translational stiffness than that of the sub-unit.

Method for making a flexure bearing mechanism for a mechanical timepiece oscillator

A timepiece movement, including a mechanism including an inertial element arranged to oscillate or pivot about a first axis of pivoting relative to a structure of the movement, and arranged to cooperate directly or indirectly with an energy distribution wheel set that pivots relative to the structure about a second axis of pivoting parallel to or coincident with the first axis of pivoting and subjected to a torque exerted by an energy source, wherein the energy distribution wheel set meshes directly or indirectly with at least one inertia wheel set that pivots about a third axis of pivoting relative to the structure, each inertia wheel set is arranged to pivot in the opposite direction to the energy distribution wheel set, and the total inertia of the inertia wheel sets is between 60% and 140% of the inertia of the energy distribution wheel set.

Timepiece oscillator insensitive to angular acceleration caused by wear

The active lighting device of a bicycle includes a first optical system with a first light source for long-distance illumination, controlled by a control unit, and a second optical system with a second light source for short-distance illumination, controlled by the control unit. It includes a light sensor for determining the light intensity of a location in which the bicycle is situated and allows the control unit to adapt the light intensity of the light sources, if they are activated and if the ambient light intensity is below a determined light threshold. Moreover, a speed sensor is provided for determining the speed of the bicycle in use on a path, so that the control unit controls the activation of the first light source from at least one determined speed threshold. An orientation detector is provided for orienting the light sources depending on a curve travelled by the bicycle in use.

Portable active lighting device or same installed on a bicycle

A mechanical timepiece oscillator includes, between a support and an inertial element, a flexure bearing with flexible strips crossed in projection, including, superposed, an upper level that includes, between an upper support and an upper inertial element, an upper primary strip in a first direction and an upper secondary strip in a second direction, and a lower level that includes, between a lower support and a lower inertial element, a lower primary strip in the first direction and a lower secondary strip in the second direction. The upper level and lower level include, between the support and the upper or respectively lower support, a translational table with an elastic connection along one or two axes of freedom in the oscillation plane, of lower stiffness than that of each flexible strip.

Timepiece oscillator with flexure bearings having a long angular stroke

An active lighting device is placed on a person's wrist to light a path that the person is taking. The device is preferably in the form of a wristwatch. The device includes first light sources, which are controlled by a control unit. The first light sources are placed on a portion of a case. Each first light source activated by the control unit can produce a light beam of different orientation from another first light source activated by the control unit. The device further includes a motion sensor connected to the control unit to determine the wrist movement of the person wearing the device in order to allow the control unit to select certain first light sources to be activated depending on the person's wrist movement in order to light the path to be followed in the same defined forward direction.

Active lighting device to be worn on a person's wrist

A mechanical timepiece oscillator including, between a first element and a second inertial element, more than two distinct flexible strips returning the inertial element to a rest position in an oscillation plane, wherein the projections of these strips cross each other, at a point, through which passes the axis of pivoting of the second solid inertial element, and the height to thickness aspect ratio is less than 10 for each strip.

A method for manufacturing a flexible strip, including forming a plate of the required thickness with one or more micromachinable substrate wafers; affixing, on either side of the plate, an upper mask with an upper window and a lower mask with a lower window, of identical geometry; etching the plate, at least to mid-thickness, from the upper side of each upper etching window, and from the side of each lower etching window; removing the upper mask and the lower mask, to delimit a flexible strip having a height equal to the thickness of the plate, and whose edges are as-etched. A flexible strip made of micromachinable material, including, between two parallel upper and lower surfaces, two peripheral, tapered and reverse-tapered edge surfaces, for a flexible pivot, a resonator, a movement or a watch.

Flexible strip for horology and method for manufacturing the same

An active lighting device of a bicycle includes a first optical system with a first light source arrangement for long-distance illumination, which is controlled by a control unit, and a second optical system with a second light source arrangement for short-distance illumination, which is controlled by the control unit. A light sensor determines the light intensity of a location of the bicycle and allows the control unit to adapt the light intensity of the light sources, if they are activated and if the ambient light intensity is below a threshold. A speed sensor determines the speed of the bicycle, so that the control unit controls the activation of the light sources of the first light source arrangement from a speed threshold. An orientation or inclination detector selects and adjusts the light intensity of light sources.

Growing community of inventors

Grandson, Switzerland

Olivier Matthey