681results about "Repair tools" patented technology

A controllable watch winder for a self-winding mechanical watch, in which a turntable is provided to hold and rotate the watch, including a programmable microprocessor circuit configured to count the number of rotations executed by the turntable. In one aspect, the watch winder is configured to introduce, after the electronic circuit is activated, a delay period before the turntable commences rotating. In another aspect, the circuit may be configured to interrupt the rotation of the turntable with pauses, to break up the rotation into cyclical sets. The circuit may be configured to automatically predetermine the number of rotations in each set. In yet another aspect, the watch winder may be configured to be manually adjustable, to variably predetermine before use, the number of rotations to be executed by the turntable and the length of any pause between rotations.

The micro-mechanical part, for example a horological movement part, includes a silicon core (1) all or part of the surface (3) of which is coated with a thick amorphous material (2). This material is preferably silicon dioxide and has a thickness which is five times greater than the thickness of native silicon dioxide.

A watch winder includes a housing, a power supply disposed in the housing, a transmitter coil mounted at one side of the housing and electrically connected with a circuit board of the power supply, and a receiver coil mounted at another side of the housing and electrically connected with a circuit board of the power supply. The fist coil can be actuated by the power supply to transmit a signal, and the receiver coil can be used to receive a signal and convert the signal into an electrical current that can be transmitted to the circuit board for charging the power supply. Therefore, the electrical energy of the watch winder can be wireless transmitted through a non-contact interface.

A controllable watch winder for a self-winding mechanical watch, in which a turntable is provided to hold and rotate the watch, including a programmable microprocessor circuit configured to count the number of rotations executed by the turntable. In one aspect, the watch winder is configured to introduce, after the electronic circuit is activated, a delay period before the turntable commences rotating. In another aspect, the circuit may be configured to interrupt the rotation of the turntable with pauses, to break up the rotation into cyclical sets. The circuit may be configured to automatically predetermine the number of rotations in each set. In yet another aspect, the watch winder may be configured to be manually adjustable, to variably predetermine before use, the number of rotations to be executed by the turntable and the length of any pause between rotations.

A watch winder comprising plural watch winder units and a power supply. The plural watch winder units are assembled by connectors in such a manner that the watch winders units are electrically connected to one another, and the power supply is electrically connected to one of the watch winder units to supply power to all the electrically-connected watch winder units. By such arrangements, the respective watch winder units are not required to be provided with one power supply, thus saving the manufacturing cost, satisfying the requirements of environmental protection, and the watch winder units can be assembled as desired.

The balance spring is made from a photostructurable glass plate by UV irradiation, thermal treatment and etching, said glass having a Young's modulus thermal coefficient CTE0. The value CTE0 of selected zones of the balance spring are altered to a value CTEi by UV irradiation through one or several masks, possibly completed by a thermal treatment.

An original design watch or original design dial for a watch manufacturing machine in accordance with a design information inputted by a customer to apply promptly its demand. The design information inputted by the customer through an input apparatus (2, 102) is transferred to a manufacturing apparatus (14, 114) and utilized as a command for operation and a design pattern to be drawn. The manufacturing apparatus (14, 114) chooses a housing assembly (20) or a dial plate (120) in accordance with the operational command of the design information, and prints the designed pattern of drawing, picture, photograph or character given by the customer on the dial in accordance with the design information. Then, the dial (120), watch hands and a cover glass are furnished onto the housing assembly (20) in accordance with the selection specified by the design information. The completed watch is sold by an automatic vending machine or by a sales person in usual manner.

A watch winder comprising plural watch winder units and a power supply. The plural watch winder units are assembled by connectors in such a manner that the watch winders units are electrically connected to one another, and the power supply is electrically connected to one of the watch winder units to supply power to all the electrically-connected watch winder units. By such arrangements, the respective watch winder units are not required to be provided with one power supply, thus saving the manufacturing cost, satisfying the requirements of environmental protection, and the watch winder units can be assembled as desired.

A soft metal and a decorative article of wristwatch are produced by forming, on the surface of a soft metal article (2), a hard layer (3, 13) containing zirconium and molybdenum, or containing zirconium, molybdenum and further an additive element constituted of at least one or more elements selected from niobium, tantalum, and titanium. It is preferable that the content of molybdenum constituting the hard layer (3, 13) is about 30 to 75 wt %, or that the content of molybdenum is about 25 to 65 wt % and the total content of the additive elements is about 25 wt % or less.

A grease composition for a precision instrument comprising a lithium soap grease or a urea grease, and an anti-wear agent, wherein the lithium soap grease and the urea grease are each a grease having no hydroxyl group in a molecule, and the anti-wear agent is contained in an amount of 0.1 to 20% by weight based on the total amount of the grease composition. By the use of the grease composition for a sliding mechanism of a precision instrument such as a watch, an appropriate slip torque can be obtained, and the precision instrument such as a watch can operate stably.

An assembly including a member made of a first material, which is axially driven into a circular aperture of a part made of a second material, having no plastic domain, using an intermediate part made of a third material and mounted between the member and the part is disclosed. The intermediate part is a continuous cylinder including a hole for receiving the member so that the intermediate part absorbs radially and in a uniform manner, at least part of the axial driving force of the member. The part includes pierced holes forming elastic deformation units distributed around the circular aperture thereof for absorbing any of the radial force not absorbed by the intermediate part, so as to secure the assembly in a non-destructive manner for the part.

Automatic watches use the movements of the wrist to re-wind the barrel spring and thus supply the necessary energy for the correct functioning of the watch. When the user cannot wear the watch it is proposed to place it on an automatic re-winding device. The device according to the invention is compact and modular. Furthermore, in order to avoid any error of manipulation, the starting and stopping of the re-winding device is done automatically by means of a detection of the presence of the watch (3). The passing of the strap in the detachable base (2) produces the tension of the device.

A case unit includes a resin case main body including an outer peripheral surface and an opening forming surface enclosed by the outer peripheral surface and being formed with an opening. A step is provided on an inner peripheral surface of the opening to face an entrance of the opening. An elastic member is provided along the inner peripheral surface of the opening and mounted on the step. A light transmission member is press-fitted in the opening via the elastic member and covers the opening. And, a fitting part of a frame member is fitted on the outer peripheral surface of the resin case main body to make an elastic member pressing part extending from the fitting part toward the entrance of the frame member cover at least a part of the elastic member at the entrance of the opening.

A watch band construction in which the watch band itself forms at least a part of a watch casing. The watch band includes an integral casing portion that forms at least a part of a casing assembly for the watch. The casing portion of the watch band can then be securely affixed to a mating casing portion using any desired fastening technique.

The invention relates to an immobilizing device for a toothed wheel suitable for the field of horology where it can be part of a direct- or indirect-impulse escapement, in particular in a wristwatch. This immobilizing device (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) comprises: —a base (7); —an immobilizer (9) comprising two arms (10, 11) each provided with a pallet (14, 15) intended to come into contact with a tooth of the toothed wheel (40); —a first and a second elastic element (12, 13) each having an end connected to the immobilizer (9) and another end connected to the base (7); —a third elastic element (16) connected to the immobilizer (9), and it has the particular feature that it is in one piece or in one piece apart from at least one of the pallets (14, 15). The invention also relates to a timepiece and to a method for assembling such a timepiece.

The invention relates to a silicon-based Breguet overcoil balance spring (1, 31) that includes a hairspring (3, 33) made integral coaxially with a collet (5, 35), a terminal curve (7, 37) and an elevation device (9, 39) between the outer coil (15, 45) of the hairspring and the terminal curve. According to the invention, the balance spring has two single parts secured to each other to increase the development precision of the balance spring. The invention also relates to the method of manufacturing the balance spring. The invention concerns the field of timepiece movements.

In carving a decorative groove (7) formed in V-shape cross section extending from inside to outside on a dial plate (2) of a timepiece as a decorative plate, the slant angle of an inner slanted side (7A) forming the V-shape of the decorative groove (7) is made gentler than an outer slanted side (7B) at an inner part of the spiral, so that action of light reflected on the flat surface of the dial plate (2) macroscopically becomes similar to the light reflected on a bulging surface to give the central portion of the dial plate (2) a bulging appearance, whereby a three-dimensional effect is provided by the decorative groove (7) even when the dial plate (2) is made of a thin plate, thereby adding depth and a luxurious touch or aspect.

The invention relates to a method for making a spring for a timepiece that comprises at least one monobloc ribbon of metal glass including at least one curvature. The method is characterized in that said method comprises the step of shaping by means of plastic-deformation said monobloc ribbon in order to obtain at least a portion of said curvature.

A watchwinder adapted for home use or in a retail store environment includes a horizontal dovetail groove or channel on the top, bottom and side surfaces of the watchwinder housing which cooperates with a removable interlocking bar or rail of mating dovetail shape to selectively and detachably interconnect adjacent watchwinders arranged in a vertical or side-by-side relation. The grooves preferably extend across the horizontal dimension of the watchwinder to a point short of the front of the housing for concealment purposes, and are made relatively wide in relation to the dimensions of the housing to improve rigidity of an interlocked grouping of watchwinders and to simplify assembly. Preferably, the channels are of equal size and shape and spaced equidistantly apart. An array of interlocked watchwinders can be built up to varying size and shape, and one or more of the watchwinders can be selectively removed from anywhere within the array without disturbing the others.

A watch winder includes a watch carrier that is freely supported on a rest for ease in mounting and removing the carrier and for reversing the direction of winding by simply turning the watch carrier end-to-end. The watch carrier includes a cylinder and a watch holder insertable into the interior of the cylinder. The rest is adapted to support the cylinder in a horizontal position, and includes first and second support sections having parallel longitudinal axes spaced from each other at a distance less than the diameter of the cylinder. Each section includes a housing having rollers or other support surfaces adjacent the ends of the housing, with at least one of the rollers being driven by an electric motor to rotate the cylinder at predetermined times when the cylinder is supported on the rollers. A feature of the cylinder may be detected to stop rotation at a predetermined orientation.

The invention relates to a Breguet overcoil balance spring (1) that includes a hairspring (3) mounted in a single part, made of micro-machinable material, and coaxially with a collet (5). According to the invention, the balance spring has a terminal curve (7) made of micro-machinable material and an elevation device (9) made of micro-machinable material between the outer coil (15) of the hairspring and the terminal curve to improve the concentric development of the balance spring. The invention also relates to the method of manufacturing the balance spring. The invention concerns the field of timepiece making.

Method for orienting a timepiece component made of magnetic / electrostatic material.On both sends of this component, two magnetic / electrostatic fields each attract it onto a pole piece, with an unbalance in the intensity of said fields around said component, in order to create a differential in the forces thereon and to press one of said ends onto a contact surface of one of said pole pieces, and to hold the other end at a distance from the other pole piece.Magnetic / electrostatic pivot including such a component with two ends.It includes a guide device with surfaces of two pole pieces each attracted by a magnetic / electrostatic field transmitted by one of said ends, or generating a magnetic / electrostatic field attracting one of said ends, the magnetic / electrostatic forces exerted on said two ends are of different intensity, in order to attract only one end into contact with only one of said pole piece surfaces.

The invention proposes an analogue display member (10) fitted to a timepiece, of the type including a main body in which an arbour 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 (10). The invention also proposes a method of fabricating analogue display members (10) to be fitted to timepieces, each analogue display member (10) 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.

Timepiece sub-assembly including a spacer for guiding a pivoting wheel set on a bottom plate and including a shoulder for cooperating with a housing in said bottom plate and a stop surface for abutting against said bottom plate.It includes a drive means fixed to said wheel set, arranged to slide relative to said spacer with an axial shake, determined between a first stop position between a collar of said wheel set and a front face of said spacer, and a second stop position between a stop surface of said drive means and a rear face of said spacer. Said wheel set includes, opposite said collar, a machined portion arranged to cooperate with a complementary machined portion of a display element to fixedly secure said display element to said wheel set.

A temperature compensation-type balance includes a balance staff, and a balance wheel that has a plurality of bimetal portions which are disposed in parallel to each other in a circumferential direction around a rotational axle O of the balance staff and connection members which connect the plurality of bimetal portions and the balance staff. The bimetal portion is a layered body in which a first member and a second member are radially overlapped, and one end portion in the circumferential direction is a fixed end connected to the connection member and the other end portion in the circumferential direction is a free end. The first member is formed of a ceramic material, and the second member is formed of a metal material having a thermal expansion coefficient different from that of the first member.

An assembly of an axially extending member, made of a first material, in an aperture of a part, made of a second material having no plastic domain. The part includes pierced holes forming an elastic deformation mechanism distributed around the aperture thereof. Further, the member includes an elastically and plastically deformed, radially flared portion that radially grips a wall of the part surrounding the aperture by stressing the elastic deformation mechanism, so as to secure the assembly in a manner that is not destructive for the part. The assembly can be used in the field of timepieces.