Granted Patent B2

US 12,204,284 · App. 17/771,977 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Inventors: Michel Willemin (Preles, CH); Simon Springer (Berne, CH); Jean-Jacques Born (Merges, CH)

Assignee: The Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd

G04B19/268

Abstract

Claims (22)

1. A display device ( 100 ) for a timepiece; said display device ( 100 ) comprising:

a first indicator member ( 110 ) mounted so as to be able to move and, comprising a representation of the Moon ( 111 ) provided thereon;

a second indicator member ( 120 ) mounted so as to be able to move and comprising an occulting element ( 121 ) provided thereon and configured for occulting said representation of the Moon ( 111 );

a driver configured for driving said first indicator member ( 110 ) and/or said second indicator member ( 120 ); and

a controller configured for controlling, according to a set of data ( 141 ), said first driver so as to drive and/or to superimpose said first indicator member ( 110 ) and/or said second indicator member ( 120 ) so that said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) is completely or partially occulted by said at least one occulting element ( 121 ),

wherein said first indicator member ( 110 ) is one of an hour hand and a minute hand and said second indicator member ( 120 ) is an other of the hour hand and minute hand.

2. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured for controlling said driver at the request of the user.

3. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said set of data ( 141 ) comprises at least:

a date ( 146 );

a time ( 147 ); and/or

a geographical position ( 148 ).

4. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 3 , wherein the set of data ( 141 ) is configured for being received by said controller via communication by radio frequency, via satellite geopositioning, and/or via wireless and/or light communication.

5. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said driver includes a first driver configured for driving said first indicator member and a second driver configured for driving said at least one second indicator member ( 120 ).

6. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , wherein said controller being configured for controlling said first driver so as to drive said first indicator member ( 110 ) completely or partially under said second indicator member ( 120 ) so that said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) is completely or partially occulted by said occulting element ( 121 ), or so as to drive said second indicator member ( 120 ) completely or partially above said first indicator member ( 110 ) so that said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) is completely or partially occulted by said occulting element ( 121 ).

7. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , wherein said first indicator member ( 110 ) is configured for being able to move about a first rotation axis and comprises a first proximal end ( 116 ) close to said first rotation axis and/or a first distal end ( 117 ) distant from said first rotation axis, and/or wherein said second indicator member ( 120 ) is configured for being able to move about a second rotation axis and comprises a second proximal end ( 126 ) close to said second rotation axis and/or a second distal end ( 127 ) distant from said second rotation axis; said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) being at said first distal end ( 117 ) or at said first proximal end ( 116 ) and/or said occulting element ( 121 ) being at said second distal end ( 127 ) or at said second proximal end ( 126 ).

8. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , wherein said first indicator member ( 110 ) or said second indicator member ( 120 ) is configured for indicating the age of the Moon.

9. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 5 , further comprising a second hand indicating the age of the Moon and being configured for being driven by said driver, said second driver and/or by a third driver.

10. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) is configured for being lighter than said occulting element ( 121 ), and/or said occulting element ( 121 ) and/or said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) has or have a rounded, round, elliptical, disc and/or spherical shape.

11. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said occulting element ( 121 ) comprises an opening ( 122 ) configured for completely or partially revealing said representation of the Moon ( 111 ).

12. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) and/or said occulting element ( 121 ) comprises, or comprise, a polarised material with a mirror, semi-transparent and/or transparent effect.

13. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 12 , wherein said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) comprises a material that is shiny, reflective, luminescent and/or photoluminescent and/or said occulting element ( 121 ) comprises a material that is matt or photoabsorbent.

14. The display device ( 100 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) and/or said occulting element ( 121 ) comprises, or comprise, a liquid crystal, electrochromic and/or electrowetting display configured for modifying the transparency of said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) and/or of said occulting element ( 121 ) so that, when said representation of the Moon ( 111 ) and said occulting element ( 121 ) are superimposed, a representation of the lunar phase appears to the observer.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (25)