Device for measuring a relative humidity level inside the enclosure of a watch case

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11940379-B2
Application number	US-202117480250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2021
Priority date	Oct 16, 2020
Publication date	Mar 26, 2024
Grant date	Mar 26, 2024

Abstract

A device (1) for measuring a relative humidity level inside the enclosure (9) of a case (3) of a watch (2), the device (1) including: an emitter module (5) provided with a source of light radiation capable of emitting light beams (8) towards the enclosure (9) of the case (3); a receiver module (6a, 6b, 6c) for receiving at least one acoustic signal (12) from the enclosure (9), and a control unit (7) connected to the modules (5, 6) and which is configured to evaluate the water vapour content of a gaseous fluid (11) contained inside the enclosure (9) as a function of the at least one acoustic signal (12) received by the receiver module (6a, 6b, 6c).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for measuring a relative humidity level inside an enclosure of a case of a watch, the device comprising:
an emitter module provided with a source of light radiation capable of emitting light beams towards the enclosure of said case;
a receiver module for receiving at least one acoustic signal from said enclosure, and
a control unit connected to said modules- and which is configured to evaluate a water vapour content of a gaseous fluid contained inside said enclosure as a function of said at least one acoustic signal received by the receiver module.

2. The measuring device according claim 1 , wherein the emitter module comprises an element for modulating said source of light radiation configured such that said emitter module emits light beams capable of ensuring a generation of at least one acoustic signal by the gaseous fluid containing the water vapour contained in the enclosure of the case.

3. The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the emitter module is configured to emit pulse light beams.

4. The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver module comprises at least one electroacoustic transducer.

5. The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver module comprises a pressure microphone or a pressure-gradient microphone.

6. The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver module comprises an optical microphone.

7. The measuring device according to claim 6 , wherein the optical microphone comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation, reflective elements, at least one detector for detecting the electromagnetic radiation and an interferometer.

8. The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises, in the memory elements thereof, one or more look-up tables for matching values of acoustic signals with values of water vapour contents of a gaseous fluid contained inside said enclosure.

9. The measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the source of light radiation is a laser source and the gaseous fluid is air containing water vapour.

10. An assembly for determining a relative humidity level inside a watch comprising said watch and thea measuring device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Dubugnon Dominique
• Blatter Cédric
• Willemin Michel

Classifications

• G01N21/3554 Primary

  for determining moisture content · CPC title

• G04D7/007

  with regard to the sealing of the case · CPC title

• G01N21/1702 Primary

  with opto-acoustic detection, e.g. for gases or analysing solids · CPC title

• G04B47/06 Primary

  with attached measuring instruments, e.g. pedometer, barometer, thermometer or compass {(in combination with a tachometer which winds up the clockwork G04B5/206)} · CPC title

• G01N29/02

  Analysing fluids (using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14 {; constructional or flow details for analysing fluids G01N29/222; optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425}) · CPC title