Timepiece comprising an external element provided with a zirconia portion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12399463-B2
Application number	US-202217747483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2022
Priority date	Jun 8, 2021
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

Provided is a timepiece including, in addition to a crystal, the following external elements: a back ( 2 ), a middle part ( 1 ), a dial ( 3 ), and two bracelet strands ( 30 ), at least one of these external elements includes a body formed of a first portion made of a first opaque material and of a second portion made of a second partially transparent or translucent material. The first material being integral with the second material and the timepiece also includes at least one light source ( 10 ) producing light which passes through the second portion made of a partially transparent or translucent ceramic material comprising zirconia.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A timepiece including, in addition to a crystal, a middle part and the following elements: a back, a dial, and two bracelet strands, the middle part and at least one of these elements each comprising a body formed of at least one first portion made of a first opaque material devoid of zirconia and of at least one second portion made of a partially transparent or translucent ceramic material comprising zirconia doped with alumina pigments, said first material being integral with said second material and the timepiece further including at least one light source producing light which passes through said at least one second portion,
wherein said at least one second portion of each body to be illuminated includes at least one inscription intended to be illuminated by the light coming from the light source.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source is arranged in or under each body.

3. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the arrangement of said at least one light source relative to each body is configured so that most or all of the light produced by said at least one light source passes through said at least one second portion of each body.

4. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the zirconia is white zirconia.

5. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the zirconia is tetragonal zirconia.

6. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the zirconia is doped with 5% by weight of alumina pigments.

7. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source comprises a light-emitting diode.

8. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source is an extended light source, configured to produce continuous illumination on said at least one second portion of each body.

9. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source comprises a light-emitting diode, the light-emitting diode being an organic light-emitting diode evaporated or printed on each body to be illuminated or on a substrate inserted in or under the element to be illuminated, said organic light-emitting diode forming an extended light source.

10. The timepiece according to claim 9 , wherein said at least one light source is an extended light source, configured to produce continuous illumination on said at least one second portion of each body, and the extended light source includes, in addition to the light-emitting diode, a light guide, said light guide being coupled to the light-emitting diode and being capable of diffusing, over its entire length, light injected by the light-emitting diode.

11. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein at least one light source is an extended light source, configured to produce continuous illumination on said at least one second portion of each body, and the at least one extended light source has a predetermined shape including any one of a number, letter, logo or text.

12. The timepiece according to claim 1 , further comprising a bezel and/or a push-button and/or a winding crown provided with a crown cap, characterised in that the bezel and/or the winding crown and/or the crown cap and/or the push-button is an element comprising said at least one second portion.

13. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one light source emits ultraviolet, violet, blue, white or infrared light and in that the external element to be illuminated is loaded with phosphorescent and/or fluorescent particles at the place(s) where it is desired that the light escapes from the inside of the timepiece.

14. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the partially transparent or translucent ceramic material consists entirely of zirconia.

15. A use of a timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the timepiece includes a plurality of light sources disposed in or under the element comprising said at least one second portion, and
wherein the use of the timepiece comprises switching on and off of the plurality of light sources such that the timepiece has, on the element illuminated by the plurality of light sources, at least one visual indication of a function specific to the timepiece and/or relating to a measurement of an external parameter or of a parameter relating to a user of the timepiece.

16. The use of a timepiece according to claim 15 , wherein the switching on and off of the plurality of light sources produces one or more visual indications relating to one or more of the following functions: indication of the hour, minutes and/or date;
indication of a timer or a countdown with luminous areas of the external element which light up, respectively go out, as the time elapses; indication of a magnitude measured by the timepiece by colour, rhythm, frequency and/or intensity-modulated illumination on the external element, for example indication of a heart rate, of a temperature, a running pace, a number of steps or else a decibel level; indication of an alarm or reception of notification; indication of an active function for the timepiece; assistance in adjusting the timepiece.

17. The use of a timepiece according to claim 15 , wherein the switching on and/or the switching off of the plurality of light sources is controlled simultaneously and/or sequentially.

18. A timepiece including, in addition to a crystal, a middle part and the following elements: a back, a dial, and two bracelet strands, the middle part and at least one of these elements each comprising a body formed of at least one first portion made of a first opaque material devoid of zirconia and of at least one second portion made of a partially transparent or translucent ceramic material comprising zirconia doped with alumina pigments, said first material being integral with said second material and the timepiece further including at least one light source producing light which passes through said at least one second portion,
wherein said at least one second portion of each body to be illuminated includes at least one inscription intended to be illuminated by the light coming from the light source, and the at least one inscription is made in said at least one second zirconia portion via a method selected from the group consisting of: selective carburisation and/or nitriding of the surface of the zirconia; a variation in the thickness of the zirconia by mechanical or laser engraving; a variation in the density of the zirconia; an opaque or semi-transparent impression on the surface of the zirconia; a structured PVD physical vapour deposition on the surface of the zirconia or inside the zirconia portion; and a combination of two or more of these methods.

19. The timepiece according to claim 18 , wherein said at least one inscription is made in said at least one second portion via selective carburisation and/or nitriding of the surface of this second portion, and in that said at least one inscription forms an active conductive structure, of the electrical conduction track or antenna type.

20. The timepiece according to claim 18 , wherein said at least one inscription is configured to be invisible in natural light and only become visible once illuminated by the light from the light source.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Willemin Michel
• Curchod Loïc
• Tortora Pierpasquale
• Springer Simon
• Faure Cédric

Classifications

• G04B47/06

  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

• G04B37/225

  Non-metallic cases · CPC title

• G04B45/0023

  Inscriptions or pictures moved by the clockwork, e.g. for advertising (clocks with abrupt time indication G04B13/00; disc-shaped indicating elements G04B19/046, G04B19/202; advertising in general G09F) · CPC title

• G04C17/02

  by electric lamps · CPC title

• G04B45/0007

  Light-, colour-, line-, or spot-effects caused by parts or pictures moved by the clockwork (disc-shaped indicating parts G04B19/046, G04B19/202; figures or parts thereof for indicating the time, moved by the clockwork G04B25/06) · CPC title