Annular fluidic system with compass function

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022269219-A1
Application number	US-202117466321-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 3, 2021
Priority date	Sep 9, 2020
Publication date	Aug 25, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An annular fluidic device includes a closed annular tube, wherein the tube includes at least one portion of transparent wall and contains a rigid torus bathed in a fluid filling the internal volume of the tube, in that the torus is arranged to be movable in the tube, and wherein at least one permanently polarised magnetic element integral with the torus allows it to undergo a moment of force causing it to be aligned in the direction of the external magnetic vector. A watch case can include this device.

First claim

1 . An annular fluidic device comprising:
an annular tube delimiting a closed internal volume, a fluid disposed in the closed internal volume, a floating system disposed in the closed internal volume and bathed in the fluid, said floating system being arranged to rotate freely around a central axis of the annular tube and relative to said annular tube, and said floating system having a marking with at least one of the four cardinal points, at least one permanently polarised magnetic element integral with the floating system allowing said floating system to undergo a moment of force causing it to be aligned in the direction of the external magnetic vector by rotating around of said central axis, said annular tube being transparent at least on a portion of its wall so as to visualise the marking of the floating system from the outside of the annular tube.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the floating system is a torus.

3 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the floating system is a ring connecting several parts.

4 . The device according to claim 3 , wherein the parts are spheres.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one permanently polarised magnetic element is a magnet overmoulded by the material of the floating system.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device includes several permanently polarised magnetic elements distributed in an axisymmetric manner over the circumference of the floating system.

7 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one permanently polarised magnetic element is formed of particles distributed within the material of the floating system.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein it comprises a single permanently polarised magnetic element consisting of a magnetic layer covering the floating system.

9 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the density of the fluid is substantially equal to the density of the floating system.

10 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid is composed of H—C—O hydrocarbon chains or of silicone oil.

11 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid has a viscosity comprised between 0.3 and 10 mPa s.

12 . The device according to claim 1 , comprising a capillary tube in fluid communication with the annular tube to add a function either of barometer or of thermometer to the device.

13 . The device according to claim 12 , comprising a membrane placed on the annular tube in order to transmit the atmospheric pressure on the fluid for the barometer function.

14 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the floating system and/or the annular tube comprise a clearance communicating with the fluid, said clearance trapping in its internal volume one or more air bubbles in order to give a level indication, and wherein when the floating system and the annular tube each include a clearance, the two respective clearances are opposite.

15 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the floating system is provided with wheels, called horizontal wheels, which are free to rotate about an axis parallel to the central axis and/or wheels, called vertical wheels, which are free to rotate about an axis perpendicular to the central axis, said horizontal and vertical wheels being mounted with a clearance relative to the walls of the annular tube and are intended to reduce the friction in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the central axis.

16 . A wearable object comprising an annular fluidic device, said wearable object comprising:
an annular tube delimiting a closed internal volume, a fluid disposed in the closed internal volume, a floating system disposed in the closed internal volume and bathed in the fluid, said floating system being arranged to rotate freely around a central axis of the annular tube and relative to said annular tube, and said floating system having a marking with at least one of the four cardinal points, at least one permanently polarised magnetic element integral with the floating system allowing said floating system to undergo a moment of force causing it to be aligned in the direction of the external magnetic vector by rotating around of said central axis, said annular tube being transparent at least on a portion of its wall so as to visualise the marking of the floating system from the outside of the annular tube.

17 . The wearable object according to claim 16 , wherein said wearable object is a watch case.

18 . The wearable object according to claim 17 , wherein the device is positioned on a bezel, a middle part, a dial or a crystal of the watch case.

19 . The wearable object according to claim 18 , wherein the device is positioned on the bezel with the floating system visible through a portion of the transparent wall of the annular tube.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Gueissaz François
• Willemin Michel
• Imboden Matthias

Classifications

• G04B47/068

  with a thermometer · CPC title

• G01K5/04

  Details · CPC title

• 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

• G01C17/08 Primary

  by flotation · CPC title

• G04B47/065 Primary

  with a compass (compasses G01C17/00) · CPC title