Mother-of-pearl dial for a hidden display

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9915924-B2
Application number	US-201415035031-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2014
Priority date	Nov 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A display assembly including a display including a light source and a semi-transparent element for showing the display only when the display is activated, wherein the semi-transparent element includes a mother-of-pearl dial under which is disposed a semi-reflective element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A display assembly comprising:
a display module including a light source to display at least one piece of information; and
a dial module to show the display information only when the display is activated, wherein
the dial module includes a dial made of a translucent or semi-transparent material underneath which is disposed a semi-reflective element to reflect part of light and to transmit another proportion of light while reducing deflection of light rays by diffusion, the semi-reflective element completely covers the light source, and the display module being disposed underneath the semi-reflective element.

2. The display assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the semi-reflective element includes a metallic layer directly deposited on the dial.

3. The display assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the semi-reflective element includes a metallic layer deposited on a flexible film.

4. The display assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the semi-reflective element includes a dielectric mirror in a form of a film.

5. The display assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the semi-reflective element includes a dielectric mirror made directly on the dial, with a film being bonded thereon to stiffen the dial.

6. The display assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the dielectric mirror includes a plurality of stacked layers of dielectric materials having different refractive indices and thicknesses.

7. The display assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the dielectric mirror includes a plurality of stacked layers of dielectric materials having different refractive indices and thicknesses.

8. The display assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the dielectric mirror includes a plurality of layers of birefringent dielectric materials.

9. The display assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the dielectric mirror includes a plurality of layers of birefringent dielectric materials.

10. The display assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the film is a flexible film.

11. The display assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the film is a flexible film.

12. The display assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the film is a rigid film.

13. The display assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the film is a rigid film.

14. The display assembly according to claim 1 , wherein thickness of the dial module is between 0.3 and 0.5 mm.

15. The display assembly according to claim 1 , wherein thickness of the dial is between 0.01 and 0.4 mm.

16. The display assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising an opaque film located between the display module and the dial module.

17. The display assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the dial is made of a material of at least one of: mother-of-pearl, amber, meteorites, horn, bone, leather, hide, coral, cartilage, semi-transparent minerals, semi-transparent or tinted glasses, ceramics or wood.

18. A timepiece comprising a display assembly according to claim 1 .

19. A display assembly comprising:
a display module including a light source to display at least one piece of information; and
a dial module to show the display information only when the display is activated, wherein
the dial module includes a dial made of a translucent or semi-transparent material underneath which is disposed a semi-reflective element to reflect part of light and to transmit another proportion of light while reducing deflection of light rays by diffusion, the display module being disposed underneath the semi-reflective element, and the semi-reflective element includes a dielectric mirror in a form of a film.

20. A display assembly comprising:
a display module including a light source to display at least one piece of information; and
a dial module to show the display information only when the display is activated, wherein
the dial module includes a dial made of a translucent or semi-transparent material underneath which is disposed a semi-reflective element to reflect part of light and to transmit another proportion of light while reducing deflection of light rays by diffusion, the display module being disposed underneath the semi-reflective element, and the semi-reflective element includes a dielectric mirror made directly on the dial, with a film being bonded thereon to stiffen the dial.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Sagardoyburu Michel

Classifications

• G04B19/12 Primary

  Selection of materials for dials or graduations {markings} · CPC title

• G04C17/0091

  Combined electro-optical and electro-mechanical displays · CPC title

• G04G9/0088

  by controlling light sources, e.g. electroluminescent diodes · CPC title

• G04G9/047

  provided with means for displaying at will a time indication or a date or a part thereof · CPC title

• G04G9/107

  provided with means for displaying at will a time indication or a date or a part thereof · CPC title