CH702419A2 - Timepiece i.e. electronic watch, has luminous device arranged so as to project shades of element arranged between luminous device and bottom of case or dial over dial or bottom of case when luminous device is utilized - Google Patents

Abstract

The timepiece (100) has a case (1) formed of a middle part (2) closed by a bottom (4) and a glass (3). A dial (5) is arranged inside the case below the glass, where the dial and/or the bottom of the case are semi-transparent. A luminous device (7) is arranged so as to project shades of an element arranged between the luminous device and the bottom of the case or the dial over the dial or the bottom of the case when the luminous device is utilized. A diffusing element (11) of the dial or the bottom of the base diffuses light in a heterogeneous manner. The diffusing element is selected from semi-transparent paint and semi-transparent metal layer.

Description

The present invention relates to a timepiece. This timepiece comprises a housing. The case is formed of a middle part closed by a bottom and an ice. The timepiece also comprises a dial arranged inside said case under the ice and a clockwork movement disposed between the dial and the bottom of the case.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY

It is known in the prior art timepieces that are made attractive by visual artifices. An example of visual artifice consists of a figurative image visible through the watch glass. To produce such a figurative image, optical extractors are arranged on one of the faces of the dial or on a light guide arranged near the mirror or the dial. These optical extractors have geometric characteristics including at least one reflection surface. The timepiece also comprises at least one light source cooperating with the reflection surfaces of the optical extractors. This cooperation allows the formation of an image by reflection of light on reflection surfaces.

[0003] However, a disadvantage of this system is its complexity. Indeed, the use of optical extractors on the dial or other light guide requires complex calculations to study the behavior of the light and to determine the shape of the optical extractors so that the desired figurative image is formed.

Another disadvantage lies in the difficulty of implementing this system. Indeed, to have a successful aesthetic effect, it is necessary that the contours of optical extractors are well defined. For this, the optical extractors must be manufactured with great precision then imposing a complex and expensive process.

We can also mention as a drawback the lack of adaptability of the decoration system according to the prior art. Indeed, in the case of the decoration system according to the prior art, it is impossible to easily modify the figurative image. It is thus necessary to change the dial or other light guide of the watch and replace it with another dial or light guide whose optical extractors are arranged to provide a different figurative image. Each figure then requires a dial or other specific light guide, which increases the manufacturing process as well as costs. In addition, a figurative image that moves is only difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a timepiece whose dial provides an aesthetic and fun effect while being simple to achieve and using elements of said timepiece.

For this purpose, the invention relates to the timepiece cited above which is characterized in that the dial or the bottom of the case are at least semi-transparent and / or in that the timepiece furthermore uses a luminous device arranged so as to project shadows on the dial or the bottom of the casing of at least one element disposed between the luminous device and said bottom or said dial when the luminous device is used.

Advantageous embodiments are the subject of claims 3 to 20.

An advantage of the present invention is to be simple. Indeed, this system uses the principle of backlighting since the light system is arranged to illuminate the movement so as to project the shadows thereof on the dial or on the bottom. Said dial or said bottom comprises a diffusing element allowing the user not to see the interior of the timepiece while letting part of the light coming from the light device. This then makes it possible to display the shadows of the elements of the timepiece located between the light device and said dial or said bottom. The system does not require complex calculations.

An advantage of these embodiments is the adaptability of the present invention. In fact, with a system with Chinese shadows, it suffices, for example, to modify the object between the light source and the screen (dial or background) where the shadows are projected to modify the aesthetic effect produced. On the other hand, it is possible to modify the shadows by varying the position of the light source and / or by varying the position of the object located between the dial and the light source. Similarly, on a watch movement, it is possible to illuminate only one part of the movement such as the oscillating member. This partial lighting accentuates the aesthetic effect on an area.

On the other hand, it is possible to add various color filters or filters defining an image. These filters are easy to install and it is therefore easy to modify the aesthetic effect by modifying the filter.

The invention also relates to the timepiece cited above characterized in that the dial or the bottom of the housing are transparent and comprise at least one diffusing element arranged to make said dial or said bottom at least semi-transparent and diffusing. The diffusing element diffuses more or less the light. The timepiece also uses a light device arranged to illuminate the dial or the bottom of the case so that the dial or the bottom have more or less bright areas when the light device is used.

An advantage is to allow good adaptability because it then becomes easy to modify the figurative image. In the case where the thickness varies, it is possible to use stencils to vary the thickness is thus achieve the figurative image.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The objects, advantages and characteristics of the timepiece will appear more clearly in the following detailed description of at least one embodiment of the invention given solely by way of nonlimiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings. on which ones: <tb> fig. 1 <sep> is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the timepiece according to the present invention; <tb> fig. 2 <sep> is a schematic view of a variant of the timepiece according to the present invention illustrated in FIG. 1; <tb> fig. 3 <sep> schematically represents a second embodiment of the timepiece according to the present invention; <tb> fig. 4 <sep> is a schematic view of a variant of the first embodiment of the timepiece according to the present invention; <tb> fig. <Sep> is a schematic view of a third embodiment of the timepiece according to the present invention; <tb> fig. 6 <sep> is a schematic view of a variant of the third embodiment of the timepiece according to the present invention, and <tb> fig. 7 <sep> is a schematic view of a light guide that can be used in the timepiece according to the present invention. <tb> fig. 8 <sep> is a schematic view of a movement that can be installed in the timepiece according to the present invention; and <tb> figs. 9 and 10 <sep> are respectively a schematic view of the dial when the movement of FIG. 8 is not illuminated and a schematic view of the dial when the movement of FIG. 8is illuminated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, all parts of the timepiece that are well known to those skilled in the art will be explained in a simplified manner.

FIG. 1 shows the timepiece according to the present invention schematically. This timepiece 100 comprises a housing 1 comprising a middle part 2 closed by an ice cream 3 and a bottom 4. On this caseband 2 is fixed a dial 5 located just below the glass 3. The timepiece also comprises a movement 6 may be mechanical or electronic and comprising, in both cases, movable elements. Preferably, use will be made of a skeleton-type motion 6 having many and important days allowing light to pass.

According to a first embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the dial 5 is used as a support for an aesthetic effect. For this, the dial 5 is made of a transparent material such as, for example, glass, sapphire or plexiglass. It then comprises on one of the faces at least one diffusing element 11, in FIG. 1, is its lower face, that is to say on its side facing the inside of the middle part 2, which comprises said diffusing element 11. This diffusing element 11 allows the dial 5 to be used as a screen for displaying Chinese shadows. Indeed, without this diffusing element 11, the shadows can not be displayed since the dial 5 is made of transparent material and that all the light thus freely passes through said dial 5. To remedy this, the dial 5 is treated so as to be at least semi-transparent, that is to say, so that the user can see what is behind the dial 5 without blocking all the light rays.

This diffusing element 11 is then for example in the form of a semi-transparent paint applied on the underside of the dial 5. This semi-transparent paint can give the dial 5 an opaque appearance while allowing the passage light when the dial is illuminated. The diffusing element 11 may also be in the form of a semitransparent metal layer also applied to the underside of the dial 5 or in the form of a rough or frosted surface present directly on said dial 5. This rough surface or frosted is achieved by sanding or etching the underside of the dial 5. It is also possible to achieve this diffusing element 11 by molding. For this, the dial 5 or the bottom 4 is made by a conventional molding technique. Nevertheless, a heat treatment is performed during said molding so as to modify the structure of the bottom 4 or the dial 5. This modified structure is then frozen by cooling thus allowing the creation of the diffusing element 11.11 is also possible during the molding of introducing diffusive particles or air bubbles so as to create the diffusing element 11. It can also be provided that the diffusing element 11 is made by laser structuring. This laser structuring, which will not be explained in detail, is done at the surface or in the volume of the dial 5 or the bottom 4 so as to create the diffusing element 11. The result is then in the form of a surface of opaque appearance but allowing the light to pass when this surface is illuminated. Of course, the diffusing element 11 can be arranged so that the diffusion is homogeneous or heterogeneous. It can thus be understood that a homogeneous diffusion results from the uniformity of the absorption, and / or the diffusive efficiency of the diffusing element 11, whereas a heterogeneous diffusion results from the nonuniformity of this absorption and or diffusive efficiency. For example, a heterogeneous diffusion may be the consequence of a variation of the thickness of the diffusing element 11. Indeed, the thickness of the diffusing element 11 conditions the diffusion in that, plus the diffusing element 11 is thin and the diffusion is strong and vice versa. The heterogeneity of diffusion can be used to highlight certain areas rather than others. The heterogeneity of the diffusion can be used itself to create a figurative image. Preferably, the diffusing element 11 makes it possible for the dial 5 to be diffusing and to present a light shade such as, for example, a white or milky hue. It will be understood that the diffusing element 11 can be arranged on the upper face of the dial 5 or be incorporated in the volume of the dial 5 or the bottom 4.

The timepiece 100 further uses a light device 7 for projecting shadows on the dial 5 and in particular those of the movement 6. In this first embodiment, the light device 7 is placed between said movement 6 and the bottom 4 for projecting the shadows on the dial 5. The light device 7 can be fixed on the middle part 2 of the housing 1 or on the movement 6 or in any other way.

This device 7 comprises at least one light source 9 controlled by a control circuit 8 and powered by a power source 10. The power source 10 is typically a battery found in most electronic watches. Nevertheless, it can be envisaged that the light device 7 comprises its own battery. This allows, in the case where the movement 6 is electronic, to avoid a decrease in the battery life due to sharing the use of said battery between the time indication and the lighting device 7. Nevertheless, it is possible to use only one battery for the operation of the movement 6 and the light device 7 to gain volume.

The control circuit 8 is used to control the operation of the light source 9. The control circuit 8 is powered by the power source 10. The control circuit 8 comprises at least one control member such as a button, so that the user can control the operation of the light source 9. The type and number of control members will obviously depend on the number of functions that the light device will present.

The light source 9 is used to illuminate the movement 6 to project the shadows of the elements of said movement 6 on the dial 5. For this, the light source 9 is placed, like all the rest of the light device 7, between the movement 6 and the bottom 4 so that the movement 6 is in the path of the light emitted by said light source 9.

When the light device 7 is not in function, the diffusing element 11 prevents the light from passing, so that the user does not see what is behind the dial 5. On the contrary when the light device 7 is in operation, the diffusing element 11 partially passes light from said device so as to make visible the shadows of the movement 6.

Ideally, the light source 9 used is a collimated or parallel light source, that is to say that the beam emitted by this light source 9 is composed of parallel rays. Thus, in theory, the emitted light beam must keep its original shape with the distance as for a laser. The advantage of a parallel light source is to allow an image projection on the dial 5 of great clarity and uniformly.

Indeed, the movement 6 includes openings and obstacles that will, respectively, let through and block the light. The light that will not be blocked will therefore illuminate the dial 5 thus creating a contrast between the areas where the light passes and the areas where the light is blocked. Shadows representative of the obstacles that light will have encountered are thus formed. This light being parallel, the contours of the objects that block the passage of light and whose shadows are displayed are perfectly drawn on the dial 5. For example, either the case of the movement 6 shown in FIG. 8comprenant a plate 62 and gear wheels 60 and 61, the gear 60 being in the same plane as the plate 62 and on a higher plane relative to the gear train 61. When the light device 7, providing a parallel light, is not put in function as in fig. 9, the dial 5 is opaque and only the hands 101 are visible. On the other hand, when the light device 7 is turned on as in FIG. 10, the plate 62 and the workings 61, 62 are also visible in addition to the hands 101. The shadows of the gears 60, 61 and the plate 62 are of the same level because of the parallel light which does not offer divergence and so a constant brightness.

On the other hand, a light source 9 which emits divergent light such as an LED is not an ideal point source. Indeed, the rays composing the light beam do not come from exactly the same point and are not parallel giving the beam a substantially conical appearance. These characteristics influence the sharpness and the luminous intensity. It can thus be observed that the sharpness varies as a function of the distance between the object and the dial 5: the sharpness decreases when this distance increases and vice versa, and that the light intensity of the beam may be greater at the center of the formed cone by said beam only at its periphery. Therefore, a light source 9 emitting a divergent light does not allow in practice the projection of the shadows of the movement 6 on the dial 5 with great clarity and great homogeneity.

Therefore, in order to have illumination of the dial 5 of uniform intensity, it is necessary to multiply the number of light source 9. A disadvantage of such a system using several light sources 9, comes from beams of these sources 9 which are superimposed so as to create a blur in the shadows. This feeling of blur can be attenuated by bringing the movement 6 closer to the dial since the beams have more trouble being superimposed. OLEDs or any other diffuse light source may be used as light source 9.

A variant shown in FIG. 2 to solve this drawback is to use a light guide 12 at the light device 7. This light guide 12 is shown alone in FIG. 7. This guide 12 is in the form of a transparent blade. This light guide 12 is then preferably of disc shape and of thickness of about 0.5 mm. This light guide 12 is made of plastic or polycarbonate and is arranged as shown in FIG. 2, parallel to the dial 5 between the movement 6 and the bottom 4, so that the light source 9 is for example located on the periphery of the guide 12. This arrangement allows the light source 9 to emit light at the level of the edge of the light guide 12. This guide 12 comprises a multitude of micro or nanostructures 14, for example in the form of micro-prisms. These microstructures 14, for example of triangular shape, have the function of directing the light emitted by the light source 9 so that the light rays coming out of the light guide 12 are substantially parallel or parallel to each other. This makes it possible to have the sharpness qualities of a collimated or almost collimated light source. Of course, it is conceivable that this light guide 12 is replaced by an extended source such as organic light emitting diodes or OLED for producing a diffuse light.

Therefore, the light rays coming out of the light guide 12 are parallel and will move towards the movement 6. The latter comprises openings and obstacles that will, respectively, let through and block the light. The light, which will not be blocked, will therefore illuminate the dial 5 thus creating a contrast between the areas where the light passes and the areas where the light is blocked. Shadows, representative of the obstacles that light will have encountered, are formed. This light being parallel, the contours of objects blocking the passage of light are perfectly drawn on the dial 5. Moreover, it is possible that light prisms or lenses are arranged in the path of light, making it possible to create luminous phenomena such that spots in the case of lenses or rainbows in the case of prisms. It is also conceivable that the movement 6 comprises needles which are visible only when the light device 7 is in operation. These needles are then located between the movement 6 and the dial 5.

According to a second embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the shadows of the movement 6 are projected on the bottom 4 of the timepiece 100. For this, the light device 7 is placed between the dial 5 and the movement 6. The dial 5 is then made as any dial, that is to say, an opaque material while the bottom 4 is made of a transparent material. In this second embodiment, it is therefore the bottom 4 which is provided with the diffusing element 11 allowing the bottom 4 to be used as a screen.

Of course, it will be understood that the problems and solutions mentioned in the first embodiment are also present in this second mode.

In a first variant of the invention, it is expected that the user can vary the color of the dial 5 or the bottom 4 on which the shadows are projected. For this, the light device 7 comprises several light sources 9 of different colors. These different light sources 9 are all connected to the control circuit 8. The latter is then arranged to allow the user to select one or the other of the light sources 9 or to make a random selection.

In a second variant shown in FIG. 4, it can be provided that the light device 7 further comprises one or more color filters 13. These filters 13 are arranged in the path of light and preferably between the light device 7 and the dial 5 or the bottom 4. On will understand that in the case of a diffuse light source, the position of the filter 13 is very important. Indeed, the position of the filter relative to the dial 5 or the bottom 4 has consequences on the sharpness and the size of the resulting colored image on the dial 5 or the bottom 4. The filter 13 is closer to the dial 5 or bottom 4 and the image generated by said filter 13 is sharp and the resulting image is deformed.

In a third embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the filter 13 is used to decorate the dial 5 or, in a variant shown in FIG. 6, the bottom 4. For this, the device 7 is placed between the movement 6 and the dial 5 or between the movement 6 and the bottom 4. The shadows created are not those of the movement 6 but only those of the filter 13. This variant may be useful for displaying a logo or any image on the dial 5 or the bottom 4. The filter 13 may thus be in the form of an element having a geometry determined as a logo or in the form of a stencil that is to say an element in which openings of the desired shape are made. It can even be expected that the filter is in the form of a turn of the hour allowing, in the dark, to see the hours and minutes index for easier reading. Of course, all this is valid in the case where there are several filters 13.

In a fourth embodiment, the light device 7 is placed between the movement 6 and the dial 5 or between the movement 6 and the bottom 4. The aesthetic effect is then a figurative image generated by the diffusion heterogeneity of the dial 5 or the bottom 4. In fact, it is possible to control the diffusion heterogeneity of the dial 5 or the bottom 4 by modifying, for example, the thickness or the diffusive efficiency of the diffusing element 11. This control of the heterogeneity then allows the realization of a figure that will be visible when the light device 7 will be activated. Indeed, a parameter such as the thickness of the diffusing element 11 conditions the diffusion so that the diffusing element 11 is thinner and less the diffusion is strong and vice versa. Thus, diffusion contrasts are observed, thus revealing the desired figurative image. Of course other parameters can be modified to vary the diffusion and / or the absorption of the dial 5 or the bottom 6.

It will be understood that various modifications and / or improvements and / or combinations obvious to those skilled in the art can be made to the various embodiments of the invention described above without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the appended claims.

Indeed, in another embodiment, the timepiece uses natural light for the realization of the Chinese shadows. Therefore, the light device 7 is not present but the bottom 4 and the dial 5 are both transparent, and one of the two comprises a diffusing element. Thus, when the user places his timepiece between the sun and him, the sunlight allows the production of shadows.

Claims (20)

1. Timepiece comprising a housing (1) formed of a middle part (2) closed by a bottom (4) and by an ice (3), a dial (5) being arranged inside said housing underneath of ice, characterized in that the dial and / or the bottom of the case are at least semi-transparent and in that the timepiece (100) further uses a light device (7) arranged so as to project on the dial or the bottom of the shadow box of at least one element disposed between the light device and said bottom or said dial when the light device is used. 2. Timepiece comprising a housing (1) formed of a middle (2) closed by a bottom (4) and by an ice (3), a dial (5) being arranged inside said housing underneath of ice, characterized in that the dial (5) or the bottom (4) of the casing (1) are transparent and comprise at least one diffusing element (11) arranged to make said dial or said bottom at least semi-transparent and diffusing, said at least one diffusing element (11) diffusing more or less the light, the timepiece (100) further using a light device (7) arranged to illuminate the dial (5) or the bottom (4) of the housing (1) so that the dial or the bottom have more or less bright areas when the light device is used. 3. Timepiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the dial (5) or the bottom (4) of the housing (1) at least semi-transparent comprise a dial or a transparent bottom and at least one diffusing element (11). ) arranged to make said dial or said diffusing background. 4. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the light device (7) is arranged in the housing (1) of the timepiece. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the light device (7) comprises at least one light source (9) supplied with energy by a power source (10) and controlled by the user via a control system (8). 6. Timepiece according to claim 5, characterized in that the light device (7) comprises a light guide (12) arranged to extract, homogeneously, the light produced by said at least one light source (9). . 7. Timepiece according to claim 6, characterized in that the light guide (12) comprises structures (14) for producing a parallel light. 8. Timepiece according to one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that said at least one diffusing element (11) of the dial (5) or the bottom (4) diffuses the light heterogeneously. 9. Timepiece according to claims 2 or 8, characterized in that the thickness of said at least one diffusing element (11) of the dial (5) or the bottom (4) is not uniform so that said at least a diffusing element (11) diffuses the light heterogeneously. 10. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the timepiece (100) comprises a clockwork movement (6) disposed between the dial and the bottom of the case and in that said device light (7) is arranged to project the shadows of said watch movement on the dial or the bottom. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the light device (7) further comprises a predefined color filter (13) arranged between the light source (9) and the dial or the dial. background to project the shadow of said predefined shape on the dial or the bottom. 12. Timepiece according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that said at least one light source provides a white light. 13. Timepiece according to one of claims 5 to 11, characterized in that the light device comprises at least two light sources of different colors. 14. Timepiece according to claim 13, characterized in that the control system (8) is arranged to allow the user to choose the light source he wants to operate. 15. Timepiece according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the diffusing element (11) is a semi-transparent paint. 16. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the diffusing element (11) is a semi-transparent metal layer. 17. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the diffusing element (11) is made by sanding on one of the faces of the dial (5) or the bottom (4). 18. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the diffusing element is made by etching on one of the faces of the dial (5) or the bottom (4). 19. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the diffusing element is made by laser structuring in the volume or on one of the faces of the dial (5) or the bottom ( 4). 20. Timepiece according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the diffusing element (11) is created by molding the workpiece.