EP0247418A1 - Ewige Kalenderuhr mit zwei Motoren - Google Patents

Ewige Kalenderuhr mit zwei Motoren Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0247418A1
EP0247418A1 EP87106776A EP87106776A EP0247418A1 EP 0247418 A1 EP0247418 A1 EP 0247418A1 EP 87106776 A EP87106776 A EP 87106776A EP 87106776 A EP87106776 A EP 87106776A EP 0247418 A1 EP0247418 A1 EP 0247418A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
signal
month
day
display
counter
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
EP87106776A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0247418B1 (de
Inventor
Pierre-André Meister
Pierre Schmidli
Bruno Erni
Bertrand Soltermann
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
Ebauchesfabrik ETA AG
Original Assignee
Ebauchesfabrik ETA AG
Eta SA Fabriques dEbauches
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Ebauchesfabrik ETA AG, Eta SA Fabriques dEbauches filed Critical Ebauchesfabrik ETA AG
Publication of EP0247418A1 publication Critical patent/EP0247418A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0247418B1 publication Critical patent/EP0247418B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C17/00—Indicating the time optically by electric means
    • G04C17/005—Indicating the time optically by electric means by discs
    • G04C17/0058—Indicating the time optically by electric means by discs with date indication
    • G04C17/0066—Indicating the time optically by electric means by discs with date indication electromagnetically driven, e.g. intermittently
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
    • G04C3/00—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means
    • G04C3/14—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means incorporating a stepping motor
    • G04C3/146—Electromechanical clocks or watches independent of other time-pieces and in which the movement is maintained by electric means incorporating a stepping motor incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to an analog electronic watch provided with a calendar and comprising two motors, the first motor being intended to drive the display of the time and the second the display of the date. It relates more particularly to a watch having, in addition, a perpetual calendar circuit.
  • the purpose of this circuit which includes day, month and year counters, is to provide a signal to a control circuit to activate the second motor and to rotate it by the number of steps necessary for the indication of the date. constantly corresponds to the content of the day counter and is therefore in agreement with the indication of a perpetual calendar.
  • Such watches are well known and an exemplary embodiment is described in detail in US Pat. No. 4,300,222.
  • the watch disclosed by this document is provided with a perpetual calendar which displays the date using a rotating disc and , possibly, the day of the week using another disc.
  • the state, or the content, of the day counter of this watch is given by the numerical value displayed by the date
  • the state of the month counter corresponding to the number of the month
  • This information can only be obtained in the factory using appropriate equipment.
  • the invention aims to overcome this drawback by proposing a watch in which the date is used to display, in addition to the date, the state of the month counter in response to the actuation of a call unit of the month.
  • the watch comprising: - a time-keeping circuit providing a time base signal; - a first motor activated from the time base signal; - an analog display of the time driven by the first motor; - means for deriving from the time base signal, at the end of each day, a daily signal; - a perpetual calendar circuit comprising day, month and year counters connected in series and activated by the daily signal, means responding to the state of the month and year counters to put, at the end of each month of less than 31 days, the counter of the days corresponding to the first day of the following month, and means for providing, at the end of each month, an end-of-month signal representing the complement to 31 of the state of the day counter; - a second engine; - an analog display of the date driven by the second motor; and a control circuit of the second motor supplying the latter, in response to the daily signal and the end of month signal, a first control signal allowing it to move the display of the date from one day to the end of
  • timepiece circuit 1 which provides a time base signal S1 to a driver circuit or driver circuit 2.
  • driver circuit or driver circuit 2 delivers, in turn, an activation signal to a first motor 3 for the rotate.
  • This motor drives a display with hands 4 of the hour, minutes and seconds and actuates, once a day, a daily contact J which delivers a daily signal Sj.
  • the timepiece circuit 1 comprises an oscillator 5 stabilized in frequency by a quartz resonator 6.
  • This oscillator supplies a signal, for example of 32,768 Hz, to a frequency divider 7 which delivers on an output the signal S1 and, on another output, a clock signal Sh of approximately 10 Hz, formed of a series of pulses.
  • the elements which have just been described constitute a conventional analog quartz watch in which the time base signal S1 advances the first motor, preferably of the stepping type, of one step per second to drive the hand at this rate. seconds of display 4. Setting the time of this watch is obtained by known correction means not shown.
  • the watch according to the invention further comprises a perpetual calendar circuit 10, a control circuit 11, a second drive circuit or driver circuit 12, a second motor 13 of the stepping type with two directions of rotation, a date display 14 driven in both directions by the motor 13 using, for example, a Maltese cross, and an indicator circuit 15 responding to a call member K, for example a contact which can be actuated by outside the watch and delivering a call signal Sk.
  • the perpetual calendar circuit 10 comprises three counters connected in series, namely a 5-bit day counter 20 counting by 31, a 4-bit month counter 21 counting by 12, and a 2-bit year counter 22 counting by 4.
  • the day counter receives on its main input the daily signal Sj, on another input the clock signal Sh, and it provides, at the beginning of each month, a monthly signal at the input of the month counter which, in turn, provides an annual signal to the year counter at the start of each year.
  • On an output of the counter 20 and on an output of the counter 21 appear respectively a signal S20 and a signal S21, representative of the state, or of the content, of these counters.
  • the counter 21 also provides a signal Smc indicating the short months, that is to say those which count less than 31 days, and the counter 22 a signal Sab indicating the leap year in a 4-year cycle.
  • the signals Smc and Sab are applied to inputs of the day counter 20 which is arranged so that, in response to these signals, the content of this counter is set to 1 when passing from a short month to the following month. In this way, the content of the counter 20 remains constantly in accordance with the indications of a perpetual calendar.
  • the counter 20 also supplies an end-of-month signal Sfm representing the complement to 31 of the content of this counter at the end of each short month.
  • This signal can, for example, be formed of a series of pulses and contain a pulse of the clock signal Sh at the end of a month of 30 days, two pulses at the end of a month of 29 days and three pulses at the end of a 28-day month.
  • the control circuit 11 receives the signals Sj, Sfm and Sh and develops, from these signals, a first control signal Sc1, or date control signal, intended to activate the second motor 13.
  • This signal Sc1 contains a pulse clock signal Sh at the end of a 31-day month, two pulses at the end of a 30-day month, etc., and four pulses at the end of a 28-day month.
  • the signal Sc1 is applied to the input of the second drive circuit 12 through a gate OU23 so that the date 14 is moved by the motor 13 from 1 day to the end of a month of 31 days, 2 days at the end of a 30-day month, etc., and 4 days at the end of a 28-day month.
  • circuits 10 and 11 will not be described because they are well known and an exemplary embodiment of these circuits is given, with all the necessary details, in the patent US 4 300 222 already cited.
  • the indicator circuit 15 also makes it possible, on request, to control the motor 13 by means of the driving circuit 12 to place the date display 14 in a position where it indicates the number of the current month.
  • the circuit 15 receives the clock signal Sh and the signals S20 and S21.
  • the signal S20 being representative of the state of the day counter, it gives the number Nj of the current day.
  • the indicator circuit 15 delivers a third control signal Sc3, or return control signal of the date, intended to move the date by the same number of days N as above, but in the opposite direction, so that the display 14 again indicates the number of the current day.
  • the signals Sc2 and Sc3 are only defined during the call of the month, and if this call is made during the passage of the calendar from one day to the next day, the control signal Sc1 of the date must be delayed until return of the display 14 to its normal position.
  • the signal Sc2 consists of a signal SN and a signal S ⁇ R.
  • the first signal is applied to the input of the second drive circuit 12 through the gate OU23 and it makes it possible to move the date 14 by N days by means of the motor 13.
  • the second signal is a logic signal which is applied to a U / D input of circuit 12. This signal determines, as a function of the logic level at which it is located, the direction of rotation of the motor 13.
  • the driving circuit 12 being known per se, it will not be described.
  • the signal Sc3 for its part, is composed of the signal SN and a logic signal S ⁇ R appearing on the same output of the circuit 15 as the signal S ⁇ R to also determine the direction of rotation of the motor 13.
  • This circuit essentially comprises a subtractor 30, a comparator 31, a counter by 31 front / rear referenced 32, a gate OR EXCLUSIVE 33 and a timer 34.
  • Three inverters, referenced 36, 37, 38, two OR gates referenced 39, 40 and two AND gates referenced 41, 42 also make it possible to route the signals.
  • the subtractor 30 receives on its inputs the signals S20 and S21 coming from the day and month counters respectively, and it delivers, on an output, a signal giving the absolute value of N, designated by
  • is a 5-bit signal, capable of taking the values 0, 1, 2 ... 30, and it is applied to an input of comparator 31.
  • the front / rear counter 32 has a counting input Ck, which receives the signal SN, and a U / D input which receives the signal Sk, the logic level of which defines the counting mode, forward or backward. It will be assumed that the closing of the contact K results in a high logic level of Sk, to which the counting forward mode corresponds.
  • the content of the counter is given by a 5-bit CN output signal which can take the values 0, 1, 2 ... 30.
  • the comparator 31 receives, on its side, on an input the signal
  • the indicator circuit 15 also receives the clock signal Sh.
  • This signal is routed by the gates 39, 41, 42, while the gates 41 and 42 are controlled by the logic signals Sk, Se, Co so as to form the SN signal.
  • the gates ET41 and ET42 are gates with three inputs, one input of each gate receiving the signal Sh.
  • Another input of the gate ET42 receives the signal Sk and another input of the gate ET41 the reverse signal Sk through the inverter 37.
  • the last input of the gate ET41 receives the signal Co and the last input of the gate ET42 the signal Se through the inverter 36.
  • the signal SN appears at the output of gate OU39 with two inputs, one of the inputs being connected to the output of gate ET41 and the other input to the output of gate ET42.
  • the contact K To put the watch in the mode which allows the month number to be read on the date display 14, the contact K must be closed and kept in this position during reading.
  • the signal Sk then goes to the high logic level. This has the effect, on the one hand, of opening the gate ET42 to the signal Sh, since the signal Se is always at the low logic level and, on the other hand, of passing the output signal of the signal to the low logic level.
  • 'Inverter 37 which is applied to an input of the gate ET41 to prevent the signal Sh from passing through this gate, regardless of the logic level of the signal Co.
  • the signal Sk puts the counter 32 in the counting mode forward.
  • the return to the indication of the day by the date 14 is obtained by opening the contact K.
  • the signal Sk then passing to the low logic level, the gate ET42 blocks the signal Sh whatever the logic level of the signal Se.
  • the signal at the output of the inverter 37 applied to an input of the gate ET41, goes to the high logic level.
  • This gate then allows the signal Sh to pass since the signal Co is at this time also at the high logic level.
  • the opening of the contact K also has the effect of putting the counter 32 in the back counting mode.
  • the signal SN therefore contains pulses of the signal Sh. Each pulse has the effect of decreasing the counter 32 by one unit and of moving the display 14 by one day in the opposite direction to that which it carried out when the contact K was closed, as will be explained later.
  • the content of the counter 32 goes from N to zero and the signal Co from the high logic level to the low logic level, blocking the gate ET41 at the signal Sh.
  • the date display 14 therefore has, in response to the opening of the contact K, carried out N not in a direction which made it return in the position which it occupied before the closing of this contact.
  • the direction of rotation of the motor 13 is defined by the logic levels of the signals S ⁇ R and S ⁇ R. These signals in turn depend of the levels of the signals S and Sk as follows: the signal S ⁇ R must be identical to the signal S when Sk is at the high level, while the signal S ⁇ R must be inverse of the signal S when Sk is at the low level. It should be noted that S ⁇ R is not defined when Sk is at the low level, nor S ⁇ R when Sk is at the high level.
  • the signals S ⁇ R, S ⁇ R are obtained at the output of the OU40 gate with two inputs, an input being connected to the output of the inverter 38.
  • This inverter is connected to the output of the EXCLUSIVE OR gate 33 which receives the signal S on one input and the Sk signal on the other.
  • the signal at the output of the inverter 38 is identical to the signal S if the signal Sk is at the high logic level, and inverse of S if Sk is at the low level, which corresponds to the definition of the signals S ⁇ R and S ⁇ R.
  • the U / D input of circuit 12 must be at the high logic level so that the first control signal Sc1 can normally advance the date display 14 to indicate the date. .
  • This condition is achieved using timer 34, known per se, whose input receives the signal Sk and the output provides a logic signal St to the other input of the gate OU40. Normally the signal St is at the high logic level and it therefore imposes this level on the U / D input of the circuit 12, whatever the level of the signal at the output of the inverter 38.
  • the signal St goes to logic low level and remains at this level as long as the reading of the month number lasts.
  • the signal St still remains at the low logic level for the time necessary for the display 14 to return, in all cases, to its initial position. Then the signal St returns to the high logic level to remain there until the next closure of the contact K.
  • the indicator circuit 15 which has just been described by way of example has the advantage of having a simple structure.
  • the passage from the indication of the number of the day to the number of the month is not systematically done by the shortest route and, on the other hand, the engine must be of the two-way type of rotation. This has the consequence of increasing the access time to the indication of the month as well as the consumption of the engine, and requiring a drive circuit 12 more complex than in the case of a motor with only one direction of rotation.
  • the display of the month by the most direct date path necessarily requires the use of a motor with two directions of rotation. If N is positive, the date must be moved by N days in the positive. On the other hand, if N is negative, the date must be moved by N days in the negative direction when N is less in absolute value than N ⁇ , and by N ⁇ days in the positive direction when N is greater than N ⁇ . The return to the day number will be made, in any case, in the opposite direction to the trips leading to the display of the month number.
  • N the date must advance N days to indicate the month, then advance N de day to return to the indication of the day. If N is negative, the date must advance N ⁇ days to indicate the month, then N days to return to its initial position.
  • the number of the year in a 4-year cycle, cycle corresponding to the periodic return of the leap year, could also be displayed in response to a call signal of the year in the same way as the month number.
  • the subtractor 30 should simply receive, in response to the call signal for the year and by means of switching means not shown, in place of the signal S21, a signal representative of the content of the counter of years 22.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electromagnetism (AREA)
  • Electromechanical Clocks (AREA)
  • Electric Clocks (AREA)
EP87106776A 1986-05-26 1987-05-11 Ewige Kalenderuhr mit zwei Motoren Expired - Lifetime EP0247418B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH210986A CH663512GA3 (de) 1986-05-26 1986-05-26
CH2109/86 1986-05-26

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0247418A1 true EP0247418A1 (de) 1987-12-02
EP0247418B1 EP0247418B1 (de) 1991-04-24

Family

ID=4226081

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87106776A Expired - Lifetime EP0247418B1 (de) 1986-05-26 1987-05-11 Ewige Kalenderuhr mit zwei Motoren

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US4733384A (de)
EP (1) EP0247418B1 (de)
JP (1) JPS6325585A (de)
CH (1) CH663512GA3 (de)
DE (1) DE3769514D1 (de)
HK (1) HK70294A (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0415734A2 (de) * 1989-09-01 1991-03-06 Seiko Instruments Inc. Elektrisches analoges Zeitmessgerät
EP0735442A1 (de) * 1995-03-28 1996-10-02 Eta SA Fabriques d'Ebauches Analoges elektronischen Uhrwerk mit multifunktionellem Tagescheibe

Families Citing this family (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS57142972A (en) * 1981-02-27 1982-09-03 Otsuka Pharmaceut Co Ltd Carbostyril derivative
CH680409B5 (de) * 1989-11-03 1993-02-26 Rolex Montres
WO1999034263A1 (fr) * 1997-12-26 1999-07-08 Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. Piece d'horlogerie electronique dotee d'un dispositif calendrier
DE19882139B3 (de) * 1997-12-26 2013-10-02 Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. Elektronische Uhr mit einer Vorrichtung zum Einstellen von Kalenderdaten am Monatsende
JP3763050B2 (ja) * 1997-12-26 2006-04-05 シチズン時計株式会社 カレンダー付き電子時計
JPH11202060A (ja) * 1998-01-09 1999-07-30 Citizen Watch Co Ltd カレンダー付き電子時計
JP2900154B1 (ja) * 1998-02-12 1999-06-02 セイコーインスツルメンツ株式会社 オートカレンダ付電子時計

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2353889A1 (fr) * 1976-06-02 1977-12-30 Yema Ste Montre a quartz a fonctions multiples
FR2394840A1 (fr) * 1977-06-14 1979-01-12 Suisse Horlogerie Montre electronique a affichage mecanique
FR2404250A1 (fr) * 1977-09-27 1979-04-20 Berney Sa Jean Claude Piece d'horlogerie electronique
GB1590467A (en) * 1976-12-03 1981-06-03 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Electronic timepiece

Family Cites Families (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5137264A (de) * 1974-09-25 1976-03-29 Citizen Watch Co Ltd
JPS5467400A (en) * 1977-11-08 1979-05-30 Sumori Kinzoku Kougiyou Kk Method of coloring and drying reflective number plate
DE2753879A1 (de) * 1977-12-02 1979-06-07 Siemens Ag Einstufiger quarzoszillator
JPS568586A (en) * 1979-07-03 1981-01-28 Seiko Epson Corp Calendar watch
JPS5616886A (en) * 1979-07-20 1981-02-18 Seiko Epson Corp Calendar watch
JPS5723885A (en) * 1980-07-18 1982-02-08 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Analog timepiece with alarm function
CH661833GA3 (de) * 1985-12-18 1987-08-31

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2353889A1 (fr) * 1976-06-02 1977-12-30 Yema Ste Montre a quartz a fonctions multiples
GB1590467A (en) * 1976-12-03 1981-06-03 Citizen Watch Co Ltd Electronic timepiece
FR2394840A1 (fr) * 1977-06-14 1979-01-12 Suisse Horlogerie Montre electronique a affichage mecanique
FR2404250A1 (fr) * 1977-09-27 1979-04-20 Berney Sa Jean Claude Piece d'horlogerie electronique

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 5, no. 56 (P-57)[728], 17 avril 1981; & JP-A-56 008 586 (SUWA SEIKOSHA K.K.) 28-01-1981 *
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN, vol. 5, no. 64 (P-59)[736], 30 avril 1981; & JP-A-56 016 886 (SUWA SEIKOSHA K.K.) 18-02-1981 *

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0415734A2 (de) * 1989-09-01 1991-03-06 Seiko Instruments Inc. Elektrisches analoges Zeitmessgerät
EP0415734A3 (en) * 1989-09-01 1991-09-25 Seiko Instruments Inc. Analog electric timepiece
EP0735442A1 (de) * 1995-03-28 1996-10-02 Eta SA Fabriques d'Ebauches Analoges elektronischen Uhrwerk mit multifunktionellem Tagescheibe
CH688362GA3 (fr) * 1995-03-28 1997-08-29 Ebauchesfabrik Eta Ag Pièce d'horlogerie électronique analogique à disque de quantième multifonctionnel.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPH0519115B2 (de) 1993-03-15
US4733384A (en) 1988-03-22
EP0247418B1 (de) 1991-04-24
JPS6325585A (ja) 1988-02-03
DE3769514D1 (de) 1991-05-29
HK70294A (en) 1994-07-29
CH663512GA3 (de) 1987-12-31

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
EP0143279B1 (de) Uhr mit analogischer und numerischer Anzeige
EP0231451B1 (de) Elektronische Uhr mit zwei Motoren, die einen ewigen Kalender enthält
EP0735442B1 (de) Analoges elektronischen Uhrwerk mit multifunktionellem Tagescheibe
EP0247418B1 (de) Ewige Kalenderuhr mit zwei Motoren
EP0059164A1 (de) Uhr mit mehreren Funktionen
EP0589465B1 (de) Analoguhr mit Warnungsmitteln für eine Betriebsartänderung
CH688462B5 (fr) Mouvement d'horlogerie comprenant un dispositif indicateur de fin de vie de pile.
EP0175961A1 (de) Elektronisches Uhrwerk mit Zeiteinstellvorrichtung
EP0515611B1 (de) Verborgene zeitanzeige
EP0031077A1 (de) Interaktive Vorrichtung zum Einführen von Daten in kleine Instrumente, insbesondere in Uhren
EP0267440B1 (de) Analog-Uhr mit zwei Motoren, die einen ewigen Tageszähler enthält
CH333770A (de) Traktor mit Vierradantrieb
EP0131760B1 (de) Steuerschaltung für zwei in beide Richtungen laufende Schrittmotoren
EP0285881A1 (de) Elektronische Analog-Uhr mit Angabe des Tages und des Datums
EP0221363B1 (de) Elektronische Analoguhr
EP0644469B1 (de) Analoguhr mit mindestens einer Universalzeitanzeige
EP0217164B1 (de) Elektronisches Uhrwerk mit analoger Anzeige, die ein Sekunden anzeigendes Organ enthält
WO1989004512A1 (fr) Procede de programmation du calendrier perpetuel d'une montre et montre pour la mise en oeuvre de ce procede
EP0027250A1 (de) Uhrwerk mit Sekundenanzeige auf Wunsch
EP0108711B1 (de) Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Steuerung eines Schrittmotors
EP0949549B1 (de) Astronomische Uhr
EP0657792B1 (de) Elektronischer analoger Chronograph mit Einholzeiger
EP0028414A1 (de) Zeitmesser mit einer Vorrichtung zum Speichern
EP0027288B1 (de) Elektronische Uhr mit Schrittmotor und Alarmschaltung
CH621027B5 (de)

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): DE FR GB

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19880118

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19890309

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): DE FR GB

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 3769514

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 19910529

GBT Gb: translation of ep patent filed (gb section 77(6)(a)/1977)
PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed
REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: IF02

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Payment date: 20060425

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20060505

Year of fee payment: 20

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 20060531

Year of fee payment: 20

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: PE20

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF EXPIRATION OF PROTECTION

Effective date: 20070510