The present invention concerns a timepiece with special aesthetic effects. More specifically, the present invention concerns a timepiece having original light effects.
Creating timepieces such as wristwatches with an improved aesthetic appearance is an ever present concern for timepiece manufacturers and particularly for the persons responsible for designing the various external timepiece elements. It would take too long to draw up a list here of all the solutions which have been envisaged to providing timepieces with the most stylish and attractive appearance possible. The following may be cited, purely by way of example: the technique of engine turning dials, the shape and/or colour of appliques on the dial or also the addition of precious or semi-precious stones.
The present invention forms part of the search to offer clients watches whose appearance is both attractive and unexpected.
The present invention therefore concerns a timepiece which, in addition to a crystal, includes at least the following external parts: a back cover, a middle part, a dial, a bezel and two wristband strands, wherein at least one of these external elements is at least partially transparent or translucent, the back cover, the middle part and the bezel define an internal volume which houses a timepiece movement, and the timepiece is characterized in that it includes at least one light source housed within the internal volume and producing a light which passes through the transparent or translucent part of the external element concerned.
Owing to these features, the present invention provides a timepiece whose aesthetic appearance may be practically infinitely varied. Since the light source is housed in the internal volume of the watch case, it is, for example, possible to envisage a middle part that is partially or totally transparent, so that the light produced by the light source is diffused through said middle part. Likewise, it may be envisaged to illuminate the appliques on the watch dial. The dial may therefore by totally opaque and only allow light to escape where the appliques are located. It is also possible to envisage covering a transparent dial with an opaque mask which also only allows light to escape where the appliques are located.
Various ways of allowing the light to escape may be envisaged. According to a simplified embodiment of the invention, the light produced by the light source directly lights the transparent or translucent areas of the external element or elements which the light is required to pass through. This embodiment is applicable when there is no obstacle inserted between the light source and the external element to be illuminated.
According to a second variant, the light source is a light emitting diode (LED), which emits ultraviolet, violet, blue, white or infra-red light and the external element is made of plastic material charged with fluorescent and/or phosphorescent particles. Consequently, the fluorescent and/or phosphorescent particles absorb the emitted radiation and re-emit a homogeneous visible light. According to the type of particles selected, whether they are fluorescent and/or phosphorescent, the luminous effect ceases as soon as the light source is turned off or conversely continues by the effect of remanence.
According to a third embodiment, the light produced by the light source is injected into a light guide, which then brings the light to the transparent or translucent area(s) of the external element(s) concerned. According to a variant, the light guide is an optical fibre which can move around any obstacles which may stand between the light source and the transparent or translucent area of the external element concerned through which the light will escape from the internal volume of the watch case. The optical fibre may be an optical fibre which diffuses the injected light over its entire length.
Preferably, the light source is a light emitting diode (LED) mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) type support, together with the electronic control circuit thereof. The light source is powered, for example, by an interchangeable or rechargeable battery or by a solar cell.
At the places where the light must not pass, the external element concerned may be opaque in the mass or coated with a layer of opaque paint.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description of various example embodiments of the invention, these examples being given solely by way of non-limiting illustration with reference to the annexed drawing, in which:
a is a top view of a wristwatch including two wristband strands into which the light is diffused.
The present invention proceeds from the general inventive idea which consists in housing at least one light source in the internal volume of a watch case, wherein the light produced by the light source can escape towards the exterior of the watch case through at least one external element of the watch, which is at least partially transparent or at the very least translucent. A timepiece with original aesthetic effects is thus obtained having an extremely attractive appearance in the dark or darkness.
According to one embodiment of the invention illustrated in
In addition to the function of light guide, cylinder 20 may also be used as a mechanical guide for push-button 16. Of course, it is also possible to introduce an insert into cylinder 20 which will act as a mechanical guide for push-button 16. If middle part 1 is made of a transparent or translucent material such as a plastic material, a ceramic material, sapphire or silica glass, it can be dyed in the mass except in an area surrounding push-button 16, where the material remains transparent or translucent. In order to simplify the method of injecting plastic middle part 1, the latter can also be dyed in the mass throughout, and then a through hole can be machined in which a transparent or translucent cylinder is engaged, as explained hereinbefore with reference to a metallic middle part. Yet another solution consists in making middle part 1 by injection a transparent plastic material, and then coating the internal face of the middle part with a layer of light absorbent material except in the area surrounding push-button 16. To vary the effects, in particular in proximity to push-button 16, it is also possible to overmould a transparent or translucent plastic material onto the external element considered made in an opaque material.
Any type of light source such as an incandescent lamp, light emitting diode, organic light emitting diode or other source may be used. In a particular embodiment of the invention, a light emitting diode emitting ultraviolet, violet, blue, white or infra-red light is used in combination with a middle part made of plastic material charged with fluorescent and/or phosphorescent particles. Consequently, the fluorescent and/or phosphorescent particles absorb the radiation emitted by the diode and re-emit a homogeneous visible light. According to the type of particles selected, whether they are fluorescent and/or phosphorescent, the luminous effect ceases as soon as the light source is turned off or conversely continues by the effect of remanence.
The external element or elements of the watch, which allow all or part of the light produced by the light source to pass, may be directly illuminated by the light source. These external elements may nonetheless also be illuminated indirectly by the light source. By way of example,
According to a first variant (
According to a second variant illustrated in
The light rays which propagate inside light guide 22 at smaller angles than the maximum angle of reflection are totally reflected in light guide 22. To extract the light from light guide 22, light guide 22 is provided with a plurality of optical extractors 58. According to the circumstances (see
Until now, the present invention has been described with reference to the middle part as the only external element. However, it should be understood that the invention is in no way limited to this single embodiment and that it applies in the same manner to the other external watch elements, which are the back cover, the dial, bezel, flange, wristband strands and other elements. Thus, as shown in
By way of example (see
According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the transparent parts 32a and 32b may be formed by two straight sections 68a, 68b of an optical fibre bar (see
An example embodiment of a wristband strand 30 is illustrated in
It goes without saying that various simple alterations and variants can be envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the annexed claims. Thus, as will have been clear from the foregoing, the invention concerns a timepiece which, in addition to a crystal, includes the following external elements: a back cover 2, middle part 1, dial 3, bezel 26 and two wristband strands 30, wherein at least one of these external elements is at least partially transparent or translucent, back cover 2, middle part 1 and bezel 26 define an internal volume 4 of watch case 6 which houses a timepiece movement M, and the timepiece is characterized in that it includes at least one light source 10, housed in the internal volume 4 and producing a light which passes through the transparent or translucent external element concerned.
When the external element concerned is made of a transparent or translucent material, it is dyed in the mass except at the location(s) where the light is required to escape from the internal volume 4 of watch case 6. According to a variant, the external element concerned made of transparent or translucent plastic material may be coated internally or externally with a layer of light absorbent material except at the location(s) where the light is required to escape from the internal volume 4 of watch case 6.
If light source 10 emits ultraviolet, violet, blue, white or infra-red light, the external element is charged with fluorescent and/or phosphorescent particles at the location(s) where the light is required to escape from the internal volume 4 of watch case 6.
As will also have been clear from the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to cause light to escape from the internal volume 4 of watch case 6 to the exterior. Another aspect of the invention consists in lighting from the inside 4 of watch case 6 elements that are external thereto. Thus, middle part 1 may be transparent or at the very least translucent in the parts 32a, 32b thereof opposite the areas where the wristband strands 30 are connected, such that the light which passes through transparent parts 32a, 32b of middle part 1 are diffused in the wristband strands 30, which are also transparent or translucent.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the external element is made of a metallic material. In such case, a through passage is provided in which a transparent or translucent element is engaged at the place or places where the light is required to escape from the internal volume 4 of the watch case 6. By way of example, when the timepiece includes a winding crown or a push-button 16, there is engaged in through passage 18 a transparent or translucent cylinder 20, which may act both as a mechanical guide for the winding crown or a push-button 16 and as light guide for the light which escapes from the internal volume 4 of watch case 6, the external diameter of transparent or translucent cylinder 20 being greater than the external diameter of the crown or push-button 16. It will be noted that at least the lighting of light source 10 can be controlled by the user, for example by pressure on a push-button such as push-button 16 or by pressing a finger on a tactile key. The light source can also be switched off by an additional application of pressure to push-button 16 or it may be switched off by control circuit 12 after a predetermined time interval. Light source 10 may also be switched on and off by an automatic system such as a photosensitive sensor according to the degree of ambient luminosity. The photosensitive sensor will then switch on the light source when the degree of ambient luminosity falls below a predetermined threshold and will switch off the light source when the degree of ambient luminosity exceeds a predetermined threshold. According to yet another variant, the light source may be switched on and off by the application of a shock to the watch case or an abrupt wrist movement, the shock or acceleration being detected by an accelerometer housed in the watch.
According to yet another variant, the light produced by light source 10 is injected into a diffusing optical fibre 22 which diffuses the light over the entire length thereof.
It is also possible to envisage the light exiting through dial 3. In this case, dial 3 is opaque except at the location of appliques 24, which are transparent or at the very least translucent and through which the light can escape from internal volume 4 of watch case 6. Dial 3 may be made in an opaque material or be transparent or be coated in such case by a layer of opaque material except at the location of appliques 24.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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09163086.3 | Jun 2009 | EP | regional |
09172673.7 | Oct 2009 | EP | regional |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP10/58650 | 6/18/2010 | WO | 00 | 12/5/2011 |