This application claims priority to European Patent Application No. 22169468.0 filed Apr. 22, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to the field of watches provided with at least one solar cell. More particularly, the invention relates to a watch having a power supply source, a solar cell arranged at least mostly between the movement incorporated in a case and the glass of this case covering an analogue display of the time and behind an annular portion, particularly a spacer or a flange, laterally surrounding the analogue display, this annular portion being at least partly translucent or transparent and arranged in such a way as to make it possible for the light passing through the glass to reach the solar cell.
The documents EP 3093717 and JP 6474326 B describe watches such as defined in the field of the invention above. In both cases, the case of the watch comprises a middle-bezel having an annular portion protruding relative to an inner wall of the middle and forming a shoulder whereon the edge of the glass is bearing. This annular portion is provided in the material of the middle-bezel, this material generally being opaque, in particular a metal or a ceramic. In addition, the watch of the document JP 6474326 B comprises a conventional gasket that is arranged at the periphery of the glass between a lateral surface of this glass and a vertical wall of the case. The document EP 3093717 does not show such a gasket, but this certainly results from a simplified drawing. The watches described in these two documents have an intermediate portion laterally surrounding the analogue display and a solar cell extending mostly axially between the movement and the glass, behind the intermediate portion relative to the analogue display. This intermediate portion is formed by a material that at least partially transmits light (this material thus defining a translucent or transparent medium, that is to say a non-opaque medium) and being configured in such a way as to make it possible for the visible and/or infra-red light, which passes through the glass and arrives in the space of the analogue display, to propagate in the translucent or transparent material and to subsequently reach the solar cell. Finally, it will be noted that the solar cell is arranged in a region located radially beyond the rim of the glass.
The embodiments described above make it possible to collect, for the solar cell, only the light that is in the space of the analogue display between the glass and the dial and that passes radially through the intermediate portion located between the annular portion protruding from the case, forming the support of the glass, and the dial. The amount of light energy that may be captured by the solar cell is therefore limited, especially if the dial is not very reflective. Subsequently, the translucent or transparent nature of the intermediate portion in these embodiments may pose an aesthetic problem for conventional watches that generally comprise a flange, located between the dial and the glass, having an opaque appearance and in particular a metal reflection.
The objective of the present invention is to increase the amount of light that can be received by the solar cell in a watch having a solar cell arranged mostly behind an intermediate portion made of translucent or transparent material and surrounding the analogue display or, alternatively, to make it possible to produce a watch having a solar cell arranged radially behind such an intermediate portion by keeping an opaque appearance, particularly metal, for an observer looking at the inner surface of this intermediate portion through the glass of the watch, while ensuring that the solar cell receives enough light to make it possible to supply all or part of the movement incorporated in the watch. The second objective concerns the aesthetic appearance of a watch having a solar cell arranged behind an intermediate portion laterally delimiting the space of the analogue display, in particular a watch the case of which is provided in metal or ceramic.
To this end, the invention relates to a watch comprising a case, a movement provided with an analogue display and defining a main axis of the case that is orthogonal to the general plane of this case, a glass located above the analogue display, a gasket arranged at the periphery of the glass between a lateral surface of this glass and an axial wall of the case, an intermediate portion laterally surrounding the analogue display, a solar cell (being understood its active area capturing visible and/or infra-red light) extending at least mostly between the movement and the glass and being arranged behind the intermediate portion relative to the analogue display. The intermediate portion is formed at least partially by a translucent or transparent material and is configured in such a way as to make it possible for the visible and/or infra-red light passing through the glass from the outside of the watch to propagate in said translucent or transparent material and to subsequently reach the solar cell. This solar cell is arranged in a region located radially beyond the rim of the glass. Subsequently, the intermediate portion defines a radial surface forming an axial stop for a peripheral area of the glass following the inside of its rim. The gasket is also formed at least mostly by a translucent or transparent material that defines at least mostly an axial surface against which the lateral surface of the glass presses. In addition, the gasket forms with the outer portion of the intermediate portion a continuous medium or is arranged axially adjacent to this outer portion or is axially separated from this outer portion at least mostly by a translucent or transparent intermediate medium, the gasket being configured in such a way as to make it possible for the incident visible and/or infra-red light on its axial surface or on its upper surface to propagate in the translucent or transparent material that forms it up to a lower geometrical surface or lower surface delimiting at the bottom the gasket. The outer portion of the intermediate portion is arranged in such a way as to be able to substantially collect the visible and/or infra-red light passing through the lower geometrical surface or lower surface of the gasket and to make it possible for this collected visible and/or infra-red light to propagate in the translucent or transparent material of the intermediate portion and to subsequently reach at least partly the solar cell.
In an advantageous embodiment, the gasket is integral with at least one outer portion of the intermediate portion and it forms with this at least one outer portion a single portion made of the same translucent or transparent material. In an advantageous variant, the gasket is integral with the intermediate portion and forms with this intermediate portion a single part made of the same translucent or transparent material.
In a first particular variant, the intermediate portion comprises an inner portion delimiting a space for the analogue display, this inner portion comprising a translucent diffuser defining the inner surface of the intermediate portion visible through the glass. Preferably, at least one outer portion of the intermediate portion is made of a transparent material.
In a second particular variant, the intermediate portion comprises an inner portion delimiting a space for the analogue display, this inner portion comprising a semi-transparent film defining the inner surface of the intermediate portion visible through the glass, this semi-transparent film being arranged in such a way as to partially transmit the incident light from the space reserved at the analogue display while masking the solar cell for a user looking, in normal light conditions, at said inner surface through the glass. Preferably, the semi-transparent film is arranged in such a way as to have a metal appearance on the side of said space for the user looking at the inner surface of the intermediate portion through the glass.
In a main variant, the radial surface of the intermediate portion is at least mostly defined by the translucent or transparent material forming this intermediate portion, which is arranged in such a way as to make it possible that the visible and/or infra-red light passing through the radial surface can propagate in the translucent or transparent material forming the intermediate portion and subsequently reach at least partly the solar cell.
In an advantageous variant, the intermediate portion has a lower surface that is covered by a reflective layer, this intermediate portion forming a translucent or transparent medium between at least the lower geometrical surface or lower surface of the gasket and the reflective layer.
The invention will be described in more detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, given by way of examples that are in no way limiting, wherein:
With reference to the figures, miscellaneous embodiments and variants of a watch according to the invention will be described hereinafter.
A first embodiment is shown in
The watch 2 comprises a case 4, a movement 6 provided with an analogue display 8 and defining a main axis 10 of the case, orthogonal to the general plane of this case that is parallel to the dial 12, a glass 14 located above the analogue display 8, a part 16 forming in its upper portion a gasket 18 arranged at the periphery of the glass between a lateral surface 22 of this glass and an upper vertical wall 24 of the case. The part 16 also forms an intermediate portion 20 laterally surrounding the analogue display and located between the glass and the dial. The watch 2 also comprises a solar cell 30 extending between the movement 6 and the glass 14 and being arranged behind the intermediate portion 20 relative to the analogue display 8. The solar cell 30 comprises an active area 32 and a connection area 33 arranged below the active area, this connection area comprising an annular track 31 located on the inside and forming a first electrode of the solar cell. The second electrode is formed by a very thin metal substrate located on the outside of the solar cell, behind a photosensitive layer made of silicon deposited on this metal substrate. By definition in the present description, the active area of the solar cell consists of its upper portion that extends from the annular track 31, the separation line between the active area and the connection area being defined by the upper edge of the annular track. The solar cell 30 is arranged in a region located radially beyond the rim of the glass 14, defined by the lateral surface 22, in a recess 28 forming a shallow, circular bed, in the case 4 for this solar cell 30, which is thus located slightly set back from the upper vertical surface 24 of the case. In
It will be noted that a bonding point may be provided between the two superimposed ends. It is also possible to provide the glue at least partially on the back of the solar cell so that it is glued to the back of the bed 28.
The intermediate portion 20 is formed by a translucent material and is configured in such a way as to make it possible for the visible and/or infra-red light passing through the glass 14 from the outside of the watch to propagate in the translucent material and to subsequently reach the solar cell 30. The intermediate portion 20 defines a radial surface 42 forming an axial stop for a peripheral area 15 of the glass following the inside of its rim. It is defined for the intermediate portion an outer portion 46, in the vertical extension of the gasket, and an inner portion 48 (separated in
The gasket 18 is also formed by a translucent material that defines an axial surface 44 against which the lateral surface 22 of the glass presses. The gasket here forms a continuous translucent medium with the outer portion 46 of the intermediate portion 20 and is configured in such a way as to make it possible for the incident visible and/or infra-red light on its axial surface 44 and/or on its upper surface 45 to propagate in the translucent material that forms it up to a lower geometrical surface 50 delimiting at the bottom the gasket. The intermediate portion, in particular the outer portion 46 of the latter, is arranged in such a way as to be able to substantially collect the visible and/or infra-red light passing through the lower geometrical surface 50 of the gasket and to make it possible for this collected visible and/or infra-red light to propagate in the translucent material of the intermediate portion, in particular of the outer portion of the latter, and to subsequently reach at least partly the solar cell 30. In this first advantageous embodiment, the gasket 18 is integral with the intermediate portion 20 and forms with this intermediate portion a single part 16 that is made of the same translucent material.
The result of the present invention is that the arrangement of the translucent part 16 makes it possible for the incident visible and/or infra-red light on the inner axial surface 44 and on the upper surface 45 of the gasket 18, formed by this part 16, to propagate in the translucent material that forms it and subsequently in the intermediate portion 20, in particular in its outer portion 46, up to the solar cell 30, which is configured and arranged in the case 4 in such a way as to be able to capture this visible and/or infra-red light, particularly that corresponding to the maximum of the light spectrum captured effectively by the solar cell. Thus, not only may the light having penetrated through the glass in the inner space 62 provided for the analogue display reach the solar cell via the inner surface 52 of the intermediate portion, as in the prior art, but also the incident light on the gasket 18, namely on its upper surface 45 and on its inner axial/vertical surface 44. Thus, the amount of light able to be captured by the solar cell is increased.
In a particular variant making it possible to also increase the amount of light captured by the solar cell 30, the part 16 is made of a transparent material, that is to say forming a transparent medium for at least one useful portion of the light spectrum of the visible and/or infra-red light. In variants or other embodiments, some of which are subsequently presented, the inner surface of the intermediate portion is made opaque, semi-transparent or translucent for an observer who looks at this inner surface through the glass, in such a way as to give a conventional appearance to the watch.
According to a preferred variant, the radial surface 42 of the intermediate portion 20 is at least mostly defined by the translucent material forming this intermediate portion, more particularly its inner portion, or, in the particular variant mentioned above, by the transparent material forming the intermediate portion, more particularly its inner portion. This makes it possible to increase the amount of incident light on the upper face of the watch that may reach the solar cell 30. In the preferred variant described here, the radial surface 42 of the intermediate portion 20, forming an axial stop for the glass that generally rests on this radial surface, is entirely defined by the translucent material forming the intermediate portion 20, more particularly its inner portion 48. It will be noted that, in other variants or other embodiments partly described in the following, the radial surface 42 is almost entirely or mostly defined by the transparent or translucent material forming the intermediate portion, only one film or one internal annular portion, defining an inner area of the radial surface, not being translucent or transparent. In general, the radial surface of the intermediate portion is therefore at least mostly defined by the translucent or transparent material forming this intermediate portion, which is arranged in such a way as to make it possible that the visible and/or infra-red light passing through the radial surface can propagate in the translucent or transparent material forming the intermediate portion and subsequently reach at least partly the solar cell.
In the first embodiment, the intermediate portion 20 forms a spacer between the glass 14 and the dial 12, that is to say that it defines, optionally with an additional lower reflective sheet or layer if applicable, the spacing between the dial and the glass that are both in contact with this spacer. This spacer also forms a flange according to the horological terminology, that is to say that it extends from the inside between the dial and the glass, without necessarily bearing on the dial and therefore without necessarily being in contact with the dial but by covering the edge of the dial and by defining the inner surface that visually delimits the space for the analogue display. In general, the flange also defines the radial surface forming an axial stop and a bearing for the edge of the watch glass, as is the case in the embodiments described.
As indicated in
According to another advantageous variant, also shown in
The gasket 18B is made of a translucent or transparent material, that is to say that it forms a translucent or transparent medium. The intermediate portion 20B of the watch 2B is formed by a transparent material and by a translucent diffuser 70 defining the inner surface 52B of the intermediate portion visible through the glass 14. More particularly, the outer portion of the intermediate portion is made of a transparent material and the inner portion 48B of this intermediate portion comprises an internal portion, integral with the outer portion and made of the same transparent material, and the translucent diffuser 70 that forms an inner ring blurring everything that is behind it, particularly the solar cell 30. In particular, the diffuser 70 blurs the contours and reliefs of the objects located behind it for a user who looks at the inner surface 52B through the glass 14. The diffuser may have a certain colour chosen by the designer of the watch. This diffuser may generate a diffusion with an angular opening selected (relative to the direction orthogonal to the inner surface 52B) for the incident visible and/or infra-red light from the space 62, so as to favour a propagation of the visible and/or infra-red light in the intermediate portion 20B in the direction of the solar cell 30. It will be noticed that the first variant of the second embodiment does not have a reflective lower film arranged under the intermediate portion, but the dial 12 advantageously has a reflective surface that is optionally also diffusing.
It will be noted that in one variant not shown of the first embodiment, the intermediate portion may also comprise a translucent diffuser 70 described above. In such a variant of the first embodiment, the gasket is integral with the outer portion and the internal portion, similar to that mentioned above, of the intermediate portion and forms with these outer and internal parts a single portion made of the same transparent material. In a particular variant, the gasket is integral with only the outer portion of the intermediate portion and forms with this outer portion a single portion made of the same transparent material. The inner portion of the intermediate portion is in this latter case formed entirely or partly of a translucent material arranged in such a way as to diffuse the visible and/or infra-red light coming from the space 62 provided for the analogue display. Thus, in general, the gasket is integral with at least one outer portion of the intermediate portion and forms with this at least one outer portion a single portion made of the same transparent material.
In an advantageous variant, the gasket 18B and the transparent portion of the intermediate portion 20D are integral and forms a single portion made of the same transparent material.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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22169468.0 | Apr 2022 | EP | regional |