Watch comprising a device for illuminating an analogue display

Abstract

The present invention relates to a watch comprising: a case equipped with a watch mirror; a movement; an analog display device; the inner lateral surface of the flange structure limits a display space in the lateral direction; and an illumination device capable of providing light to the display space through the inner lateral surface, the illumination device including a light source. The lighting device also includes an at least translucent element forming or surrounding the flange structure. The element is arranged above the light sources and has: a lower injection surface configured to enable a majority of the light provided by the at least one light source to be injected into the at least semi-transparent element; a lateral exit surface through which at least a majority of the light injected into the element can exit from the element so as to enter the display space directly or via the at least semi-transparent flange structure; and an intermediate surface configured to receive at least a majority of the injected light without pre-reflection and to reflect at least a majority of the injected light substantially to the lateral exit surface.

Description

(19) State Intellectual Property Office (12) Invention Patent Application (10) Application Publication Number (43) Application Publication Date (21) Application Number 202511305211.0 (22) Application Date 2025.09.12 (30) Priority Data 24201470.2 2024.09.19 EP 24209295.5 2024.10.28 EP (71) Applicant Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd. Address Switzerland (72) Inventor P. Tortola (74) Patent Agency Beijing Zhongzi Law Firm 11247 Patent Attorney Huang Lina Wan Liujun (51) Int.Cl. G04B 19 / 30 (2006.01) (54) Invention Title Includes Watch with Analog Display Illumination Device (57) Abstract This invention relates to a watch comprising: a case equipped with a watch crystal; a movement; an analog display device; a flange structure, the inner side surface of the flange structure laterally defining a display space; and an illumination device capable of providing light to the display space through the inner side surface, comprising a light source. The illumination device further comprises at least a semi-transparent element forming or surrounding the flange structure. The element is arranged above the light source and has: a lower injection surface configured to allow a majority of light provided by at least one light source to be injected into the at least semi-transparent element; a lateral emission surface through which at least a majority of the light injected into the element can be emitted from the element so as to enter the display space directly or via the at least semi-transparent flange structure; and an intermediate surface configured to receive at least a majority of the injected light without pre-reflection and to reflect at least a majority of the injected light substantially to the lateral emission surface. Claims 2 pages, Description 7 pages, Drawings 6 pages, CN 121704149 A 2026.03.20 CN 1 21 70 41 49 A 1. A watch (2, 42, 82) comprising: a case (6) equipped with a watch crystal (78); a movement; an analog display device; a flange structure (14, 50) having an inner lateral surface (28, 52) of the flange structure laterally defining a display space (70) for the analog display device; and an illumination device (20) arranged to provide light to the display space through the inner lateral surface, the illumination device comprising at least one light source (10, 64) powered by a power supply on the watch; The lighting device is characterized in that it includes at least a semi-transparent element (12, 12a) forming or surrounding the flange structure, wherein, in the case that the lighting device includes at least a semi-transparent element surrounding the flange structure, the flange structure, for light provided by the at least one light source and incident on the outer surface of the flange structure,The element is at least semi-transparent in the direction toward the display space; wherein the at least semi-transparent element is arranged above the at least one light source and has: - a lower injection surface (22) configured to allow most of the light (30) provided by the at least one light source to be injected into the at least semi-transparent element; - a lateral emission surface (26) through which at least most of the light injected into the at least semi-transparent element can be emitted from the at least semi-transparent element so as to enter the display space directly or via the at least semi-transparent flange structure; and - an intermediate surface (24) configured to receive at least most of the injected light without pre-reflection and to reflect at least most of the injected light substantially onto the lateral emission surface. 2. The watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) is arranged such that at least a majority of the reflection of the injected light is an internal reflection on the intermediate surface (24), the internal reflection being due to the difference in refractive index between the at least semi-transparent element and the medium immediately behind the at least semi-transparent element. 3. The watch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) forms a continuous and self-closing ring, the ring being circular or other shapes. 4. The watch according to claim 3, characterized in that the lower injection surface (22) of the at least semi-transparent element forms an annular positive lens, the annular positive lens being arranged such that substantially all of the injected light propagating in any transverse plane perpendicular to the annular central axis (23) of the annular positive lens is directed toward the intermediate surface (24). 5. The watch according to claim 4, characterized in that the at least one light source (10, 64) is arranged such that the main emission axis of the light source, or, depending on the case, the main emission surface, is vertical and always substantially coincides with the optical surface of the annular positive lens, which is formed by the vertical optical axis of the annular positive lens in any transverse plane. 6. The watch according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the at least one light source is formed by a direct or nearly direct annular light source (10), the annular light source being particularly an OLED type light source, or the at least one light source is formed by a plurality of light sources (64) uniformly distributed along the at least semi-transparent elements (12, 12a), the plurality of light sources being particularly a plurality of LEDs. 7. The watch according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the intermediate surface (24) is configured to collimate light injected through the annular positive lens and guided in a direction toward the intermediate surface in any transverse plane, and such that the collimated light is incident on the lateral emitting surface (26), preferably such that the collimated light base...Almost all of the light incident on the lateral emitting surface (26) is incident on the lateral emitting surface. 8. The watch according to claim 7, wherein the intermediate surface (24) is configured such that the collimated light has a propagation optical axis (36), which is horizontal after reflection on the intermediate surface. Claims 1 / 2 page 2 CN 121704149 A 9. The watch according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the lateral emitting surface (26) is arranged to allow collimated light incident on the lateral emitting surface to exit from the at least semi-transparent element by refraction. 10. The watch according to claim 9, wherein the lateral emitting surface (26) defines a straight segment in any transverse plane, the straight segment being oriented such that the propagation axis (36) of the collimated light incident on the lateral emitting surface is inclined toward the movement at the exit of the at least semi-transparent element. 11. The watch according to claim 10, characterized in that the watch includes a dial (68) arranged on the movement (4, 44), wherein the direction of the propagation axis (36) of the collimated light emitted from the at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) is selected such that the collimated light emitted from the at least semi-transparent element is substantially directly incident on the dial. 12. The watch according to claim 11, characterized in that the illumination device (20) is arranged such that the collimated light emitted from the at least semi-transparent element reaches the dial directly at at least almost every point that a user of the watch can observe in a direction perpendicular to the dial. 13. The watch according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) is circular, and collimated light emitted from the at least semi-transparent element is incident on the dial in any transverse plane between the inner lateral surface (26, 52) of the flange structure (14, 50) and the central axis (34) of the display space (70). 14. The watch according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) forms the flange structure (14), the inner lateral surface (28) of the flange structure coinciding with the lateral emission surface (26). 15. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the at least semi-transparent element (12) surrounds the flange structure (50), wherein the flange structure (50) is at least semi-transparent in the direction toward the display space (70) for light provided by the at least one light source (10) and incident on the outer surface (54) of the flange structure. 16. The watch according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the power source is an electromechanical generator (88) integrated into the watch (82) and including a rotor (92).17. The watch according to claim 16, characterized in that the electromechanical generator (88) includes a coil (60), and the rotor (92) carries the coil and the at least one light source (64). Claims 2 / 2 pages 3 CN 121704149 A Watch including analog display illumination device Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a watch comprising: a case on which a crystal is mounted, a movement, an analog display device, a flange structure, the inner side surface of which defines a display space for the analog display device; and an illumination device arranged to provide light to the display space through the inner side surface of the flange structure. The illumination device includes at least one light source powered by a power source on the watch. Background Art

[0002] Several prior art documents describe a watch including an illumination device arranged to provide light to a display space through the inner side surface of the flange structure that laterally defines the display space, wherein an analog display (particularly hands) is at least partially located in the display space.

[0003] Document US 4,705,407 describes a watch flange structure that forms a light-diffusing ring having at least one cavity into which a light source is introduced. Similar teachings are also given in documents US 4,908,739 and CH 677306. Such devices for illuminating the display space fail to provide uniform light diffusion at an angle. Furthermore, the generally non-directional light source incorporated into the flange structure cavity creates a high-luminescence area on the inner surface of the flange structure, resulting in intense illumination of the corresponding adjacent areas within the display space and, consequently, the nearby dial area. This leads to fundamentally uneven dial illumination, causing problems. This compromises the readability of the analog display, occupies valuable display space, and affects aesthetics.

[0004] Documents CH 691333 and EP 1050711 propose devices to address some of the aforementioned problems. In these two documents, the flange structure is composed of annular but not self-closing / self-enclosed / closed light guides, with at least one base along the light guide to accommodate two electroluminescent diodes (two LEDs). These two diodes are arranged such that their main emission axes are tangent to the central circle of the annular light guide, so that the light from these diodes is substantially incident into the annular light guide. Therefore, in order to obtain uniform illumination of the dial angle, various variations have been proposed to obtain orthogonal light extraction coefficients, which increase with the distance to the nearest diode, thereby achieving substantially uniform light intensity of light incident from the flange structure into the display space.

[0005] These embodiments have at least two drawbacks. First, to ensure uniform dial illumination, the design and manufacture of the light guide must control the change of the light extraction coefficient with angle, which is very complex. Second, the diode bases arranged in the flange structure are not aesthetically pleasing.This results in lateral dark areas and adjacent areas of lower brightness on the dial, which contradicts the intended purpose. A specific embodiment is described in document EP 1050711 with reference to Figures 6 and 6A, which partially solves the problem of unsightly dark areas around the base along the flange structure in other embodiments. In this specific embodiment, a single shallow light source is placed below the flange structure forming the light guide, which has a transverse groove with a roughly triangular outline for reflecting light primarily along the central geometric axis of the annular light guide (i.e., tangent to the central geometric axis, and therefore perpendicular to the radius of the light guide). This groove is unsightly and also creates darker areas along the flange structure. It is also understood that for a quasi-point single light source, the total amount of light injected into the display space is limited and a priori low.

[0006] Document EP 1094373 describes yet another lighting device for a display space simulating the pointer of a display device located in the display space. This lighting device can solve the above problems to some extent, but its manufacture and installation are relatively complex and laborious. This invention aims to provide a vertically oriented, self-enclosed / closed cylindrical electroluminescent strip capable of illuminating the cylindrical space it surrounds. The cylindrical electroluminescent strip is partially extended by a connecting strip that extends vertically downwards from the side region of the movement to the case back. Next, a semi-transparent plastic ring is introduced inside the electroluminescent strip, forming a flange structure to hold the electroluminescent strip in place within the case. According to the specification, both the electroluminescent strip and the connecting strip are cut from an electroluminescent sheet. It should be noted that to power the electroluminescent strip, two separate conductor regions / tracks are required, deposited respectively on the outer surfaces of the electroluminescent strip and the connecting strip. This is a complex embodiment. Furthermore, such an electroluminescent strip requires a power supply with relatively high voltage and frequency, resulting in high cost and energy consumption for the power supply circuitry. It should also be noted that the disclosed electroluminescent sheet emits blue-green light, which makes it impossible for the illuminated surface to change color (cannot select a color or be white).

[0007] An unreliable device for electrical connection to a battery includes a curved contact bracket that must be pressed behind the connecting strip. It is understood that the electrical connection between the electroluminescent strip and the battery is both fragile and unsafe. While uniform illumination of the display space can be achieved, cylindrical / tube-shaped light-emitting devices arranged behind a semi-transparent annular flange structure are relatively complex in terms of manufacturing, installation, and electrical connection to the battery. Those skilled in the art can consider replacing the disclosed cylindrical electroluminescent strip with a flexible strip (e.g., an OLED (organic light-emitting diode)) that also provides uniform and direct light.However, the manufacture of flexible OLED structures is relatively difficult and costly. Furthermore, if a reliable and durable OLED light source is required, the OLED must be encapsulated in a vacuum environment within the watch crystal or crystal base. Flexible watch crystal strips are currently available, but they are typically fragile. Finally, because OLEDs require hermetically sealed enclosures, sealing the OLED with a protective watch crystal or crystal requires a large substrate width (relative to the width of the optically effective area). This increases the size of the lighting device, which is particularly problematic for vertical ring structures mounted close to analog display devices in watches. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention primarily aims to address the problems and disadvantages of the aforementioned lighting devices. Its primary objective is to provide a watch equipped with a device for illuminating the display space through the inner surface of a flange structure, a device that is relatively easy to manufacture and install in a watch. Secondly, a second objective of the invention is to obtain an aesthetically pleasing and high-end watch. Another objective is to provide a lighting device capable of producing uniformly angular illumination, particularly capable of illuminating the dial evenly and with relatively high intensity.

[0009] Accordingly, the present invention relates to a watch comprising: a watch case equipped with a crystal; a movement; an analog display device; a flange structure, the inner surface of which laterally / alongside defines a display space for the analog display device; and an illumination device arranged to provide light to the display space through the inner surface, the illumination device including at least one light source powered by a power source on the watch. The illumination device further includes at least a semi-transparent element forming or surrounding the flange structure, wherein, in the case where the illumination device includes at least a semi-transparent element surrounding the flange structure, the flange structure is at least semi-transparent in the direction toward the display space for light provided by the at least one light source and incident on the outer surface of the flange structure. The at least semi-transparent element is arranged above the at least one light source and has:

[0010] - a lower injection surface configured to allow a majority of the light provided by the at least one light source to be injected into the at least semi-transparent element;

[0011] - a lateral emission surface through which at least a majority of the light injected into the at least semi-transparent element can be emitted from the at least semi-transparent element so as to penetrate / enter the display space directly or via the at least semi-transparent flange structure; and

[0012] - an intermediate surface configured to receive at least a majority of the injected light without pre-reflection and to reflect at least a majority of the injected light substantially onto the lateral emission surface.

[0013] According to a preferred embodiment, the at least semi-transparent element is arranged such that the at least a majority of the injected light is emitted from the at least semi-transparent element via the lateral emission surface.A. Most of the reflection is internal reflection on its intermediate surface, which is caused by the difference in refractive index between the at least semi-transparent element and the medium immediately behind the at least semi-transparent element.

[0014] According to an advantageous variation, the at least semi-transparent element forms a continuous and self-closing ring, which is circular or other shapes. According to a preferred variation, the lower injection surface of the at least semi-transparent element forms an annular positive lens, which is arranged such that in any transverse plane perpendicular to the annular central axis of the annular positive lens, substantially all of the injection light propagating in that arbitrary transverse plane is directed to the intermediate surface of the annular element.

[0015] In an advantageous embodiment, the intermediate surface of the at least semi-transparent element is configured to collimate light injected through the annular positive lens and guided in a direction toward the intermediate surface in any transverse plane, such that the collimated light is sufficiently incident on the lateral exit surface of the at least semi-transparent element, preferably such that almost all of the collimated light is incident on the lateral exit surface.

[0016] In an advantageous variation, the lateral exit surface of the at least semi-transparent element is arranged to allow collimated light incident on the lateral exit surface to exit from the at least semi-transparent element by refraction.

[0017] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of non-limiting example, in which:

[0018] - FIG1 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a watch according to the invention;

[0019] - FIG2 is a partially enlarged view of FIG1;

[0020] - FIG3 is a perspective view of at least a semi-transparent element of an illumination device that forms a flange structure in the watch of FIG1;

[0021] - FIG4 is a graph of the light intensity provided by the illumination device in the first embodiment along the diagonal of the watch dial;

[0022] - FIG5 shows a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a watch according to the invention;

[0023] - FIG6 shows a horizontal cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a watch according to the invention;

[0024] - FIG7 and FIG8 are vertical cross-sectional views taken along lines VII-VII and VIII-VIII of the watch of FIG6, respectively. Detailed Description

[0025] A first embodiment of a watch according to the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0026] The watch 2 includes a case 6 equipped with a crystal 78, a movement 4, an analog display device (not shown in the figure to avoid confusion), and a flange structure 14, the inner surface 28 of which laterally defines a display space 70 for the analog display device. It should be noted that in the illustrated variant, the flange structure does not support the crystal, but in another variant, the flange structure...An upper surface may be defined, which forms a stop for the crystal and contacts the crystal. However, in this other variation, the waterproof seal 80 is advantageously compressed between the side surface of the crystal and the vertical surface of the bezel. In the context of the invention, the flange structure laterally defines (partially defined in the illustrated variation, and completely defined in another variation) a display space for simulating a display.

[0027] The watch 2 also includes an illumination device 20 arranged to provide light 30 to the display space 70 through the inner lateral surface 28. The illumination device includes at least one light source 10, which is powered by a power source on the watch (not shown in this embodiment, e.g., an energy storage device). Notably, the illumination device 20 includes at least a semi-transparent element 12, which in this first embodiment forms a flange structure 14. Specification page 3 / 7 6 CN 121704149 A

[0028] Generally, the at least semi-transparent element 12 is arranged above the at least one light source 10 and has:

[0029] - a lower injection surface 22 configured to allow most of the light 30 provided by the at least one light source 10 to be injected into the at least semi-transparent element,

[0030] - a lateral emission surface 26 through which at least most of the light injected into the at least semi-transparent element 12 (indicated by two lines 38a, 38b schematically defining the envelope for useful light) can be emitted from the at least semi-transparent element to penetrate into the display space 70, and

[0031] - an intermediate surface 24 configured to receive at least most of the injected light 38a, 38b without pre-reflection and to substantially / fully reflect the at least most of the injected light toward the lateral emission surface 26.

[0032] In a first embodiment, the lateral emitting surface 26 of the at least semi-transparent element 12 coincides with the inner lateral surface 28 of the flange structure 14, which is formed by the element 12 and thus defines the inner lateral surface 28.

[0033] According to an advantageous variation, the at least semi-transparent element 12 is arranged such that at least a majority of the reflection of the injected light is an internal reflection on the intermediate surface, which is due to the difference in refractive index (i.e., the air refractive index in the illustrated variation) between the at least semi-transparent element and the medium located directly behind it. For example, the at least semi-transparent element is made of plastic, more specifically polycarbonate with a refractive index n = 1.65.

[0034] According to a preferred variation, as shown in FIG3, the at least semi-transparent element 12 is formed as a ring, circular in the illustrated variation and other shapes in other variations, the ring being continuous and self-closing. This is very useful in order to avoid the formation of at least one darker or brighter area along the flange structure. Since the at least one light source is located below the annular element 12Therefore, the at least one light source can be easily arranged to be uniformly distributed or optionally periodically distributed along the annular element 12, wherein multiple electroluminescent diodes (abbreviated: LED, meaning "light-emitting diode") are spaced apart by a certain angular step (especially 30°), thereby illuminating the area with hour markers / time scales in a brighter manner.

[0035] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the lower injection surface 22 of the at least semi-transparent element 12 is formed as an annular positive lens, which is arranged to direct substantially all of the injected light propagating in any transverse plane perpendicular to the annular central axis 23 of the annular positive lens to the intermediate surface 24. For example, the annular positive lens has a substantially semi-circular cross-section with a radius of curvature r = 0.6 mm. For the annular element 12 made of polycarbonate, the focal length f = 0.4 mm. In order to obtain a non-negligible light intensity over substantially the entire lateral emission surface 26, the light source must be located relatively close to the incident surface, preferably substantially at the focal length. In the latter case, given the range of the light source, the beam 30 has a certain / specific opening / aperture when incident on the intermediate surface 24. Those skilled in the art will be able to use appropriate calculation tools to determine the optimal position of each light source based on the annular element 12, the range of the light source, and optionally the size and configuration of its emission lobes.

[0036] According to another advantageous feature, the at least one light source 10 is arranged such that the main emission axis 37 of each light source or the main emission surface of the light source (when the light source is extended) is substantially perpendicular to the annular optical surface of the annular positive lens 22 and always coincides with the annular optical surface of the annular positive lens 22, which is defined by the vertical optical axis 36 of the annular positive lens in any transverse plane (the plane in Figures 1 and 2).

[0037] In a first variant, the at least one light source is composed of a direct or nearly direct annular light source, particularly an OLED (organic light-emitting diode) type light source. The light source 10 is located below the at least semi-transparent annular element 12 that directs light into the display space 70. This is particularly advantageous for direct or near-direct annular OLED light sources because the annular support can be flat, which allows such a light source to be obtained without bending the support to give it annular curvature, as is the case where the light source is arranged laterally outside the annular element to transmit light into the display space. In a second variation, the at least one light source consists of a plurality of relatively small light sources (particularly LEDs) that are uniformly spaced along the at least semi-transparent annular element 12 (the number being, for example, 12 or 24, as per specification page 4 / 7, 7 CN 121704149 A). For microLEDs, a large number of microLEDs can be arranged on the flat annular support.

[0038] In an advantageous variation, the intermediate surface 24 is configured to be positioned in the arbitrary transverse plane relative to the annular positive lens.22 The light injected and guided in a direction toward the intermediate surface is collimated such that at least most (preferably substantially completely) of the collimated light is incident on the lateral exit surface 26. For this purpose, the lateral profile of the intermediate surface 24 is a Bézier curve, which can be determined by dedicated computer software. It should be noted that the lateral profile of the intermediate surface 24 can be optimized using computer software based on the at least one light source (in particular its arrangement) and the dimensions of the annular element 12.

[0039] According to a particular feature, the intermediate surface 24 is configured such that the collimated light has a propagation optical axis 36, which is horizontal between the intermediate surface and the lateral exit surface 26, and the beam 30 exits from the at least semi-transparent annular element 12 through the lateral exit surface 26.

[0040] According to an advantageous feature, the lateral exit surface 26 is arranged to allow the collimated beam 30 incident on the lateral exit surface to exit from the at least semi-transparent element 12 by refraction. It should be noted that the lateral emitting surface 26 (which defines the inner lateral surface 28 of the flange structure 14) can be treated in various ways, especially for aesthetic purposes. For example, it is conceivable to use PVD deposition to deposit a very thin metal layer, thereby providing the watch user with a metallic appearance while ensuring that the light 30 propagating along the propagation axis 36 and incident on the lateral emitting surface can be fully or even almost completely transmitted. In particular, the lateral emitting surface 26 defines a straight segment in the arbitrary transverse plane, the straight segment being oriented such that the propagation axis 36 of the collimated light 30 incident on the lateral emitting surface 26 is inclined toward the movement 4 at the exit of at least the semi-transparent element 12. In the variant shown, the propagation axis 36 is horizontal between surfaces 24 and 26, the straight segment is inclined, and the lateral emitting surface 26 is truncated cone-shaped. It should be noted that for some watches, it is advantageous to provide a flange structure with vertical side surfaces (i.e., cylindrical, especially round / cylindrical), especially for aesthetic reasons. In this case, the illumination device, particularly the middle surface 24, is arranged such that the propagation axis of the light beam between surfaces 24 and 26 is tilted downward toward the display space 70, which further facilitates a greater tilt of the optical axis after the laterally exiting surface 26.

[0041] In a general variant, the watch includes a dial 68 arranged on the movement 4. The direction of the propagation axis 36 of the collimated light 30 emitted from at least the semi-transparent element 12 is selected such that the collimated light is incident substantially directly onto the dial. In an advantageous variant, the illumination device is arranged such that the collimated light emitted from at least the semi-transparent element 12 reaches the dial directly at at least almost every point that the user of the watch can observe in a direction perpendicular to the dial. In a preferred variant in which the at least semi-transparent element 12 is round, the illumination device is arranged such that the collimated light emitted from the semi-transparent element...Light is incident on the dial within any transverse plane between the inner surface of the flange structure and the central axis of the display space. Figure 4 shows a graph of the luminous flux incident on the dial versus the dial diameter for a particular version of the watch according to the invention.

[0042] In the illustrated variant, the watch 2 includes a mounting ring 8 for the movement 4. The mounting ring 8 has an additional outer annular thickness on which the outer shoulder / protrusion 32 of the annular element 12 rests. An annular support 40 (PCB) is arranged within the additional annular thickness and is located around the periphery of the movement 4, on which the at least one light source 10, together with conductive rails for electrically connecting it to a power source, is arranged. An annular gasket 9 is located on the support 40 inside the at least one light source 10 and the annular positive lens 22. The annular gasket has an annular surface on its outer side on which the lower shoulder of the annular element 12 rests, and an annular gasket has a stepped portion on its inner side that defines a shoulder for an outwardly projecting portion of the upper part of the movement 4. Dimensions and tolerances are determined by those skilled in the art, particularly to ensure that the portion of the annular element forming the flange structure 14 is held in a fixed position between the inner portion of the carrier crystal 78 of the case 6 and the dial 68, without any undesirable slits. Of course, other arrangements and attachment methods may also be provided for the annular element 12, the at least one light source 10, and the movement.

[0043] FIG5 shows a second embodiment of the watch 42 according to the invention. The main difference between this second embodiment and the first embodiment is that the at least semi-transparent element 12 does not form the flange structure, but rather surrounds / encircles the flange structure 50 from the outside. In this case, the flange structure 50 is at least semi-transparent in the direction toward the display space 70 for light provided by the at least one light source 10 and incident on the outer surface 54 of the flange structure. “Outer” should be understood as the side surface of the flange structure 50 opposite to the inner surface 52, which defines the display space 70. The inner surface 52 can be treated to obscure the transparency of the flange structure so that it is not visible to the user of the watch, particularly by metal PVD deposition. In one variation, the flange structure 50 is arranged to be substantially transparent to light in the direction in which light from the at least one light source travels through the flange structure toward the display space, and substantially opaque in directions other than those in which the light propagates toward the display space.

[0044] Other elements or components / parts mentioned in and described in connection with the first embodiment will not be repeated here. It should be noted that the at least semi-transparent annular element 12 is optically similar to the elements described in the first embodiment.Similar to each other, only a portion of their outer contours differ, but surfaces 22, 24, and 26 are substantially the same. It should be noted that other flange arrangements are also feasible. In an advantageous variation, the height of at least semi-transparent element 12 between dial 68 and crystal 78 is substantially equal to the height of flange structure 50, which has an upper surface defining a support for crystal 78. In this case, the outer surface 54 of the flange structure having a generally rectangular cross-section (i.e., without the upper offset shown in FIG. 5) is preferably located vertically within the thickness of waterproof seal 80. In this variation, it may be advantageous to attach the flange structure to the dial or annular element.

[0045] Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, a third embodiment of a watch according to the invention will now be described. The watch includes a means for illuminating the display space, which is powered by an electromechanical generator. The various features previously described in the invention will not be repeated. In particular, the at least semi-transparent annular element 12a is optically similar to the annular element 12 described in the first embodiment, the only difference being the absence of an outer shoulder. The optically effective surfaces 22, 24, and 26 are substantially the same.

[0046] The watch 82 includes a case 6 housing a movement 44 (partially shown in FIG. 6; located between the dial 68 and the case back), and an electromechanical generator 88 located in the peripheral region of the movement. The generator includes a stator 90 and a rotor 92, the rotor 92 having an annular structure and being rotatably guided by at least two ball bearings (preferably three ball bearings 100a, 100b, 100c). Generally, the watch 82 includes a plurality of ball bearings having a diameter smaller than the inner radius R of the rotor, preferably less than half of that inner radius. Each of the plurality of ball bearings includes a fixed portion 101 and a movable portion 102 operating between the fixed portion and the rotor 92, each movable portion and the rotor being configured such that the rotor is supported only by the plurality of movable portions of the plurality of ball bearings and is rotatable about the central geometric axis 34 of the rotor (i.e., its axis of rotation). Each bearing typically includes a ball 103 between its fixed portion and movable portion. A notable feature of this embodiment is that the movable portion of the ball bearing is not attached to the peripheral annular rotor 92 and is therefore not part of that rotor. The movable portion rolls along a track 97 laterally machined in the inner part 96 of the rotor.

[0047] For example, the track 97 has a cross-sectional profile defining three straight segments, the dimensions of which are designed such that each movable portion 102 has a small gap in the groove forming the track and contacts at one or two points along the profile, depending on the spatial orientation of the watch. Preferably, in this advantageous embodiment, each ball bearing is located inside the rotor, and each fixed portion is mounted in the movement 44. In a variation, the fixed portion 101 is mounted in the assembly of the movement.The rotor 92 has internal teeth 98 that mesh with wheels 75 of the transmission system (wheels 74 and 75) arranged between the mainspring barrel 72 and the rotor. The drive mechanism on the generator is designed to drive the generator in a controlled manner according to instructions, particularly at a speed higher than the minimum speed required for normal operation of the lighting device (depending on the generator assembly 88), as long as the mainspring barrel winding instruction manual 6 / 7 page 9 CN 121704149 A is above the lower limit.

[0048] The rotor 92 has a free internal space 130 over its entire height, through which the geometric axis of rotation 34 of the rotor passes, and the movement 44 is also partially located therein. Furthermore, the rotor 92 is located essentially entirely in the peripheral space of the movement. In fact, in the variant shown, only the three ball bearings associated with the rotor and supporting its free rotation, and the drive wheel 75 that meshes with the internal teeth 98 of the rotor, are in contact with the rotor 92 and located inside the rotor. Therefore, it can be said that in the variant shown, the rotor is entirely located in the peripheral space of the movement 44. Furthermore, the stator 90 on the generator is also substantially entirely located within the peripheral space of the movement. In fact, although the recesses 110 and 120 in the stator are not considered part of the volume of the stator itself, it can be said that the stator is also entirely located within the peripheral space of the movement. Thus, the electromechanical generator 88 is substantially entirely (preferably entirely) arranged within the peripheral space of the watch movement.

[0049] The rotor 92 advantageously carries coils 60, which are directly or via electrical circuitry without energy storage (and, depending on the case, via electronic circuitry) connected to a lighting device consisting of a plurality of electroluminescent diodes 64 (LEDs 64) fixedly arranged on the rotor. More specifically, the rotor includes an annular support 94 that forms a rigid PCB (“printed circuit board”) having circular openings in which the coils 60 are located and securely attached to the annular support 94, which is itself carried by the inner part 96 of the rotor. The LEDs, various electrical connections constituting the electrical circuitry, and (depending on the case) any electronic circuitry other than the LEDs are arranged on and carried by the PCB. Therefore, the rotor carries all electrical and electronic equipment for the lighting device, including multiple LEDs, the coils of the generator 88, electrical interconnection circuits, and any other electrical or electronic components, where appropriate, associated with the lighting device and the electromechanical generator powering it.

[0050] The stator 90 includes a first set of axially magnetized bipolar permanent magnets 58a, which at the bottom is carried by a first portion 106a of a ring-shaped ferromagnetic structure forming a magnetic circuit for closing the magnetic fields of the first set of magnets 58a and the second set of permanent magnets 58b, and the second set of permanent magnets 58b at the top is carried by a second portion 106b of a ring-shaped structure, which is fixed. The ring-shaped structure includesRecesses 110 for ball bearings 100a, 110b, and 110c, and recesses 120 for drive wheel 75. These recesses are machined on the sidewalls (axial / vertical walls) and optionally, as shown, also on the second portion 106b (lower part of the back of the case) to facilitate the mounting of the ball bearings and drive wheel 75.

[0051] In the first variant shown in FIG. 6, the number of magnets in each group of magnets is equal to the expected number of coils, which is 36 in the illustrated variant. Advantageously and non-limitingly, this number is expected to be in the range of 20 to 40. In the second variant, the number of magnets in each group of magnets of the electromechanical generator is twice the number of coils, and the magnets in each group of magnets have alternating polarities.

[0052] The lighting device includes at least a semi-transparent annular element 12a, similar to the element described in the first embodiment. The annular element is arranged to direct the light generated by the illumination device (i.e., LED 64) to the display space 70, in which the analog display device (not shown) of the watch is located, between the dial 68 and the upper crystal 78. According to the variant shown in Figures 7 and 8, the annular element 12a forms a flange / flange structure on the watch, which surrounds the display space 70. In the variant embodiment described in this example, since the annular element 12a forms a flange structure and is therefore a component located around the dial 68, it is advantageous for the LED 64 to be located outside the coil 60.

[0053] The third embodiment has a significant advantage in illuminating the display space 70. This advantage stems from the fact that the LEDs are arranged on a rotor and therefore rotate with it. Thus, the frustoconical surface 26 of the annular element 12a (defining the flange structure) is scanned by the light emitted by each LED along a tangential direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation 34 (or in other words, along an angular direction). When the number of LEDs is relatively small (e.g., 12 as shown in Figure 3) and the rotor speed is sufficiently high (e.g., 2 to 4 revolutions per second), the user's eyes will perceive a quasi-uniform and quasi-static illumination of the display space, because illumination only occurs when the generator starts and the rotor rotates, and the generated electrical energy is immediately supplied to the LEDs 64. (Instruction manual 7 / 7 page 10 CN 121704149 A Figure 1 Figure 2 Instruction manual Figure 1 / 6 page 11 CN 121704149 A Figure 3 Figure 4 Instruction manual Figure 2 / 6 page 12 CN 121704149 A Figure 5 Instruction manual Figure 3 / 6 page 13 CN 121704149 A Figure 6 Instruction manual Figure 4 / 6 page 14 CN 121704149 A Figure 7 Instruction manual Figure 5 / 6 page 15 CN 121704149 A Figure 8 Instruction manual Figure 6 / 6 page 16 CN 121704149 A Abstract The)present invention relates to a watch, comprising: a watch case equipped with a watch crystal; a movement; an analog display device; a flange structure, the inner surface of the flange structure laterally defining a display space; and an illumination device capable of providing light to the display space through the inner surface, the device including a light source. The lighting device also includes at least semi-transparent elements that form or surround a flange structure. The element is arranged above a light source and has: a lower injection surface configured to allow most of the light provided by at least one light source to be injected into at least a semi-transparent element; a lateral emission surface through which at least most of the light injected into the element can exit the element so as to enter the display space directly or via at least a semi-transparent flange structure; and an intermediate surface configured to receive at least most of the injected light withoutpre-reflection and to reflect at least most of the injected light substantially to the lateral emission surface.

Claims

1. A watch (2, 42, 82), comprising: A watch case (6) equipped with a crystal (78); a movement; an analog display device; A flange structure (14, 50), the inner lateral surface (28, 52) of which laterally defines a display space (70) for the analog display device; and an illumination device (20) arranged to provide light into the display space through the inner lateral surface, the illumination device comprising at least one light source (10, 64) powered by a power source on the watch; characterized in that the illumination device comprises at least a semi-transparent element (12, 12a) forming or surrounding the flange structure, wherein, in the case that the illumination device comprises at least a semi-transparent element surrounding the flange structure, the flange structure is at least semi-transparent in the direction toward the display space for light provided by the at least one light source and incident on the outer lateral surface of the flange structure; wherein the at least semi-transparent element is arranged above the at least one light source and has: - Lower injection surface (22), configured to allow most of the light (30) provided by the at least one light source to be injected into the at least semi-transparent element. - A lateral emission surface (26) through which at least a majority of the light injected into the at least semi-transparent element can exit from the at least semi-transparent element, either directly or via the at least semi-transparent flange structure, into the display space. - An intermediate surface (24) configured to receive at least most of the injected light without prior reflection and to substantially reflect the injected light onto the lateral emitting surface.

2. The watch according to claim 1, characterized in that, The at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) is arranged such that at least a majority of the reflection of the injected light is an internal reflection on the intermediate surface (24), the internal reflection being due to the difference in refractive index between the at least semi-transparent element and the medium immediately behind the at least semi-transparent element.

3. The watch according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The at least semi-transparent elements (12, 12a) form a continuous and self-closing ring, which is circular or other shape.

4. The watch according to claim 3, characterized in that, The lower injection surface (22) of the at least semi-transparent element forms an annular positive lens, which is arranged such that substantially all of the injected light propagating in any transverse plane perpendicular to the annular central axis (23) of the annular positive lens is directed toward the intermediate surface (24).

5. The watch according to claim 4, characterized in that, The at least one light source (10, 64) is arranged such that the main emission axis of the light source, or, as appropriate, the main emission surface, is vertical and always substantially coincides with the optical surface of the annular positive lens, which is formed by the vertical optical axis of the annular positive lens in any transverse plane.

6. The watch according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that, The at least one light source is formed by a direct or nearly direct ring light source (10), the ring light source being particularly an OLED type light source, or the at least one light source is formed by a plurality of light sources (64) uniformly distributed along the at least semi-transparent elements (12, 12a), the plurality of light sources being particularly a plurality of LEDs.

7. The watch according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that, The intermediate surface (24) is configured to collimate light injected through the annular positive lens and guided in a direction toward the intermediate surface in any transverse plane, such that the collimated light is incident on the lateral exit surface (26), preferably such that substantially all of the collimated light is incident on the lateral exit surface (26).

8. The watch according to claim 7, characterized in that, The intermediate surface (24) is configured such that the collimated light has a propagation optical axis (36), which is horizontal after reflection on the intermediate surface.

9. The watch according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The lateral emission surface (26) is arranged to allow collimated light incident on the lateral emission surface to exit from the at least semi-transparent element through refraction.

10. The watch according to claim 9, characterized in that, The lateral emission surface (26) defines a straight segment in any transverse plane, the straight segment being oriented such that the propagation axis (36) of the collimated light incident on the lateral emission surface is inclined toward the movement at the exit of the at least semi-transparent element.

11. The watch according to claim 10, characterized in that, The watch includes a dial (68) arranged on the movement (4, 44), wherein the direction of the propagation axis (36) of the collimated light emitted from the at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) is selected such that the collimated light emitted from the at least semi-transparent element is substantially directly incident on the dial.

12. The watch according to claim 11, characterized in that, The illumination device (20) is arranged such that collimated light emitted from the at least semi-transparent element reaches the dial directly at at least almost every point that the user of the watch can observe in a direction perpendicular to the dial.

13. The watch according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) is circular, and collimated light emitted from the at least semi-transparent element is incident on the dial in any transverse plane between the inner side surface (26, 52) of the flange structure (14, 50) and the central axis (34) of the display space (70).

14. The watch according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The at least semi-transparent element (12, 12a) forms the flange structure (14), the inner lateral surface (28) of the flange structure coincides with the lateral emission surface (26).

15. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that, The at least semi-transparent element (12) surrounds the flange structure (50), wherein the flange structure (50) is at least semi-transparent in the direction toward the display space (70) for light provided by the at least one light source (10) and incident on the outer surface (54) of the flange structure.

16. The watch according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The power source is an electromechanical generator (88) integrated into the watch (82) and including a rotor (92).

17. The watch according to claim 16, characterized in that, The electromechanical generator (88) includes a coil (60), and the rotor (92) carries the coil and the at least one light source (64).

Images