Watch with analog display illumination

Abstract

The present invention provides a watch equipped with a device for illuminating the display space, which is relatively easy to manufacture and fit into the watch by passing it through the inner surface of the flange. [Solution] The watch (2) comprises a flange (14), an inner surface (28) defining a display space (70) on its side, and an illumination device (20) having at least one light source (10) powered by a power source on the watch. The illumination device more specifically comprises at least one translucent element (12) forming a flange arranged above the at least one light source, 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 at least the translucent element, a lateral exit surface (26) from which at least the majority of the light injected into at least the translucent element can exit, and an intermediate surface (24) configured to receive at least the majority of the injected light without any prior reflection and substantially reflect at least the majority of the injected light toward the lateral exit surface.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a watch comprising a case provided with glass, a movement, an analog display device, a flange, an inner surface defining a display space for the analog display device, and a lighting device arranged to provide light into the display space through the inner surface of the flange. The lighting device comprises at least one light source powered by a power source on the watch.

Background Art

[0002] Some documents according to the prior art describe watches comprising a lighting device arranged such that an analog display can provide light into a display space, in particular into the display space in which the hands are at least partially located, through the inner surface of a flange defining the display space on the side.

[0003] The document US Patent No. 4,705,407 describes a watch flange forming an arcuate portion for diffusing light, having at least one cavity into which a light source is introduced. Similar teachings are shown in the documents US Patent No. 4,908,739 and Swiss Patent Invention No. 677306. Such devices for illuminating the display space do not provide uniform angular light diffusion. In addition, generally non-directional light sources incorporated into the cavities within the flange create very bright zones on the inner surface of the flange and also in the corresponding adjacent regions within the display space, resulting in strong illumination immediately adjacent to the dial zone, which causes problems since the illumination of the dial is not at all uniform. This interferes with the legibility of the analog display occupying the valuable display space and creates an aesthetic problem.

[0004] The documents Swiss Patent No. 691333 and European Patent No. 1050711 propose an apparatus that solves some of the aforementioned problems. In either of these documents, the flange provides at least one bed along a light guide that houses two electroluminescent diodes (two LEDs) arranged so that their main light-emitting axes are tangent to the central circle of the annular light guide, so that this light guide is annular but not closed in itself, and as a result the light from these diodes is injected substantially into the annular light guide. In this case, various modifications are proposed to obtain a right-angle light extraction rate that increases with the distance to the nearest diode in order to obtain substantially uniform luminous intensity for the light emanating from the flange into the display space in order to obtain angularly uniform dial illumination.

[0005] These embodiments have at least two drawbacks. Firstly, designing and fabricating an optical guide with a variable light extraction rate in the angular direction, which must be controlled to ensure uniform illumination of the dial, is complex. Secondly, the bed provided within the flange for the diode is unsightly, creating dark lateral zones and poorly illuminated adjacent zones on the dial, which is contrary to the desired purpose. Referring to Figures 6 and 6A of the document European Patent No. 1050711, a particular embodiment is described, in which the problem of the unsightly dark zones surrounding the bed provided along the flange in other embodiments is partially solved. In this particular embodiment, a single shallow light source is placed below the flange forming the optical guide, and the optical guide then has a transverse groove with a generally triangular contour that reflects light into the annular optical guide, mainly along the geometric central axis of the annular optical guide, i.e., in the tangential direction of the geometric central axis and therefore perpendicular to the radius of the optical guide. The groove is unsightly and further also creates a darker zone along the flange. Furthermore, it is understood that using a quasi-spot type single light source limits the overall amount of light injected into the display space, and is therefore a priori small.

[0006] Other illumination devices for the display space in which the needle of an analog display device is located are described in a document known as European Patent No. 1094373. While this illumination device can solve the above problem to some extent, its fabrication and installation are relatively complex and laborious. In this case, the intention is to provide an electroluminescent strip that is vertically oriented and self-closing, forming a cylinder capable of illuminating an enclosing cylindrical volume, the cylindrical electroluminescent strip being locally extended by a connecting strip that descends vertically toward the rear of the case within the lateral region of the movement. Next, a translucent plastic ring is introduced inside this electroluminescent strip, intended to form a flange and hold the electroluminescent strip in place within the case. According to this specification, the electroluminescent strip and the connecting strip are cut from an electroluminescent sheet. It should be noted that two separate conductive zones / tracks deposited on the outer surfaces of the electroluminescent strip and the connecting strip are required to enable power supply to the electroluminescent strip. This is a complex embodiment. In addition, such electroluminescent strips require a power supply with relatively high voltage and high frequency, which results in an expensive and energy-intensive power supply circuit. Furthermore, it should be noted that the light produced by the type of electroluminescent sheet disclosed is a blue-green color that colors the illuminated surface, and there is no possibility of changing it (no choice of color or white).

[0007] The questionable device for electrically connecting to the battery features a curved contact bracket that must be pressed against the back of the connection strip. It will be understood that the electrical connection from the electroluminescent strip to the battery is thin and not safe. While uniform illumination of the display space can be achieved, the cylindrical light generators arranged behind a translucent annular flange are relatively complex to manufacture, mate to the battery, and electrically connect. Those skilled in the art may consider, in some cases, replacing the disclosed cylindrical electroluminescent strip with a flexible strip such as an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) that also provides a uniform and direct light source. However, flexible OLD structures are relatively difficult and expensive to manufacture. Moreover, if a reliable and long-lasting OLED light source is desired, the OLED must be enclosed within a volume of glass or crystal bed. Flexible glass strips exist, but are generally fragile. Finally, since the OLED needs to be sealed, sealing it with glass or crystal to protect the entire OLED requires a large substrate width relative to the width of the optically effective zone. This increases the size of the lighting device, which is particularly problematic in vertical annular structures integrated into the watch near the analog display. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 4,705,407 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 4,908,739 [Patent Document 3] Swiss Patent No. 677306 [Patent Document 4] Swiss Patent No. 691333 [Patent Document 5] European Patent No. 1050711 [Patent Document 6] European Patent No. 1094373 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The present invention primarily aims to solve the problems and drawbacks of the lighting devices described above. The first objective is to provide a watch equipped with a device for illuminating the display space, which is relatively easy to manufacture and fit into the watch through the inner surface of the flange. Subsequently, the second objective of the present invention is to obtain a watch that provides aesthetic satisfaction and is suitable for a high-performance watch. Another objective is to provide a lighting device that produces uniform illumination in the angular direction, which can illuminate the dial uniformly and with relatively high brightness. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve this objective, the present invention relates to a watch comprising a glass-mounted case, a movement, an analog display device, a flange, an inner surface defining a display space for the analog display device on its side, and an illumination device arranged to provide light into the display space through the inner surface, wherein the illumination device comprises at least one light source powered by a power supply on the watch. The illumination device further comprises at least a translucent element forming or surrounding the flange, wherein, if surrounding the flange, the at least translucent element is at least translucent in the direction of the display space for light provided by the at least one light source and incident on the outer surface of the flange. The at least translucent element is arranged above the at least one light source, - A lower injection surface configured to allow the majority of the light provided by at least one light source to be injected into at least a translucent element, - At least the majority of the light injected into at least a translucent element exits this element and enters the display space either directly or through at least a translucent flange on the lateral exit surface, - An intermediate surface configured to receive at least the majority of the injected light without any prior reflection and to substantially reflect at least the majority of the injected light toward the side exit surface. It holds.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the at least translucent elements are arranged such that at least a majority of the injected light is reflected by internal reflection on the intermediate surface of the at least translucent elements due to the difference in refractive index between the at least translucent elements and the medium located directly behind the at least translucent elements.

[0012] According to a favorable modification, at least the translucent element forms a closed, continuous circular or other arcuate portion. According to a preferred modification, the lower injection surface of this element forms an annular positive lens, and the annular positive lens is arranged such that substantially all of the injected light propagating in substantially this arbitrary cross-section can be directed toward the intermediate surface of the annular element in any cross-section perpendicular to the central axis of the annular positive lens ring.

[0013] In an advantageous embodiment, at least the intermediate surface of the translucent element is configured such that, within the aforementioned arbitrary cross-section, the light injected and directed in the direction of this intermediate surface by the annular positive lens is made parallel, and this parallelized light is substantially, preferably almost completely, incident on the lateral exit surface of at least the translucent element.

[0014] In a favorable configuration, the lateral exit surfaces of at least the translucent elements are parallel and arranged so that light incident on these lateral exit surfaces can exit the elements by refraction.

[0015] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are shown as examples and are not limiting. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is a partial cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of the watch according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is an enlarged view of a part of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view of at least one translucent element of the lighting device, and this element forms a flange with the watch in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a graph of the luminous intensity provided by the lighting device along the diagonal of the dial on the watch in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a partial cross-sectional view of the second embodiment of the watch according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the third embodiment of the watch according to the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a vertical cross-sectional view along the section line VII-VII of the watch in FIG. 6. [Figure 8] It is a vertical cross-sectional view along the section line VIII-VIII of the watch in FIG. 6.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] A first embodiment of a watch according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0018] The watch 2 includes a case 6 provided with a glass 78, a movement 4, an analog display device (not shown so as not to clutter the drawing), and a flange 14 whose inner surface 28 defines a display space 70 for the analog display device on the side. Note that the flange does not hold the glass in the illustrated deformation mode, but in another deformation mode, it can form a stop for the glass and define an upper surface where the glass is in contact. However, in this another deformation mode, advantageously, a waterproof seal 80 can be compressed between the side surface of the glass and the vertical surface of the bezel of the case. In connection with the present invention, the flange defines the display space for analog display on the side, partially in the illustrated deformation mode and completely in the said another deformation mode.

[0019] The watch 2 further comprises an illumination device 20 arranged to provide light 30 into the display space 70 through the inner surface 28, the illumination device comprising at least one light source 10 powered by a power source on the watch (not shown in this embodiment, for example, an electrical energy storage battery). Notably, the illumination device 20 comprises at least a translucent element 12 that forms a flange 14 in this first embodiment.

[0020] Generally, at least the translucent elements 12 are arranged above the at least one light source 10. - A lower injection surface 22 configured to allow at least a portion of the light 30 provided by the at least one light source 10 to be injected into at least a translucent element, - At least a large portion of the light injected into the at least translucent element 12 (represented by two lines 38a, 38b that roughly define the envelope plane for useful light) can exit this at least translucent element and enter the display space 70 through the lateral exit surface 26, - An intermediate surface 24 configured to receive at least the majority of the injected light 38a, 38b without any prior reflection and to substantially reflect at least the majority of the injected light toward the lateral exit surface 26. It holds.

[0021] In the first embodiment, at least the lateral exit surface 26 of the translucent element 12 coincides with the inner surface 28 of the flange 14, and the inner surface 28 is formed by the element 12 that thus defines the inner surface 28.

[0022] According to a favorable modification, the at least translucent elements 12 are arranged such that, due to the difference in refractive index between the at least translucent elements and the medium directly behind them, i.e., the refractive index of air in the illustrated modification, at least the majority of the reflection of the injected light is internal reflection on the intermediate surface. As an example, the at least translucent elements are made from plastic, more specifically from polycarbonate having a refractive index n=1.65.

[0023] In the preferred modification, as shown in Figure 3, at least the translucent element 12 forms a self-closed, continuous arc-shaped portion that is circular in the illustrated modification or otherwise in the other modification. This is very useful for avoiding at least one darker or luminescent zone along the flange. Since the at least one light source is located below the annular element 12, it is easily possible to arrange this at least one light source so that it is uniform along the annular element 12 or periodically of the choice, and several electroluminescent diodes ("Light Emitting Diode": LEDs) are placed in detail at 30° angular steps to brightly illuminate the zone having a time marker / indicator.

[0024] A favorable feature of the present invention is that the lower injection surface 22 of the at least translucent element 12 forms an annular positive lens, arranged such that, within any cross-section perpendicular to the central axis 23 of the annular positive lens, substantially all of the injected light propagating within this arbitrary cross-section can be directed toward the intermediate surface 24. As an example, the annular lens has a substantially semicircular cross-section with a radius of curvature r = 0.6 mm. For an annular element 12 made of polycarbonate, a focal length f = 0.4 mm is obtained. To obtain a light intensity that is substantially not negligible over the entire lateral exit surface 26, the light source must be positioned relatively close to the inlet surface, preferably substantially at the focal length. When positioned substantially at the focal length, assuming the spread of the light source, the light beam 30 has a constant aperture when incident on the intermediate surface 24. Those skilled in the art will be able to define the optimal position for the spread of the light source and, optionally, the spread of the light source's emitted lobe, for each light source, in detail according to the dimensions and configuration of the annular element 12, using appropriate calculation tools.

[0025] According to another advantageous characteristic, 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 each light source, is always substantially perpendicular to and coincides with the annular optical surface of the annular positive lens 22 when the emission surface of the light source expands, and this annular optical surface is defined by the perpendicular optical axis 36 that the annular positive lens has in the arbitrary cross-section (the plane in Figures 1 and 2).

[0026] In the first variant, the at least one light source is more specifically formed by a substantially direct or annular direct light source of the OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) type. The fact that the light source 10 is located below at least a translucent annular element 12 that directs light toward the display space 70 is more advantageous in part for a substantially direct or annular OLED direct light source, as it makes it possible to obtain such a light source without having to bend the base and impart an annular curvature to the base, as in the case of light sources arranged on the outer sides of the annular element for transmitting light toward the display space. In the second variant, the at least one light source is more specifically formed by a plurality of relatively small light sources, for example, 20 or 24 in number, arranged uniformly spaced along at least a translucent annular element 12, and more specifically by LEDs. Using microLEDs, a large number of small light sources can be provided on a flat annular base.

[0027] In a favorable configuration, the intermediate surface 24 is configured such that, within any cross-section, the light injected and directed in the direction of this intermediate surface by the annular positive lens 22 is parallel, and that this parallelized light is incident at least largely, and preferably substantially entirely, on the lateral exit surface 26. To achieve this objective, the cross-sectional contour of the intermediate surface 24 is a Bézier curve that can be defined by specific computer software. It should be noted that the cross-sectional contour of the intermediate surface 24 can be optimized using computer software based on at least one light source, more specifically, on an array of at least one light source, and on the dimensions of the annular element 12.

[0028] According to certain characteristics, the intermediate surface 24 is configured such that the parallel light has a horizontal light propagation axis 36 between the intermediate surface and the lateral exit surface 26 from which the light beam 30 exits the at least semi-transparent annular element 12.

[0029] According to one advantageous characteristic, the lateral exit surface 26 is arranged such that a parallel light beam 30 incident on this lateral exit surface can exit from at least the translucent element 12 by refraction. It should be noted that the lateral exit surface 26 defining the inner surface 28 of the flange 14 may be subjected to various treatments in detail for aesthetic purposes. For example, a very thin layer of PVD deposition of metal can be envisioned to give a metallic appearance for the watch user, while compensating for sufficient and even nearly complete transparency for the light 30 propagating along the propagation axis 36 and incident on this lateral exit surface. In detail, the lateral exit surface 26 defines a linear segment in any cross-section oriented such that the propagation axis 36 of the parallel light 30 incident on the lateral exit surface 26 is tilted toward the movement 4 as it exits from at least the translucent element 12. In the illustrated variant, where the propagation axis 36 is horizontal between surfaces 24 and 26, the linear segment is oblique and the lateral exit surface 26 is frustoconical. It should be noted that in certain types of watches, for aesthetic reasons in particular, it may be advantageous to provide a flange having vertical sides, i.e., cylindrical, or more specifically circular. In this case, the illuminating device, more specifically the intermediate surface 24, is arranged such that the propagation axis of the light beam between surfaces 24 and 26 is inclined downward toward the display space 70, which may be further advantageous to have an optical axis with a greater inclination behind the lateral exit surface 26.

[0030] In a typical variant, the watch comprises a dial 68 arranged on a movement 4. The direction of the propagation axis 36 of parallel light 30 emanating from at least a translucent element 12 is chosen so that this parallel light substantially incidents directly on the dial. In a favorable variant, the illumination device is arranged so that the parallel light emanating from at least a translucent element 12 reaches directly, or at least almost directly, the dial at all points that the user of the watch can observe in a direction perpendicular to the dial. In a preferred variant where at least a translucent element 12 is circular, the illumination device is arranged so that the parallel light emanating from this translucent element incidents on the dial between the inner surface of the flange and the central axis of the display space in any cross-section. Figure 4 shows a graph of the light beam incident on the dial for a given diameter of the dial, relating to a specific version of the watch of the present invention.

[0031] In the illustrated variant, the watch 2 includes a fitting circle 8 for the movement 4. The fitting circle 8 has an additional outer annular thickness against which the outer shoulder / projection 32 of the annular element 12 presses. An annular base 40 (PCB) is arranged around the movement 4 inside the additional annular thickness, and on this base are the at least one light source 10 along with conductor tracks for electrical connection to an electrical energy source. An annular spacer 9 is located on the base 40 inside the at least one light source 10 and the annular positive lens 22. This annular spacer has an annular surface on the outside on which the lower shouldering of the annular element 12 can rest, and a stepped portion on the inside that defines a shouldering for the upper outer projection of the movement 4. Dimensions and tolerances are determined in detail by a person skilled in the art so that the portion of the annular element forming the flange 14 is kept in a fixed position between the inside of the case 6 holding the glass 78 and the dial 68 which is free of any undesirable slots. Naturally, for the at least one light source 10 and movement, other arrays and mounting means for the annular element 12 can be provided.

[0032] Figure 5 shows a second embodiment of the watch 42 according to the present invention. This second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, in this case, at least a translucent element 12 surrounds the flange externally in the direction of a display space 70 for light provided by at least one light source 10 and incident on the outer surface 54 of the flange 50, rather than forming the flange. "Outside" should be understood as the side facing the inner surface 52 of the flange 50 that defines the display space 70. The inner surface 52 can be treated in detail by metallic PVD deposition to conceal the transparency of the flange from the user of the watch. In one variant, the flange 50 is arranged to be substantially transparent to light obtained from the at least one light source in the direction extending through the flange toward the display space, and substantially opaque in the other direction to light propagating within that display space.

[0033] Other elements or parts that have already been described in reference to and in connection with the first embodiment will not be described again here. Note that the at least translucent annular element 12 is optically similar to the at least translucent annular element 12 already described in the first embodiment, differing only in a portion of its outer contour, while the faces 22, 24, and 26 are essentially identical. Note that other flange arrangements are also possible. In an advantageous variant, the at least translucent element 12 has a height substantially equal to the height of the flange 50 between the dial 68 and the glass 78, having an upper surface defining the support for the glass 78. In this case, the outer surface 54 of the flange, having a substantially rectangular (i.e., without the upper off-center shown in Figure 5) cross-section, is preferably located perpendicular to the thickness of the water-resistant seal 80. In this variant, it may be advantageous to attach the flange to the dial or the annular element.

[0034] Next, a third embodiment of the watch according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 8. The watch is equipped with a device for illuminating the display space, and this illumination device is powered by a mechanical-electric generator. The characteristics of the present invention, which have already been described in various ways, will not be described again. In detail, at least the translucent annular element 12a is optically similar to the annular element 12 already described in the first embodiment, the only difference being the absence of an external shoulder. The optically effective surfaces, namely 22, 24, and 26, are essentially identical.

[0035] The watch 82 comprises a case 6 (located between the dial 68 and the back of the case, partially shown in Figure 6) that incorporates the movement 44, and a mechanical-electric generator 88 located in the peripheral region of the movement. The generator comprises a stator 90 and a rotor 92 having an annular structure and rotatably guided by at least two ball bearings, preferably three ball bearings 100a, 100b, and 100c. Generally speaking, the watch 82 comprises a plurality of ball bearings having a diameter smaller than the inner diameter R of the rotor, preferably smaller than half of this inner diameter. Each of the plurality of ball bearings comprises a fixed portion 101 and a movable portion 102 extending between the fixed portion and the rotor 92, and each movable portion and the rotor are configured so that the rotor is supported only by the plurality of movable portions within the plurality of ball bearings and rotates about the geometric central axis 34 of the rotor, which is the axis of rotation. Each bearing typically comprises balls 103 between its fixed portion and its movable portion. A particular aspect of this embodiment is that the movable part of the ball bearing is not attached to the surrounding annular rotor 92 and is therefore not part of the rotor. The movable part rotates within the rotor interior 96 along a track 97 machined on its side.

[0036] The track 97 has, for example, a cross-sectional contour defining three straight segments, the dimensions of which are designed such that each movable part 102 has a small tolerance in the groove forming the track and is in contact at one or two points along the contour in accordance with the spatial direction of the watch. Preferably, in this advantageous embodiment, each ball bearing is located inside the rotor, and each stationary part is mounted within the movement 44. In one variant, the stationary part 101 is not mounted on the fitting circle of the movement. The rotor 92 has internal teeth 98 that mesh with gears 75 of a drive train (gears 74 and 74) arranged between the barrel 72 and the rotor. The drive mechanism on the generator is designed to drive the generator in a controlled manner by command, depending on the generator array 88, as long as the barrel is wound above a lower threshold, in detail at a rotational speed faster than the minimum speed required for the illumination device to function correctly.

[0037] Throughout its entire height, the rotor 92 has an unobstructed internal space 130 in which its geometric axis of rotation 34 extends and in which the movement 44 is partially located. The rotor 92 is then substantially entirely located within the peripheral space of the movement. In fact, in the illustrated variant, only the three ball bearings related to the rotor, supporting it and allowing it to rotate freely, and the drive wheel 75 that meshes with the internal teeth 98 of the rotor are in contact with the rotor 92 and are located inside the rotor 92. Thus, in the illustrated variant, it can be said that the rotor is substantially entirely located within 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, the recesses 110 and 120 within the stator are not considered to be part of the volume of the stator itself, but the stator is also substantially entirely located within the peripheral space of the movement. Thus, the mechanical-electric generator 88 is substantially entirely, preferably entirely, arranged within the peripheral space of the watch movement.

[0038] The rotor 92 advantageously holds a coil 60 connected to a lighting device formed by multiple electroluminescent diodes 64 (LEDs 64) fixedly arranged on the rotor, either directly or via an electrical circuit without a battery, and optionally via an electronic circuit. More specifically, the rotor comprises an annular base 94 forming a rigid PCB ("Printed Circuit Board"), the annular base having a circular opening in which the coil 60, which is rigidly mounted on the annular base 94 and held by itself by the rotor's interior 96, is located. The LEDs, various electrical connections forming the electrical circuit, and optionally any electronic circuits other than the LEDs are arranged on the PCB and held by the PCB. Thus, the rotor holds all the electrical and electronic equipment of the lighting device formed by multiple LEDs, the coil of the generator 88, the electrical interconnection circuits, and any other electrical or electronic components relating to the lighting device and the mechanical-electric generator supplying power to the lighting device, as needed.

[0039] The stator 90 comprises a first set of permanent dipole magnets 58a having axial magnetization, the first set of permanent dipole magnets being held at the bottom by a first part 106a of an annular ferromagnetic structure which forms a magnetic circuit for closing the magnetic field of the first set of magnets 58a and the magnetic field of a second set of permanent magnets 58b, which is further held at the top by a second part 106b of an annular structure. The annular structure includes recesses 110 for ball bearings 100a, 110b, and 110c, and recesses 120 for drive wheels 75. These recesses are machined into the side walls (axial / vertical walls) and, optionally, further into the second part 106b (lower part of the rear side of the case) as shown, to facilitate the mating of the ball bearings and drive wheels 75.

[0040] In the first variant shown in Figure 6, the number of magnets in each series of magnets is equal to the expected number of coils, which is 36 in the illustrated variant. In a favorable, non-limiting method, the number is expected to be between 20 and 40. In the second variant, the mechanical-electric generator has twice as many magnets as there are coils per series of magnets, and the magnets in each series of magnets have alternating polarity.

[0041] The lighting device comprises at least a translucent annular element 12a similar to the at least translucent annular element described in the first embodiment. This annular element is arranged to guide the light produced by the lighting device, i.e., the LED 64, toward a display space 70 on which an analog display device (not shown) on the watch is located, the display space being situated between the dial 68 and the upper glass 78. According to the modified embodiments shown in Figures 7 and 8, the annular element 12a forms a flange on the watch surrounding the display space 70. In the modified embodiments described here, it is advantageous that the LED 64 is located outside the coil 60, assuming that the annular element 12a forms a flange and is therefore partially located on the periphery of the dial 68.

[0042] The third embodiment offers significant advantages with respect to the illumination of the display space 70. This significant advantage arises from the fact that the LEDs are arranged on a rotor and therefore rotate along the rotor. In this way, the frustoconical surface 26 of the annular element 12a defining the flange is scanned by the light produced by each of the LEDs in a tangential direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation 34, or in other words, in an angular direction. With a relatively small number of LEDs, for example 12 as shown in Figure 3, and a rotor with a sufficiently high rotational speed, for example 2-4 revolutions / second, the generated electrical energy is instantaneously supplied to the LEDs 64 for illumination only when the generator is operating and the rotor is rotating, so the user's eye perceives a quasi-uniform and quasi-steady illumination of the display space. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 2 Watches 4 Movements 6 cases 8 Fitting Circles 9. Ring-shaped spacer 10 light source 12 At least semi-transparent elements, ring elements, at least semi-transparent ring elements 12a At least a semi-transparent ring element 14 Flange 20 Lighting devices 22 Lower injection surface of at least translucent element, annular positive lens 23. Central axis of the ring of an annular positive lens 24 Intermediate surface 26. A frustoconical surface defining the lateral outlet surface and flange. 28 Inner surface of flange 30 Light, light beam 32 External shoulder / projection of annular element 34. Geometric central axis of the rotor, geometric rotation axis of the rotor 36. Vertical optical axis, light propagation axis, propagation axis 38a, 38b lines, injected light 40 Circular Platform (PCB) 42 Watches 44 Movements 50 flange 52 Inner surface of flange 54 Outer surface of the flange 58a First series of permanent bipolar magnets 58b Second series of permanent magnets 60 coils 64 Electroluminescent diodes, LEDs 68 Dial 70 Display space 72 Incense burner 74 Drive train gears 75 Gears and drive wheels of the drive train 78 Glass, upper glass 80 Water-resistant seal 82 Watches 88 Mechanical and Electrical Generators, Generator Arrangement 90 Stator 92 Rotor, annular rotor 94 Ring Platform 96 Inside the rotor 97 Tracks 98 Internal teeth of the rotor 100a, 100b, 100c ball bearings 101 Fixed part 102 Moving parts 103 Ball 106a First part of the cyclic ferromagnetic structure 106b Second part of the fixed annular structure 110 Recesses within the stator, recesses for ball bearings 120 Recesses in the stator, recesses for drive wheels 130 Interior space R Rotor inner diameter

Claims

1. A watch (2, 42, 82) comprising a case (6) fitted with glass (78), a movement, an analog display device, a flange (14, 50) whose inner surfaces (28, 52) define a display space (70) for the analog display device on its side, and an illumination device (20) having at least one light source (10, 64) arranged to provide light into the display space through the inner surfaces and powered by the watch's power supply, wherein the illumination device comprises at least translucent elements (12, 12a) forming or surrounding the flange, wherein, when surrounding the flange, the at least translucent elements (12, 12a) are at least translucent in the direction of the display space for light supplied by the at least one light source and incident on the outer surface of the flange, and the at least translucent elements are arranged above the at least one light source. - 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 translucent element, - Side exit surfaces (26) through which at least the majority of the light injected into the at least translucent element can exit the element and enter the display space directly or through the respective at least translucent flanges, and - An intermediate surface (24) configured to receive at least the majority of the injected light without any prior reflection and to substantially reflect at least the majority of the injected light toward the lateral exit surface. A watch characterized by having [a certain feature].

2. The watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least translucent elements (12, 12a) are arranged such that at least a majority of the reflection of the injected light is an internal reflection on the intermediate surface (24) due to the difference in refractive index between the at least translucent elements and the medium located directly behind the at least translucent elements.

3. The watch according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least translucent elements (12, 12a) form a circular or otherwise closed and continuous arc-shaped portion.

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

5. The watch according to claim 4, wherein the at least one light source (10, 64) is arranged such that the main emission axis of the light source, or optionally the main emission surface, is always perpendicular to and substantially coincides with the optical surface of the annular positive lens, and the optical surface is formed by the perpendicular optical axis that the annular positive lens has in the arbitrary cross-section.

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

7. The watch according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the intermediate surface (24) is configured such that, within the arbitrary cross-section, the light injected and directed in the direction of the intermediate surface by the annular positive lens is made parallel, and the parallelized light preferably substantially completely 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 parallel light has a horizontal light propagation axis (36) after reflection on the intermediate surface.

9. The watch according to claim 7, characterized in that the lateral exit surface (26) is arranged such that the parallel light incident on the lateral exit surface can exit from the at least semi-transparent element by refraction.

10. The watch according to claim 9, characterized in that the lateral exit surface (26) defines a linear segment in any cross-section oriented such that the parallel light propagation axes (36) incident on the lateral exit surface are tilted in the direction of the movement as they exit the at least translucent element.

11. A watch comprising a dial (68) arranged on the movement (4, 44), wherein the direction of the propagation axis (36) of the parallel light emanating from the at least translucent elements (12, 12a) is selected such that the parallel light emanating from the at least translucent elements substantially directly enters the dial, as described in claim 10.

12. The watch according to claim 11, wherein the illumination device (20) is arranged such that the parallel light emanating from at least the translucent elements reaches at least almost the entire dial in all points that can be directly observed perpendicular to the dial by the user of the watch.

13. The watch according to claim 11, wherein the at least translucent elements (12, 12a) are circular, and the parallel light emanating from the at least translucent elements is incident on the dial between the inner surfaces (28, 52) of the flanges (14, 50) and the central axis (34) of the display space (70) within the arbitrary cross-section.

14. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the at least translucent elements (12, 12a) form the flange (14), and the inner surface (28) of the flange coincides with the lateral outlet surface (26).

15. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the at least translucent element (12) surrounds the flange (50), and the flange (50) is at least translucent in the direction of the display space (70) for the light supplied by the at least one light source (10) and incident on the outer surface (54) of the flange (50).

16. The watch according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the power source is a mechanical-electric generator (88) equipped with a rotor (92) incorporated into the watch (82).

17. The watch according to claim 16, characterized in that the mechanical-electric generator (88) comprises a coil (60), and the rotor (92) holds the coil and the at least one light source (64).

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