Flower Animation Timepiece with Independent Movable Flaps
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current women's watches lack unique and poetic complications, with most designs relying on reduced men's watch complications and static floral representations, failing to provide an exclusive and captivating animation.
Innovation Solution
A timepiece featuring a flower representation with independently movable petals that simulate the game of 'stripping the leaves of a Marguerite' through a mechanism involving a control member, drive cams, and display member, allowing for pseudo-random petal retraction and display of phrases like 'He/She loves me, a little, a lot, passionately, madly, not at all'.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a static floral representation is used on the dial, then the design is simple and easy to manufacture, but it lacks captivating animation and poetic complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The flower is divided into multiple independent movable flaps (petals) that can be individually retracted, while the stem and leaves remain fixed. This segmentation allows the flower to transition from a static representation to an animated one through controlled movement of discrete elements, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and captivating animation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transforms the static floral representation into a dynamic one by enabling the petals to move between extended and retracted states. This dynamic capability provides captivating animation while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through the use of simple hinge joints and spring mechanisms.
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional reduced men's watch complications are used, then the design is conventional and easy to manufacture, but it lacks unique and poetic complications for women's watches
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies a unique poetic complication specifically to the floral representation on the dial, while other watch functions (hours, minutes, seconds) maintain traditional designs. This localized application of creativity provides feminine design uniqueness without requiring complete redesign of the entire watch, balancing ease of manufacture with adaptability.
3Ease of operation
If a control mechanism for petal retraction is added, then the animation becomes interactive and engaging, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The petals are equipped with spring mechanisms that automatically return them to their extended position after being retracted. This self-service feature reduces the complexity of the control mechanism, as the system automatically resets itself without requiring additional actuators or complex control logic, while still providing interactive and engaging animation.
4Loss of information
If multiple display positions are added for phrases, then the poetic message becomes more complete, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the display of multiple phrases with the petal retraction mechanism by having each phrase correspond to a specific retraction state. As petals are retracted, different phrases are revealed or hidden, merging the information display function with the existing animation mechanism without requiring a separate complex display system.
Data Source
Figure 1a
Figure 1b
Figure 2
AI summary
The present invention relates to a timepiece comprising a representation of a flower (1) formed by a plurality of movable flaps (2), each mounted independently of the others. Each flap (2) is capable of moving between a "normal" state, in which it forms the representation of the flower (1), and a "retracted" state, in which it is retracted behind a cover. The timepiece also comprises: - a multi-position display element (300), each position being capable of appearing successively in a display area of the timepiece; - a control element (400) arranged to simultaneously control the movement of at least one flap (2) from its normal state to its retracted state and the change of position of the display element (300); and - a return element (500) for all the flaps (2).