WATCH WITH A MULTIFUNCTIONAL DISPLAY

• US 20090154296A1
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LVMH Swiss Manufactures SA (Christian Dior SE)
• Original Assignee: TAG Heuer SA (Christian Dior SE)
• Inventors: Renoux, Grégoire, Houlon, Thomas, Behling, Christophe
• Granted Patent: US 7,889,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/10
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/247 disc-shaped G04B19/24306 takes precedence; for electrically driven timepieces G04C17/0058
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 17/0066 electromagnetically driven, e.g. intermittently clocks incorporating a stepping motor G04C3/14
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/146 incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature

Abstract

Watch provided with a multifunctional aperture display capable of displaying symbols corresponding to one or several special functions and to the date. The movement of the display discs is ensure by bidirectional motors and the display discs or mobiles have several series of digits of different colour for differentiating the display of the different functions.

Claims

1. Watch with an information display mechanism having:

at least one display mobile bearing a sequence of symbols on its surface,

at least one actuator associated to the mobile and capable of having the mobile turn around an axis to have the symbol or symbols corresponding to the information to display to become visible through one or several apertures,

the display mechanism being capable of switching from one display mode to the other from among several display modes, where each operating mode is designed for representing information of a different nature,

the symbol or symbols displayed in the aperture or apertures in at least one said display mode being independent of absolute time,

characterized in that the mobile or mobiles each bear at least two series of symbols or digits, each series of symbols or digits being distinguishable by a visual characteristic indicating the nature of the information displayed.

2. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the symbol or symbols displayed in the aperture or apertures are dependent on the indications supplied by an electronic sensor of the watch.

3. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the symbol or symbols displayed in the aperture or apertures are independent of the time measured by the watch.

4. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the aperture or apertures are provided in the dial of the watch.

5. Watch according to claim 1, wherein each of the mobiles is associated to an independent actuator.

6. Watch according to claim 1, wherein two or more mobiles are associated to a common actuator.

7. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the display mobile or mobiles include digits and pictograms.

8. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the symbols borne by the display mobile or mobiles have different colours according to the display mode they are intended for.

9. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the symbols borne by the display mobile or mobiles have different background colours according to the display mode they are intended for.

10. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the actuator or actuators are capable of imprinting a bidirectional rotation to the mobile or mobiles.

11. Watch according to claim 10, wherein the actuator or actuators include electric motors.

12. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the symbol or symbols displayed in the aperture or apertures correspond to a function selected from among:

diving, depth meter, altimeter, telephone call signal, diary, ultraviolet detector, thermometer, barometer, speed, acceleration, pulse-meter, secret code reminder, compass, serial number indication, weather forecast, messaging signal, jump height, spin, navigation, regatta, chronograph, visual alarm, ON/OFF alarm, metronome, working reserve.

13. Watch according to claim 1, having also a date display mode through the aperture or apertures.

14. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the display mechanism allows numeric values or any other type of information with 3 or 4 digits or other symbols to be displayed.

15. Watch according to claim 1, wherein the display mechanism allows numeric values or any other type of information with 5 or more digits or other symbols to be displayed.

16. Watch according to claim 1, wherein said symbol independent of absolute time is displayed in said aperture simultaneously with a symbol depending on absolute time.

17. Watch of claim 1, wherein at least one mobile has on the one hand a sequence of digits to display indications depending on absolute time and on the other hand letters or pictograms or any other graphical symbol for displaying indications independent of absolute time.