Swatch Group has patented a variable-geometry timepiece display mechanism with resilient hands and flexible strips. The mechanism includes drive pipes, drivers, and stressors to vary the position of the display index. Accelerator or decelerator devices with shaped gear trains control the movement of the pipes. GlobalData’s report on Swatch Group gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
Smarter leaders trust GlobalData
According to GlobalData’s company profile on Swatch Group, HEV energy management was a key innovation area identified from patents. Swatch Group's grant share as of January 2024 was 54%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Variable-geometry timepiece display mechanism with resilient hands and gears
A variable-geometry timepiece display mechanism has been granted a patent (Publication Number: US11886147B2). The mechanism comprises at least one resilient hand with a flexible strip, first and second drive pipes, and a display index or tip. The mechanism includes means for driving the pipes about an output axis, deforming the flexible strip to vary the radial position of the display index. An accelerator or decelerator device controls the speed of the pipes symmetrically, ensuring the flexible strip remains symmetrical relative to a radial originating from the output axis. The mechanism allows the resilient hand to travel a total non-retrograde path, maintaining equal average speeds for both pipes.
The mechanism further includes multiple stages of gear trains, cams, and differential gears to control the movement of the resilient hand over its angular travel. The flexible segments of the resilient hand can transform into various shapes, such as almond or heart shapes, as the mechanism operates. The mechanism is designed to ensure the resilient hand remains non-twisted in its stressed operating position, with the first and second pipes superimposed on one another. The patent also covers horological movements and timepieces incorporating this innovative display mechanism, offering a unique and visually appealing way to display time information on dials or watch faces.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Swatch Group, buy the report here.
Premium Insights
From
The gold standard of business intelligence.
Blending expert knowledge with cutting-edge technology, GlobalData’s unrivalled proprietary data will enable you to decode what’s happening in your market. You can make better informed decisions and gain a future-proof advantage over your competitors.
GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
