Solar watch comprising a shutter device
AssigneeThe Swatch Group Research and Development Ltd
InventorMatthias Imboden
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A watch (10) including a case provided with a back, with a crystal (12), with a set of components forming a horological movement (13), and with a dial (14) disposed between the movement and the crystal (12), the dial (14) including a photovoltaic cell module (16) connected to an electric accumulator (17) intended to provide an electrical energy source to the watch (10), the dial (14) further including a shutter device (18) arranged between the photovoltaic cell module (16) and the crystal (12) of the watch (10), and configured to occupy a shutter state wherein it masks the entire photovoltaic cell module (16) and an exposure state wherein it exposes all or part of the photovoltaic cell module (16).
Claims16
A watch comprising:
- a case provided with a middle to which are fixed a back and a crystal, with a set of components forming a horological movement, and with a dial disposed between said movement and the crystal, the dial including a photovoltaic cell module connected to an electric accumulator intended to provide an electrical energy source,
- said dial further comprising a shutter device arranged between the photovoltaic cell module and the crystal of the watch, and an actuation member for driving the shutter device such that the shutter device occupies a shutter state in which the entire photovoltaic cell module is masked and an exposure state in which all or part of the photovoltaic cell module is exposed,
- wherein the actuation member includes a motor controlled by instructions delivered by a control unit, and
- wherein the control unit includes a brightness sensor configured to control the motor such as to drive the shutter device in the shutter state when the brightness is below a certain threshold and in the exposure state when the brightness is above said threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.