Device for controlling the functions of a watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11415939-B2
Application number	US-202117159227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2021
Priority date	Apr 6, 2020
Publication date	Aug 16, 2022
Grant date	Aug 16, 2022

Abstract

A device for controlling the functions of a watch, which includes a crown connected to a stem, an optical action system actuated in one position of the stem from among three possible positions to determine the direction of rotation of the stem, and an electronic mechanical arrangement for controlling the functions. A guide element can rotate on a support and which has a rounded end in an annular groove of the stem to be driven in rotation, and a selection part can rotate on the support above the annular groove to be driven in rotation. The selection part includes at least one contactor for contacting a first electrical terminal on a printed circuit board in a first position of the stem, with no electrical contact in a second position of the stem, and for contacting a second electrical terminal in a third position of the stem.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for controlling functions of a watch, the device comprising:
a crown connected to a stem to actuate an electronic mechanical arrangement configured to select functions in a watch case, the crown being located on an outer portion of the watch case;
integrated in a watch movement, an optical action system actuated in one position of the stem from among three possible defined positions of the stem in order to determine a direction of rotation of the stem; and
the electronic mechanical arrangement to control functions in all three positions of the stem, said electronic mechanical arrangement comprising
a guide element mounted to rotate about a rotating arbor on a support connected to a plate of the watch movement, the guide element being generally flat-shaped having a rounded end arranged in a circular annular groove of an intermediate portion of the stem to be driven in rotation during a movement of the stem in one or other of the three defined positions, and
a selection part mounted to rotate about another rotating arbor on the support and above the annular groove of the stem and intended to be driven in rotation by the rounded end of the guide element with a thickness to be housed inside a U-shaped opening of one end of the selection part, the selection part comprising at least one electrically conductive contactor arranged on an opposite side to the U-shaped end so as to contact a first electrical terminal on a printed circuit board in a first position of the stem, to have no electrical contact in a second position of the stem, and to contact a second electrical terminal on the printed circuit board in a third position of the stem.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection part is an electrically conductive metal part, and
said selection part comprises a first contactor in a form of a metal strip, one end of which is connected to a body of the metal selection part in proximity to the other rotating arbor, and another free end of the metal strip is configured to
contact the first electrical terminal on a first metallized portion of an inner circular edge of a hole made through the printed circuit board in the first position of the stem,
contact the second electrical terminal on a second metallized portion of the inner circular edge of the hole in the third position of the stem, or
have no contact with the first electrical terminal or the second electrical terminal in the second position of the stem.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein
a body of the selection part is substantially parallel to the printed circuit board,
the metal strip of the first contactor is arranged slightly offset underneath the body of the selection part and the printed circuit board,
a free end of the first contactor comprises a raised finger for
contacting either the first electrical terminal, or the second electrical terminal or
not contacting the two electrical terminals depending on the position of the stem, and

the diameter of the hole which comprises the two electrical terminals is defined as a function of the three positions of the stem and of a movement of the free end of the first contactor in each of the three positions.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the selection part is an electrically conductive metal part,
said selection part comprises a first contactor and a second contactor which are each in a form of a metal strip,
one end of the first contactor is connected to a body of the metal selection part in proximity to the other rotating arbor, whereas one end of the second contactor is connected to the body of the metal selection part on an opposite side to the other rotating arbor,
another free end of the metal strip of the first contactor is configured to contact the first electrical terminal on an inner metallized edge of a first hole made through the printed circuit board in the first position of the stem, whereas the second contactor has no electrical contact in a second adjacent hole made through the printed circuit board, the second hole comprising the second electrical terminal on a metallized inner edge of said second hole,
another free end of the metal strip of the second contactor is configured to contact the second electrical terminal on the metallized inner edge of said second hole in the third position of the stem, whereas the first contactor has no electrical contact in the first hole, and
the first contactor and the second contactor have no electrical contact with the first electrical terminal and with the second electrical terminal in the second position of the stem.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein
the body of the selection part is substantially parallel to the printed circuit board,
the metal strip of the first contactor and the metal strip of the second contactor are arranged slightly offset and underneath the selection part and the printed circuit board,
the free end of the first contactor comprises a raised finger for contacting the first electrical terminal of the first hole in the first position of the stem,
the free end of the second contactor comprises a raised finger for contacting the second electrical terminal of the second hole in the third position of the stem, and
the diameter of the first hole and the diameter of the second hole are defined as a function of the three positions of the stem and of a movement of the free end of the first contactor and of the free end of the second contactor in each of the three positions.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each electrical contact of a first contactor or of the first contactor with a second contactor of the selection part against the first electrical terminal in the first position of the stem or against the second electrical terminal in the third position of the stem controls one microswitch connected to each electrical terminal in direct connection with a data processing circuit of the watch for setting various parameters, including the hour, the date, the minutes and seconds in one or other of the positions of the stem.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical action system is actuated in the third position of the stem during the rotation of the stem,
the optical action system comprises a first photo-reflector and a second photo-reflector electrically connected on the printed circuit board,
the first photo-reflector comprises at least one light emitting light source and one photoreceptor portion,
the second photo-reflector comprises one light emitting light source and one photoreceptor portion,
the optical action system further comprises a disc mounted to rotate along at least one vertical axis perpendicular to the plane of the watch, and above the photo-reflectors,
the disc comprises through openings configured to allow light to pass through one or other of the through openings from the first photo-reflector and/or the second photo-reflector when said disc rotates above the photo-reflectors so that the light is reflected onto a reflective surface of a cover above the through openings of the disc, and
the reflected light is captured by the photoreceptor portion of the first photo-reflector and/or of the second photo-reflector, which are arranged on the printed circuit board so as to output two quadrature signals determining the direction of rotation of the stem.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
the optical action system is actuated in the third position of the stem during the rotation of the stem,
the optical action system comprises a first photo-reflector and a second photo-reflector electrically connected on the printed circuit board,
the first photo-reflector comprises at least one light emitting light source and one ph

Assignees

• Eta Sa Mft Horlogere Suisse

Inventors

• Zanesco Vittorio
• Porcherie Damien
• Hêche Louis

Classifications

• G04B3/04 Primary

  Rigidly-mounted keys, knobs or crowns {(jointed winding-stem G04B37/06)} · CPC title

• G04C3/001 Primary

  Electromechanical switches for setting or display · CPC title

• G04B3/046

  Operation by rotation and axial movement with extra function of axial shift of operating element, e.g. crown combined with push button (winding up by push button G04B3/001) · CPC title

• G04G21/00

  Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces · CPC title

• G04B3/041 Primary

  Construction of crowns for rotating movement; connection with the winding stem; winding stems · CPC title