Compressible seal for rotatable and translatable input mechanisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11988995-B2
Application number	US-202017091805-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 6, 2020
Priority date	Mar 8, 2015
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

An electronic device has a housing and a rotatable and translatable input mechanism. The housing has an aperture and the rotatable and translatable input mechanism has a shaft positioned at least partially within the aperture and a manipulation structure coupled to the shaft. The manipulation structure may be manipulated to rotationally and translationally move the shaft to provide rotational and translational input to the electronic device. A compressible seal is positioned in a gap between the housing and the rotatable and translatable input mechanism. The compressible seal may resist and/or prevent passage of contaminants into the aperture and/or obscure one or more internal components. The compressible seal may be configured to collapse or bend when the rotatable and translatable member translates.

First claim

I claim:

1. A watch comprising:
a housing defining an opening;
a display positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to receive touch input and to produce graphical output;
a crown positioned along a side of the housing and configured to:
rotate about a rotational axis in response to a rotational input applied to the crown;
translate inward from an undepressed position to a depressed position in response to a force applied to the crown; and
translate outward to the undepressed position in response to the force being removed, the crown comprising, the crown comprising:
a shaft extending into the opening;
a crown body defining a recess; and
a crown cap positioned in the recess and fixed relative to the shaft and the crown body, the crown cap configured to receive the force causing the inward translation from the undepressed position to the depressed position;

an extender coupled to the shaft and positioned at least partially within the housing, the extender configured to prevent the crown from moving outward beyond the undepressed position;
an optical sensor positioned within the housing and configured to detect the rotational input based at least in part on light reflected from the extender; and
a tactile switch positioned within the housing and along an end of the shaft, the tactile switch configured to bias the crown toward the undepressed position and to detect the inward translation of the crown to the depressed position.

2. The watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the crown body is formed from a first material; and
the crown cap is formed from a second material different from the first material.

3. The watch of claim 2 , wherein the second material comprises a dielectric material.

4. The watch of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first gasket positioned around the shaft and within the opening; and
a second gasket positioned around the shaft and separated from the first gasket.

5. The watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the tactile switch comprises a dome configured to collapse in response to the inward translation of the crown; and
the dome is configured to provide a return force that biases the crown toward the undepressed position.

6. The watch of claim 5 , wherein:
the watch further comprises a collar extending through the opening and encircling the shaft; and
the extender has a diameter that is greater than an internal diameter of the collar.

7. The watch of claim 5 , wherein, upon collapse, the dome is configured to produce an audible output.

8. The watch of claim 1 , wherein the extender is threaded to an end of the shaft and is configured to actuate the tactile switch.

9. The watch of claim 1 , wherein:
in the undepressed position, a first side of the extender is configured to contact a retention surface, thereby preventing the crown from moving outward beyond the undepressed position; and
in the depressed position, a second side of the extender opposite the first side is configured to actuate the tactile switch.

10. A watch comprising:
a housing having an opening;
a display positioned at least partially within the housing and configured to receive touch input and to produce graphical output;
a crown that is biased in an outward direction to an undepressed position and configured to translate to a depressed position in response to a force in an inward direction opposite the outward direction, the crown comprising:
a shaft extending into the opening;
a crown cap defining an input surface that is configured to receive the force; and
a crown body encircling the crown cap, wherein the crown cap is fixed relative to the shaft and to the crown body;

an extender coupled to an end of the shaft and positioned at least partially within the housing, the extender configured to limit outward translation of the crown beyond the undepressed position; and
a sensor positioned within the housing and configured to detect, based at least in part on light reflected from the extender, at least one of:
a rotational input; or
a translational input corresponding to the depressed position.

11. The watch of claim 10 , wherein:
the extender includes trackable features arranged along a surface of the extender; and
the light reflected from the extender is light reflected off of the trackable features.

12. The watch of claim 10 , further comprising a tactile switch configured to detect the depressed position of the crown.

13. The watch of claim 10 , further comprising a compressible seal positioned between the crown body and an exterior of the housing.

14. The watch of claim 13 , wherein the compressible seal defines a Y-shaped member that contacts the crown body and the housing.

15. A watch comprising:
a housing;
a crown biased in an undepressed position relative to the housing and configured to be translated to a depressed position relative to the housing, the crown comprising:
a crown body positioned along a sidewall of the housing and formed from a first material, the crown body defining a recess;
a crown cap positioned in the recess and fixed relative to the crown body, the crown cap formed from a second material different from the first material and configured to contact a user's finger during a translational input to the crown; and
a shaft fixedly coupled to the crown body and to the crown cap, the shaft extending into the housing;

an extender coupled to an end of the shaft and positioned at least partially within the housing, the extender configured to limit outward translation of the crown beyond the undepressed position;
an optical sensor positioned within the housing and configured to detect a rotation of the crown based at least in part on light reflected by a surface of the extender; and
a tactile switch having a dome positioned within the housing and configured to detect the translational input of the crown to the depressed position.

16. The watch of claim 15 , wherein:
the tactile switch is positioned at a first end of the crown; and
the crown cap defines at least a portion of a second end of the crown opposite the first end.

17. The watch of claim 15 , further comprising:
a display at least partially positioned within the housing; and
a touch sensor configured to detect a touch input received at the display.

18. The watch of claim 15 , wherein:
the sidewall has a first opening;
the shaft extends into the housing through the first opening;
the housing includes a second opening; and
the watch further comprises a display at least partially positioned with the second opening.

19. The watch of claim 15 , wherein the optical sensor is positioned proximate an end of the shaft.

20. The watch of claim 19 , wherein the optical sensor is configured to detect a translational movement of the extender.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Ely Colin M

Classifications

• G04B37/106 Primary

  of push buttons (winding up by push button G04B3/001; crown in the form of push button G04B3/046; construction of push buttons G04B3/048) · CPC title

• G04B3/04

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

• G04B27/02

  by making use of the winding means {(winding by hand or mechanically G04B3/00)} · CPC title

• G04B37/081 Primary

  Complete encasings for wrist or pocket watches also comprising means for hermetic sealing of the winding stem and crown (hermetic sealing of the stem or crown G04B37/10) · CPC title

• G04C3/005

  Multiple switches (G04C3/004 takes precedence) · CPC title