Watch case comprising a near-field communication device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12353174-B2
Application number	US-202117495145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 6, 2021
Priority date	Nov 30, 2020
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

A watch case including a middle and a hollow bezel provided with a near-field communication device including at least one microcircuit connected to an antenna, the bezel being removably mounted on the middle and formed by an assembly of two lining elements that could define a housing within which the near-field communication device is arranged, the first and second lining elements of the bezel being assembled together with a reversible fastening device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A watch case comprising:
a middle;
a hollow bezel; and
a near-field communication device having at least one microcircuit connected to an antenna,
wherein said bezel is removably mounted on said middle and formed by an assembly of a first and a second lining element that define a housing within which said near-field communication device is arranged,
wherein said first and second lining elements of the bezel are assembled together with a reversible fastening device, the reversible fastening device includes a compressible seal tightening element,
wherein the first lining element includes a reversible fastening area having an annular groove,
wherein the annular groove extends into an outer peripheral wall of the first lining element such that a first portion of the outer peripheral wall of the first lining element is located on a first side of the annular groove and a second portion of the outer peripheral wall of the first lining element is located on a second side of the annular groove opposite the first side, and a base of the groove has a diameter smaller than a diameter of each of the first portion of the outer peripheral wall and the second portion of the outer peripheral wall,
wherein an entirety of the compressible seal tightening element is positioned within the annular groove, and
wherein the tightening element is positioned between the first lining element and the second lining element.

2. The case according to claim 1 , wherein said second lining element comprises a reversible connecting area that cooperates by friction with the tightening element arranged in the groove comprised within the first lining element.

3. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the bezel comprises a removable support element of the near-field communication device.

4. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the bezel comprises a removable support element comprising over its upper face a reception area that is an inclined plane configured to receive said antenna.

5. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the bezel comprises a removable support element comprising over its upper face a reception area comprising or being formed by a protective magnetic screen made of ferrite.

6. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the bezel comprises a removable support element comprising a recess within which said at least one microcircuit is completely or partially arranged.

7. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the bezel comprises a removable support element comprising over its lower face at least two feet that bear on an inner face of the second lining element of the bezel when said second lining element is assembled to the first lining element.

8. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second lining elements, a removable support element and the tightening element are made of at least one dielectric and/or electrically non-conductive material.

9. The case according to claim 1 , wherein said bezel is fastened on the middle with at least one removable clipping-type fastening element.

10. The case according to claim 1 , wherein, the near-field communication device comprises a sealing material coating to waterproof and/or moistureproof the device.

11. The case according to claim 1 , wherein the near-field communication device is a contactless electronic payment device.

12. A watch comprising the case according to claim 1 .

13. The watch according to claim 12 , wherein the watch is water-resistant.

Assignees

• Swatch Group Res & Dev Ltd

Inventors

• Randjelovic Zoran
• Etienne Jean-Daniel
• Scordilis Thierry

Classifications

• H01Q1/273

  Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals · CPC title

• G04G17/08

  Housings · CPC title

• G04B19/283

  on rotatable rings, i.e. bezel (for graduations on the bezels G04B19/18) · CPC title

• H04W4/80

  Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication · CPC title

• G04B47/046

  Changeable decorations and parts thereof, decorations for the case which change the external appearance of the clockwork (clip-on -, sliding - or tilting protective lids or covers G04B37/005; with a clockwork which can be mounted on different cases for changing its external appearance G04B37/0427; clockworks which can be mounted in different cases for changing their purpose G04B37/14; decoration of the case or parts thereof G04B45/0076; changeable pictures or inscriptions G04B45/0092) · CPC title