Wearable electronic device including wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12487562-B2
Application number	US-202318360379-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2023
Priority date	Apr 14, 2021
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

An example wearable electronic device may include a main body including a first surface having an opening area formed therein, wherein a plurality of lateral walls, surrounding at least one part of the opening area, are formed in the peripheral area of the opening area; a display disposed inside the main body and which is viewable through the opening area; a wheel including a mounted part, which is at least partially mounted on the peripheral area, and an extension part which extends in the inward direction from the mounted part, wherein the wheel is formed in a ring shape extending in the circumferential direction with respect to a rotation axis of the wheel; and a guide member partially coming into contact with the main body and the wheel, respectively, and for guiding the rotation of the wheel. The guide member may include a first part having at least one portion thereof extending to a space between the plurality of lateral walls and a second part at least partially inserted to a first recess formed in each of the plurality of lateral walls.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A wearable electronic device comprising:
a main body including a first surface having an opening area, wherein a plurality of side walls surrounding at least a portion of the opening area are formed in a peripheral area of the opening area and each of the plurality of side walls includes a first recess respectively; a display disposed in an interior of the main body and viewable through the opening area; a wheel including a seating part at least partially seated in the peripheral area, and an extending part extending from the seating part in an inward direction, wherein the wheel is formed in a ring shape extending in a circumferential direction defined with respect to a rotation axis of the wheel; and a guide member at least partially contacting the main body and the wheel and configured to guide rotation of the wheel, wherein the guide member includes:
a first part, at least a portion of which extends in spaces between the plurality of side walls, and a second part at least partially inserted into each of the first recess.

2 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the seating part of the wheel is located in outward directions of the side walls, and
wherein the extending part of the wheel overlaps the guide member and the side walls when viewed from a direction of the rotation axis.

3 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first part of the guide member includes a first protruding portion protruding in an inward direction and located in the spaces between the plurality of side walls, and a second protruding portion protruding in an outward direction and at least partially contacting an inner wall of the seating part.

4 . The wearable electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the second part of the guide member includes a third protruding portion protruding in the inward direction and located in an interior of the first recess, and a fourth protruding portion protruding in the outward direction and at least partially contacting an inner wall of the wheel.

5 . The wearable electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the wheel further includes a step protruding from the seating part toward the first part of the guide member,
wherein the step at least partially faces the extending part in a direction of the rotation axis, and wherein the second protruding portion is at least partially accommodated in a space between the extending part and the step.

6 . The wearable electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the step and the second protruding portion at least partially contact each other in the direction of the rotation axis, and
wherein the seating part and the fourth protruding portion at least partially contact each other in a direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis.

7 . The wearable electronic device of claim 5 , wherein the step partially contacts the second protruding portion when the wheel is rotated by a first angle, and partially contacts the fourth protruding portion when the wheel is rotated by a second angle.

8 . The wearable electronic device of claim 5 , wherein a first inclined surface is formed in the step, and
wherein the first inclined surface is inclined such that a protruding height of the step becomes smaller towards the peripheral area of the main body.

9 . The wearable electronic device of claim 8 , wherein a second inclined surface is formed at the second protruding portion, and
wherein the second inclined surface is inclined such that a protrusion height of the second protruding portion becomes smaller away from the peripheral area of the main body.

10 . The wearable electronic device of claim 4 , further comprising:
a front plate, at least a portion of which is disposed in an interior of the main body; and an inner ring disposed in the opening area, at least a portion of which is disposed between the front plate and the wheel when viewed in a radial direction of the wheel.

11 . The wearable electronic device of claim 10 , wherein an air gap is formed between the first protruding portion and the inner ring, and
wherein at least portions of the side walls are located between the third protruding portion and the inner ring.

12 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a first boss at least partially contacting the extending part of the wheel and which is formed in the first part of the guide member.

13 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a first boss at least partially contacting the seating part of the wheel and which is formed in the second part of the guide member.

14 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first part includes a plurality of first parts substantially equally spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction.

15 . The wearable electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a ball configured to roll when the wheel is rotated and which is disposed in any one of the peripheral area of the main body and the seating part of the wheel, and a second recess, in which at least a portion of the ball is accommodated, which is formed in the other thereof.

16 . A wearable electronic device comprising:
a main body including an opening area, and a first surface, on which a first side wall and a second side wall surrounding at least a portion of the opening area are formed; a wheel rotatable about a rotation axis, wherein the wheel includes a seating part located on a radially outer side of the first side wall and at least partially disposed on the first surface of the main body, and an extending part extending from the seating part on the radially outer side; and a guide member including a first part, at least a portion of which is disposed in a space between the first side wall and the second side wall, and a second part disposed between each of the first side wall and the second side wall, and the seating part of the wheel when viewed in a radial direction, wherein the first part of the guide member includes a first boss protruding in a direction of the rotation axis to at least partially contact the extending part, and wherein the second part of the guide member includes a second boss protruding in the radial direction to at least partially contact the seating part of the wheel.

17 . The wearable electronic device of claim 16 , wherein the first part of the guide member includes a first protruding portion protruding in a radially inward direction and located in spaces between the first side wall and the second side wall, and a second protruding portion protruding in a radially outward direction and at least partially contacting an inner wall of the seating part of the wheel, and
wherein the second part of the guide member includes a third protruding portion protruding in the radially inward direction and disposed in an interior of a first recess, and a fourth protruding portion protruding in the radially outward direction and at least partially contacting the inner wall of the seating part of the wheel.

18 . The wearable electronic device of claim 17 , wherein the wheel further includes a step protruding from the seating part toward the first part of the guide member, and
wherein the step at least partially faces the extending part in the direction of the rotation axis.

19 . The wearable electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the step of the wheel and the second protruding portion at least partially contact each other in the direction of the rotation axis, and
wherein the seating part of the wheel and

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Kyunghwan
• Han Kwangsoo
• Oh Sangrok
• Lee Yonglim
• Lee Jaejin
• Jung Wookdam

Classifications

• G04G99/006

  Electronic time-pieces using a microcomputer, e.g. for multi-function clocks · CPC title

• G04G21/00 Primary

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

• G06F3/0362

  with detection of one-dimensional [1D] translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts · CPC title

• G04B19/283 Primary

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

• G04G17/04

  Mounting of electronic components · CPC title