Watch case and wrist watch device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9869976-B2
Application number	US-201213644339-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2012
Priority date	Oct 5, 2011
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

The present invention is related to a watch case adapted to be integrated into a wrist watch device, the watch case comprising an inner volume for housing internal components of the wrist watch device and attachment elements for attaching at least one watch strap of the wrist watch device, wherein at least one portion of the inner volume of the watch case extends laterally (or longitudinally) beyond the points of attachment of the at least one watch strap. The present invention is also directed to a corresponding watch strap as well as to a wrist watch device comprising such a watch case.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A watch case configured for use with a wristwatch device having a plurality of internal electronic components and first and second watch straps, the watch case having a first longitudinal dimension, the watch case comprising:
a main body defining an inner volume, the main body configured to house the internal electronic components;
a watch glass coupled to the main body, the watch glass defining a watch glass plane, the internal electronic components being positioned beneath the watch glass plane with none of the internal electronic components extending above the watch glass plane; and
a plurality of strap attachment elements connected to the main body, the attachment elements including a first set of strap attachment points longitudinally spaced apart from a second set of strap attachment points, the first and second sets of strap attachment points configured for coupling the first and second watch straps to the main body, respectively, the first and second sets of strap attachment points defining first and second transverse lines, respectively, the first and second transverse lines defining a first plane, at least a portion of the inner volume of the main body and at least a portion of one of the internal electronic components longitudinally extending beyond at least one of the first and second transverse lines; and at least a portion of one of the internal electronic components extending below the first plane.

2. The watch case of claim 1 , wherein the main body includes a bottom that generally defines a bottom plane, and wherein the first plane is parallel with the bottom plane.

3. The watch case of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second transverse lines is positioned above the bottom plane.

4. The watch case of claim 1 , wherein the first and second transverse lines are longitudinally spaced apart by a second longitudinal dimension, and wherein the second longitudinal dimension is sized to be within the range of 50 to 90 percent of the first longitudinal dimension.

5. The watch case of claim 4 , wherein the second longitudinal dimension is sized to within the range of 65 to 85 percent of the first longitudinal dimension.

6. The watch case of claim 1 , wherein the main body has an outer surface, wherein the main body defines a first plurality of indentations inwardly extending from the outer surface, and wherein the first plurality of indentations correspond to the first and second sets of attachment points of the plurality of attachment elements.

7. The watch case of claim 6 , wherein the main body includes a bottom that generally defines a bottom plane, and wherein at least two of the first indentations are positioned above the bottom plane.

8. The watch case of claim 6 , wherein at least one of the first indentations is sufficiently sized to substantially fully receive one of the strap attachment elements.

9. The watch case of claim 6 , wherein each of the first indentations is sufficiently sized to receive a separate one of the strap attachment elements.

10. The watch case of claim 6 , wherein the first watch strap includes a first watch strap end, wherein the main body defines a plurality of second indentations, and wherein at least one of the second indentations is sized to receive the first watch strap end.

11. The watch case of claim 10 , wherein the first watch strap end includes a pair of laterally spaced apart end regions, and wherein at least two of the second indentations are sized to receive the pair of end regions.

12. The watch case of claim 1 , wherein the strap attachment elements are selected from the group consisting of screws, nuts, bolts, rivets and combinations thereof.

13. The watch case of claim 1 , wherein the main body is one single integral piece excluding the watch glass and any other separate cap or cover element.

14. The watch case of claim 2 , wherein the main body defines a single opening positioned opposite the bottom, and wherein the single opening is delimited by a surface lying in a single plane.

15. The watch case of claim 14 , wherein the delimiting surface of the inner of the main body lies in a single sealing plane having a circular circumference.

16. The watch case of claim 1 , wherein the first watch strap includes a first watch strap end, and wherein the first watch strap end is generally U-shaped to form two laterally spaced apart end regions corresponding to the first set of strap attachment points.

17. The watch case of claim 1 wherein the plurality of internal components are selected from the group consisting of a global positioning system unit, a pressure sensor, an altimeter, a barometer, a cardiac frequency sensor, a radio receiver and combinations thereof.

18. The watch case of claim 1 , wherein no portion of the main body extends above the watch glass plane.

Assignees

• Perko Panu
• Manni Jukka
• Suunto Oy

Inventors

• Perko Panu
• Manni Jukka

Classifications

• G04B37/1486

  Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet (building watches into bracelets (montre marquise) G04B37/12; arrangements for hanging pocket- or other watches on chains G04B37/1446) · CPC title

• G04G21/04

  using radio waves (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title

• G04G17/08 Primary

  Housings · CPC title

• G04B37/0058

  for shaped watches · CPC title

• G04R60/10

  inside cases · CPC title