Patent Application
20210311434
The invention relates to a device for controlling the functions of a watch. The control device comprises a crown and a stem connected to the crown arranged on an outer side of a watch case. The stem acts on means of the control device disposed inside the watch case, to activate or select one or more functions.
Generally, a control device, which comprises an electronic crown connected to a stem, is of relatively large size and has only two action positions, namely a rest position and a position for controlling at least one function to be performed. It is sought to produce a small control device of this type which can easily be integrated in a small watch calibre and has more than two positions for controlling functions to be performed.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,203,662 B1 discloses an electronic device, which comprises a crown connected to a watch stem. This electronic device comprises a light source for transmitting light beams onto an inclined end surface of the stem inside the watch. The light beams are reflected and sent to photoreceptors. However, there is no mention of the action of other control members, particularly connected to the stem, to perform functions in more than two control positions of the stem.
It is thus an object of the present invention to overcome the problems identified above relating to a device for controlling the functions of a watch.
The present invention therefore proposes a device for controlling the functions of a watch, as explained in more detail below, by using optical and electronic means to execute functions. Moreover, the control device is devised to be easy to integrate in the mechanical or electromechanical watch movement.
To this end, the present invention concerns a device for controlling the functions of a watch according to the independent claim 1.
One advantage of the device for controlling watch functions lies in the fact that the device is designed with elements requiring little space, especially heightwise, so that it is ultra flat and easy to integrate in a small calibre watch while maintaining a traditional casing method.
Advantageously, the device mainly comprises a crown connected to a stem, which can be moved preferably in a rectilinear direction to occupy three determined positions T0, T1 and T2 in order to actuate at least one and preferably at least two electrical contactors of an electronic mechanical assembly, and an inner end to act on an optical action system for determining the direction of rotation of the stem. A selection part, notably made of metal, is mounted to rotate about a rotating arbor fixed on a support, and is driven in rotation by a guide element, such as a pull-out piece, mounted to rotate about another arbor on the support. This guide element has a rounded end moving in a circular groove of the stem in order to be moved, depending on the position of the stem, from one position to another position and to allow the two contactors of the selection part to contact either a first electrical terminal or a second electrical terminal or no electrical terminal defining one of the positions of the stem. The electrical contact at one or other of the electrical terminals controls each switch or micro-switch connected to each electrical terminal. Preferably, the electrical contact of one of the contactors at one of the electrical terminals is an earthing contact like with the bottom plate bearing the watch movement. However, the electrical contact could also be linked to the supply voltage particularly from a battery powering the watch.
Advantageously, the optical system comprises a coded disc, which is mounted to rotate in a plastic frame or cover and driven in rotation in the third position T2 of the stem, and two photo-reflectors arranged opposite the disc. The disc of a light absorbent base material either has through openings, preferably evenly distributed and spaced to reflect light on a reflective surface of the cover above the openings, or sectors reflecting light on the surface of the disc, which are evenly distributed and spaced. Each photo-reflector, placed in well defined positions on a printed circuit board, transmits light to the disc and detects the reflected light to obtain two quadrature signals determining the direction of rotation.
The optical system is more advantageous than a magnetic solution since it uses less space.
Thus, the mechanical elements for actuating the contactors, the switches or interrupters and the optical detection disc are in one plane, take up little space in height and are therefore ultra flat. It is possible to obtain a height of around 3 mm for the calibre comprising the watch movement with the function control device.
Other aspects of the present invention are defined in the dependent claims.
The objects, advantages and features of a device for controlling the functions of a watch will appear more clearly in the following non-limiting description with reference to the drawings, in which:
a,
4
b,
4
c show a simplified top view of the three positions of movement of the stem of the device according to the invention.
In the following description, all the components of a device for controlling the functions of a watch that are well known to those skilled in the art in this technical field will be described only in a simplified manner. The function control device mainly comprises a crown connected to a stem actuating means for selecting functions in the watch. The watch may be an electromechanical watch or a mechanical watch. A ‘function’ means any operation performed in the watch changing, for example, the time or date indication, or to perform measurements via one or more sensors, or other functions or operations via the action of the stem connected to the crown.
These contactors 33, 34 are preferably metal strips to ensure electrical contact with electrical terminals 36, 37, which are, for example, metallized holes made in a printed circuit board 20. Contactors 33, 34 are located on an opposite side to U-shaped opening 32. One end of each contactor 33, 34 is connected to the main body of selection part 31 slightly offset below the body and parallel to the body of this selection part 31, and below and parallel to printed circuit board 20. A first contactor 33 is intended to come into contact with a first electrical terminal 36 of the first metallized hole over its entire inner circular edge in a first position T0 of stem 4 pulled outwards from the watch case. A second contactor 34 is intended to come into contact with a second electrical terminal 37 of the second metallized hole over its entire inner circular edge in a third position T2 of stem 4 pushed into the watch case. In a second intermediate position T1 of stem 4, the two contactors 33, 34 are not in contact with electrical terminals 36, 37. The holes are of large enough diameter to allow sufficient travel of each end of contactors 33, 34 to come into contact with first electrical terminal 36 or with second electrical terminal 37. More details with respect to these three positions of stem 4 are explained below with reference to
In position T2 of stem 4, optical action system 2 is actuated. To this end, a sliding pinion 7 is mounted at one end 6 of stem 4 for meshing with a toothed wheel 25 of optical system 2. Tubular-shaped sliding pinion 7 is fixedly mounted on inner end 6 of stem 4. This inner end 6 comprises flat outer parts for receiving the sliding pinion, which includes complementary parts inside its tubular shape thereby preventing it from rotating on inner end 6 of stem 4. The cross-section of end 6 can, for example, define a polygon, such as a square or a rectangle. Thus, the tubular interior of sliding pinion 7 can have a complementary shape to end 6. Sliding pinion 7 can be secured by any means on inner end 6 of stem 4 once it is positioned on inner end 6. This can involve bonding, brazing or a fixing screw through sliding pinion 7 and in a thread of inner end 6 of stem 4.
Optical action system 2 firstly comprises a first photo-reflector 21 and a second photo-reflector 22 which are electrically connected on printed circuit board 20. First photo-reflector 21 comprises at least one light emitting LED source in a first housing 21a and a photoreceptor portion in a second housing 21b of first photo-reflector 21. Likewise, second photo-reflector 22 comprises a light emitting LED source in a first housing 22a and a photoreceptor portion in a second housing 22b of second photo-reflector 22.
Optical action system 2 further comprises a disc 23 in which several through openings 24 are made. Disc 23 is mounted to rotate about at least one arbor arranged in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the watch. These through openings 24 are preferably evenly distributed over a circular rim inside disc 23. The shape of each through opening 24 may be an angular sector starting in proximity to the centre of the disc and in proximity to an outer rim of the disc. There may be, as indicated in
Disc 23 is fixedly mounted on a first arbor 27 having a first diameter, and a second arbor 26 having a second diameter is fixedly mounted coaxially under first arbor 27. The first diameter of first arbor 27 is greater than the second diameter of second arbor 26. Disc 23 is mounted on a toothed wheel 25 via its second arbor 26, which is inserted into a central opening in toothed wheel 25. Second arbor 26 can be inserted, for example, forcibly, into the central opening of toothed wheel 25 in order to securely attach the latter to disc 23 and to first arbor 27 and second arbor 26 so as to form a single piece capable of rotating about a central axis. Toothed wheel 25 is held on a lower support (not represented), allowing the assembly of disc 23, first arbor 27, second arbor 26 and toothed wheel 25 to rotate about a central axis.
The diameter of disc 23, which is defined as an encoder disc, is sufficiently large to cover at least partly the two photo-reflectors 21 and 22. The space separating the lower surface of disc 23 and each photo-reflector 21 and 22 is chosen to be relatively small in order to allow disc 23 with these openings 24 to act as a shutter for the light generated by the light sources of each photo-reflector 21, 22. Disc 23 and the two photo-reflectors 21 and 22 are arranged underneath a frame or cover 10, preferably made of plastic material, which is arranged to be screwed by means of screws 11 onto a support 12, which may be made of metal, directly connected to the plate of the watch movement. A reflective coating is made on an inner surface of cover 10 above disc 23 in order to reflect the light beams which are generated by each photo-reflector 21 and 22 and pass through openings 24 of disc 23. The reflective coating may be a golden layer. Disc 23 can also be made of plastic material with a coating capable of absorbing the light beams generated by photo-reflectors 21 and 22. Disc 23 can advantageously be made of a base or black material absorbing a maximum amount of light. As a result, there is less sensitivity to light variations in the light sources.
It is to be noted that each photo-reflector 21 or 22 is arranged on a printed circuit board 20 in order to obtain two quadrature signals at the output of the photoreceptors of the two photo-reflectors 21 and 22. This means two signals of substantially sinusoidal shape, if the speed of rotation of the stem is more or less constant, these two signals being spaced apart 90° in time as illustrated in a basic manner in
It is also to be noted that, in a variant of the first embodiment of
In this second embodiment of the device, disc 23 may be close to the two photo-reflectors 21 and 22, while still allowing each of them the possibility of generating a light beam able to be reflected onto reflective portions 24′ of disc 23 and picked up by the photoreceptors of photo-reflectors 21 and 22. In such case, cover 10, which encloses disc 23 and photo-reflectors 21 and 22, no longer has a reflective coating on an inner surface facing disc 23. However, this cover 10 is also fixed to a support 12 of the plate by means of two screws 11 screwed into corresponding threads of support 12.
Since all the other components of this second embodiment of function control device 1 are identical to those described with reference to
First photo-reflector 21 generates a light beam in a first housing 21a in the direction of disc 23. Since this light beam reaches a light absorbent portion of disc 23, there is no reflection of light, and the photoreceptor in second housing 21b of first photo-reflector 21 does not capture any light. However, second photo-reflector 22 generates a light beam in a first housing 22a in the direction of disc 23, and this light beam passes through a through opening 24 and is reflected on a reflective surface under the cover. This reflected light is thus captured by the photoreceptor in second housing 22b of second photo-reflector 22. Depending on the positioning of the two photo-reflectors 21 and 22, the electrical output signals are quadrature signals which makes it possible to determine the direction of rotation of the stem.
a,
4
b and 4c represent the three positions T0, T1 and T2 of stem 4 for controlling the watch functions to be executed or selected. Positions T1 and T2 are determined stable positions, and position T0 is a ‘click’ position which, after pressing on the crown connected to stem 4, returns to position T1. These different positions of stem 4 will also be explained more specifically in the following description of the various
Selection part 31 comprises a first contactor 33, which is a metal strip, which is slightly offset beneath the body of the selection part. This metal strip extends from a central portion or a body of selection part 31 towards the interior of the first metallized hole in inner edge 36. In the first metallized hole in inner edge 36, a raised finger 33′ at the free end of first contactor 33 comes into direct contact with metallized inner edge 36, which defines the first electrical terminal. A switch or microswitch (not represented) is connected to the first electrical terminal in order to earth it just like the potential of the plate, or to set it to a different voltage, such as the supply voltage supplied by the battery, but which is not advantageous in this case. An electronic processing circuit of the function control device is not represented but takes account of the contact of first contactor 33 at first electrical terminal 36. In this manner, action on the crown from first position T0 instructs the electronic processing circuit to perform a particular function, notably in conjunction with the time base of the watch.
Selection part 31 comprises a second contactor 34, which is a metal strip, which is slightly offset beneath the body of the selection part 31. This metal strip extends from a central portion of selection part 31 on an opposite side to first contactor 33 towards the interior of the second metallized hole on inner edge 37. In this second metallized hole on inner edge 37, a raised finger 34′ at the free end of second contactor 34 does not come into contact with metallized inner edge 37 and remains more or less in a central position in this second hole. The strip of first contactor 33 and the strip of the second contactor can be parallel to the printed circuit board and pass underneath the printed circuit board, which may also be flexible in nature.
In this third position T2, sliding pinion 7, which is fixedly mounted on inner end 6 of stem 4, meshes with toothed wheel 25 of the optical action system. Thus, by rotating the crown connected to stem 4, the disc with through openings or with reflective portions of the optical action system described with reference to
Contrary to what was shown in
Pull-out piece jumper 18 indexes guide element 13, which is defined as the pull-out piece, via its side portion 16 in a stable second position T1 and a stable third position T2. In first position T0, there is only the sensation of a click. Thus, pull-out piece spring 17 ensures that pull-out piece 13 returns to second position T1 following a click.
It is to be noted that, for further details on the stable positions and the click, reference can be made to the technical specification of the ETA E63.111 module without describing the whole operation in more detail in this description.
As a non-limiting example of the function control device according to the invention integrated in a watch movement, the various functions can be explained below.
To set the time and date, the crown can be pulled out to first position T0. Depending on the movement available with the calibre used, the hour hand may tick. When the crown is rotated, there may be an hour jump in one hour increment. The setting can be validated by pushing the crown into stable second position T1.
To set the seconds or minutes, the crown can be pushed into third position T2, where the sliding pinion meshes with the toothed wheel of the optical system. In this position, the seconds hand may tick. Afterwards, the crown connected to the stem is pulled out to first position T0, which results in the seconds hand being placed at 12 o'clock. The crown is then rotated, which results in a minute jump in one minute increment. Then the setting is validated by pushing the crown into the second rest position T1.
It is also to be noted that it is possible to envisage the function control device having three positions of the stem referenced T1, T2 and T3, which are stable positions, instead of having positions T0 (click), T1 (stable) and T2 (stable). Further, it is also possible for the stem of the function control device to be removable like a conventional calibre.
Evidently, other operating possibilities with the three positions of the function control device can be envisaged by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20168217.6 | Apr 2020 | EP | regional |
