EP1014231B1 - Armbanduhr mit kapazitiver Kopplung - Google Patents

Armbanduhr mit kapazitiver Kopplung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1014231B1
EP1014231B1 EP19980124363 EP98124363A EP1014231B1 EP 1014231 B1 EP1014231 B1 EP 1014231B1 EP 19980124363 EP19980124363 EP 19980124363 EP 98124363 A EP98124363 A EP 98124363A EP 1014231 B1 EP1014231 B1 EP 1014231B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
wristwatch
electric
conductor
bracelet
case
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19980124363
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1014231A1 (de
Inventor
David Barras
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
Original Assignee
ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse filed Critical ETA SA Manufacture Horlogere Suisse
Priority to EP19980124363 priority Critical patent/EP1014231B1/de
Priority to DE69840071T priority patent/DE69840071D1/de
Publication of EP1014231A1 publication Critical patent/EP1014231A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1014231B1 publication Critical patent/EP1014231B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04G—ELECTRONIC TIME-PIECES
    • G04G21/00—Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
    • G04G21/04—Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces using radio waves
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04R—RADIO-CONTROLLED TIME-PIECES
    • G04R60/00—Constructional details
    • G04R60/04—Antennas attached to or integrated in watch bracelets
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
    • H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
    • H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
    • H01Q1/273—Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the technical field of wristwatches and, more particularly, that of wristwatches comprising a housing provided with a first electrical conductor, and an electrical circuit connected to the first electrical conductor, and a bracelet comprising a second electrical conductor.
  • the EP 0 186 804 describes a wristwatch 1 comprising a housing 3 and a bracelet 5 associated with this housing.
  • the housing 3 comprises an electric circuit 7 provided with an integrated circuit (not shown in FIG. figure 1 ) and a display device 9, the housing 3 being closed by a lens 11.
  • the bracelet 5 comprises two strips 12a and 12b formed in a flexible plastic material, and a conductor 24a disposed between these two strips.
  • the lamella 12a comprises a thick zone 26 of curved shape in which is arranged a transverse opening 27 intended to receive an axle 28 by means of which the bracelet 5 is articulated to the casing 3.
  • a problem encountered in the wristwatch 1 lies in the achievement of an electrical connection between the electrical circuit 7 of the housing 3 and the conductor 24a of the wristband 5.
  • the wristwatch 1 comprises a junction device 13 comprising a contact set 15 consisting of a rigid conductive element 17, an elastic conductive element 19, and a cylindrical pin 21, these components being arranged to produce the electrical connection between the conductor 24a and the integrated circuit 7.
  • Another disadvantage of the wristwatch 1 lies in the fact that the rotation of the bracelet 5 around the axis 28 of the housing 3 is limited, because of the presence of the junction device 13 which is fixed with respect to this housing, which limits the comfort of the wearer of the wristwatch 1.
  • Another disadvantage of the wristwatch 1 lies in the fact that the choice of materials used to form the housing 3 is limited to achieve electrical isolation of the electrical connection between the integrated circuit 7 and the conductor 24a.
  • An object of the present invention is to provide a wristwatch comprising a housing provided with a first electrical conductor and an electrical circuit connected to the first electrical conductor, and a bracelet comprising a second electrical conductor, this case and this bracelet being arranged to make an electrical connection to each other, while overcoming the aforementioned drawbacks.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide such a wristwatch arranged to prevent alteration of the electrical connection between the first and second electrical conductors.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide such a wristwatch whose arrangement of the electrical connection makes it easy to replace the bracelet.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide such a wristwatch whose arrangement of the electrical connection limits the movement of the bracelet relative to the housing, to improve the comfort of the wearer of the wristwatch.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide such a wristwatch whose arrangement of the electrical connection does not limit the choice of materials used to form the housing.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide such a wristwatch answering the usual concerns in a clock application of size and rationality.
  • Another object of the present invention is to provide a wristwatch meeting a usual concern in the cost industry.
  • One advantage of the arrangement of the first and second conductors of such a wristwatch is to provide an electrical connection without mechanical contact and, more specifically, by a capacitive coupling between the first conductor of the case and the second conductor of the wristband, which does not require any additional external hardware arrangement in addition to the conventional articulation between the bracelet and the housing.
  • Another advantage of such an arrangement of the first and second conductors is to avoid a limitation of the movement of the bracelet relative to the case, as is the case in conventional wristwatches, due to the presence of a mechanical contact or galvanic between the first driver of the housing and the second conductor of the bracelet.
  • Another advantage of such an arrangement of the first and second conductors is to facilitate the replacement of the bracelet by another similar bracelet, without there being, after this replacement, a material deterioration of the electrical connection between the first driver of the housing and the second conductor of the bracelet.
  • the wristwatch 30 comprises a housing 32 and a bracelet 34 associated with this housing.
  • the housing 32 comprises an electric circuit 36 provided with an integrated circuit (not shown in FIG. figure 1 ), the housing 32 being closed by an ice 38.
  • the bracelet 34 comprises a blade 40 formed in a flexible plastic material.
  • the blade 40 comprises a thick zone 44 having an outer surface 41 of rounded shape in which is arranged a transverse opening 46 able to receive an axis 48 by means of which the bracelet 34 is articulated to the housing 32.
  • the bracelet 34 also comprises an electrical conductor, or second conductor 42, incorporated in the strip 40, in the outer portion of its rounded shape.
  • the housing 32 further comprises an outer surface 49 and an electrical conductor, or first conductor 50, connected to the electrical circuit 36, and disposed in the vicinity of the outer surface 49.
  • the outer surface 49 of the housing 32 is disposed facing the outer surface 41 of the bracelet 34, so that the conductors 42 and 50 form the two electrodes of a coupling capacitor, which provides a capacitive coupling between the bracelet 34 and the housing 32. It follows from this provision that an electrical connection is made without mechanical contact and, more precisely, by capacitive coupling, between the conductor 42 and the electrical circuit 36.
  • each of the conductors 42 and 50 are preferably formed by forming a metal layer having a surface area of a few square millimeters, and covered with an electrically insulating material.
  • An advantage of the arrangement of such an insulating material on the conductors 42 and 50 is to prevent the oxidation of these conductors.
  • Another advantage of the arrangement of such an insulating material on the conductors 42 and 50 is to improve the tightness of the wristwatch 30.
  • the wristwatch 30 further comprises a conductor 51 arranged to form an electrical connection between the conductor 50 and the electrical circuit 36.
  • the bracelet 34 may also comprise an antenna 52, one of the electrodes of which is formed by the conductor 42, as represented by FIG. figure 2 .
  • An advantage of this arrangement of the antenna 52 in the bracelet 34 is to connect the antenna 52 to the electronic circuit 36, without making a galvanic electrical connection between these two components.
  • Another advantage of this arrangement of the antenna 52 in the bracelet 34 is to reduce the bulk of the housing 32.
  • the figure 3 represents a partial view of a bracelet 60 of a wristwatch according to the present invention.
  • the housing (not shown) of this watch is similar to the case 32 of the figure 2 .
  • objects from the figure 3 similar to those described in relation to the figure 2 have been designated by the same references.
  • the patent 60 comprises a coil 62 provided with two conductors 52 arranged to form two respective couplings similar to that described in connection with the figure 2 , which makes two electrical connections between the housing and the bracelet 60.
  • the housing 32 may comprise two zones 54 and 56 formed of an electrically insulating material, and arranged on either side of the conductor 50, so as to realize the electrical insulation between the conductor 50 and the metal case of the wristwatch 30.
  • the zones 54 and 56 can be formed by forming a single annular piece arranged around the conductor 50.
  • An advantage of this arrangement of the insulating zones 54 and 56 is to provide electrical insulation of the electrical circuit made in the wristwatch 30, vis-à-vis external disturbances of electrical and magnetic nature.
  • Another advantage of this arrangement of the insulating zones 54 and 56 is to avoid the formation of a parasitic coupling, especially in the case where the housing 32 is arranged to form the ground of the electric circuit 36.
  • the conductor 42 is arranged in the bracelet 34, to have a rounded shape appropriate to the rounded shape of the bracelet 34, so that, once the bracelet 34 mounted on the housing 32, the same distance is present between conductors 42 and 50, regardless of the position of the bracelet 34 relative to the housing 32.
  • An advantage of this arrangement of the conductors 42 and 50 is to ensure a constant capacitance of the coupling capacitor formed by these conductors, whatever the position of the strap 34 relative to the case 32.
  • Another advantage of this arrangement of the conductors 42 and 50 is to facilitate the adaptation of the wristwatch 30 to the different wrist sizes, without there being any influence on the electrical connection between the electrical circuit 36 and the conductor 42. .

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electric Clocks (AREA)

Claims (7)

  1. Armbanduhr (30), enthaltend:
    - ein Gehäuse (32), das mit einem ersten elektrischen Leiter (50) und einem Stromkreis (36) versehen ist, der an den ersten elektrischen Leiter (50) angeschlossen ist, und
    - ein Armband (34) mit einem zweiten elektrischen Leiter (42),
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der erste (50) und der zweite (42) elektrische Leiter so angeordnet sind, dass sie eine elektrische Verbindung ohne mechanischen Kontakt herstellen.
  2. Armbanduhr (30) nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Gehäuse (32) und das Armband (34) jeweils eine erste bzw. eine zweite Außenfläche (49, 41) haben, dass der erste und der zweite elektrische Leiter jeweils benachbart zur ersten bzw. zweiten Außenfläche angeordnet sind und dass die zweite Außenfläche der ersten Außenfläche gegenüberliegend angeordnet ist, so dass der erste und der zweite elektrische Leiter die beiden Elektroden eines Kopplungskondensators bilden, um die elektrische Verbindung durch kapazitive Kopplung zwischen dem ersten und dem zweiten elektrischen Leiter herzustellen.
  3. Armbanduhr (30) nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der zweite elektrische Leiter (50) so angeordnet ist, dass er eine für die zweite Außenfläche geeignete Form hat, so dass dann, wenn das Armband an dem Gehäuse angebracht ist, der gleiche Abstand zwischen dem ersten und dem zweiten elektrischen Leiter vorliegt, unabhängig von der Stellung des Armbands bezüglich des Gehäuses.
  4. Armbanduhr (30) nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass in dem Armband (34) eine Antenne (52) eingegliedert ist, deren eine Elektrode aus dem zweiten elektrischen Leiter (42) gebildet ist, so dass dann, wenn das Armband an dem Gehäuse montiert ist, die Antenne über die kapazitive Kopplung elektrisch mit dem ersten elektrischen Leiter verbunden ist.
  5. Armbanduhr (30) nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass sie auch einen Stromkreis (36) enthält, der mit dem ersten elektrischen Leiter verbunden ist, so dass dann, wenn das Armband an dem Gehäuse montiert ist, der Stromkreis über die kapazitive Kopplung elektrisch mit dem zweiten elektrischen Leiter verbunden ist.
  6. Armbanduhr (30) nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der erste und der zweite elektrische Leiter (42, 50) jeweils aus einer Metallschicht gebildet sind, die mit einem elektrisch isolierenden Material überdeckt ist.
  7. Armbanduhr (30) nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Gehäuse aus einem metallischen Material gebildet ist und dass das Gehäuse einen ersten und einen zweiten Bereich (54, 56) enthält, die aus einem elektrisch isolierenden Material gebildet sind und beiderseits des ersten elektrischen Leiters angeordnet sind, so dass sie die elektrische Isolierung der Armbanduhr gewährleisten.
EP19980124363 1998-12-22 1998-12-22 Armbanduhr mit kapazitiver Kopplung Expired - Lifetime EP1014231B1 (de)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19980124363 EP1014231B1 (de) 1998-12-22 1998-12-22 Armbanduhr mit kapazitiver Kopplung
DE69840071T DE69840071D1 (de) 1998-12-22 1998-12-22 Armbanduhr mit kapazitiver Kopplung

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19980124363 EP1014231B1 (de) 1998-12-22 1998-12-22 Armbanduhr mit kapazitiver Kopplung

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1014231A1 EP1014231A1 (de) 2000-06-28
EP1014231B1 true EP1014231B1 (de) 2008-10-01

Family

ID=8233202

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19980124363 Expired - Lifetime EP1014231B1 (de) 1998-12-22 1998-12-22 Armbanduhr mit kapazitiver Kopplung

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1014231B1 (de)
DE (1) DE69840071D1 (de)

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1315234A1 (de) 2001-11-26 2003-05-28 Eta SA Fabriques d'Ebauches VHF-Empfangsantenne integriert in das Armband einer tragbaren elektronischen Vorrichtung
US7474592B2 (en) * 2001-12-05 2009-01-06 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. Secure operation of a versatile device based on whether an authenticated user continues to wear the versatile device after initiating its use
US12525706B2 (en) 2022-04-07 2026-01-13 Meta Platforms Technologies, Llc Antenna system for mobile devices

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2137783B (en) * 1983-03-10 1987-02-25 Casio Computer Co Ltd Electronic equipment with touch switches
US5159713A (en) * 1985-11-27 1992-10-27 Seiko Corp. Watch pager and wrist antenna
GB2201266A (en) * 1986-12-23 1988-08-24 Upperpace Limited A radio paging watch
US5170173A (en) * 1992-04-27 1992-12-08 Motorola, Inc. Antenna coupling apparatus for cordless telephone
JPH1064648A (ja) * 1996-08-22 1998-03-06 Casio Comput Co Ltd アンテナ用ヒンジ型コネクタ及び該コネクタを使用した無線通信機器

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1014231A1 (de) 2000-06-28
DE69840071D1 (de) 2008-11-13

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