Compressible seal for rotatable and translatable input mechanisms

• US 10,037,006 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2016
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ely, Colin M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kayes, Sean
• Application Number:
  US15/269,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20170003655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 27/02 by making use of the winding means winding by hand or mechanically G04B3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 3/04 Rigidly-mounted keys, knobs or crowns jointed winding-stem G04B37/06
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/081 Complete encasings for wrist or pocket watches also comprising means for hermetic sealing of the winding stem and crown hermetic sealing of the stem or crown G04B37/10
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/106 of push buttons winding up by push button G04B3/001; crown in the form of push button G04B3/046; construction of push buttons G04B3/048
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/005 Multiple switches G04C3/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/00 Input or output devices integrated in time-pieces
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/025 actuated by sliding movement
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 1/08 Controlling members for hand actuation by rotary movement, e.g. hand wheels
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 25/04 Sealing against entry of dust, weather or the like in selector apparatus for gearings, F16H59/0213
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 5/05 Means for returning or tending to return controlling members to an inoperative or neutral position, e.g. by providing return springs or resilient end-stops G05G5/28 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05G 9/04 in which movement in two or more ways can occur simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/016 Application timepiece
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/06 Operating part movable both angularly and rectilinearly, the rectilinear movement being along the axis of angular movement
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 25/065 using separate operating parts, e.g. a push button surrounded by a rotating knob

Abstract

An electronic device has a housing and a rotatable and translatable input mechanism. The housing has an aperture and the rotatable and translatable input mechanism has a shaft positioned at least partially within the aperture and a manipulation structure coupled to the shaft. The manipulation structure may be manipulated to rotationally and translationally move the shaft to provide rotational and translational input to the electronic device. A compressible seal is positioned in a gap between the housing and the rotatable and translatable input mechanism. The compressible seal may resist and/or prevent passage of contaminants into the aperture and/or obscure one or more internal components. The compressible seal may be configured to collapse or bend when the rotatable and translatable member translates.

Claims

1. An input mechanism assembly for an electronic device, comprising:

a rotatable and translatable member comprising;

a shaft positioned at least partially within an aperture of a housing; and

a manipulation structure coupled to the shaft and separated from the housing by a gap; and

a compressible seal positioned in the gap that resists passage of contaminants into the aperture and is configured to collapse when the rotatable and translatable member translates;

wherein;

rotation of the rotatable and translatable member generates a first input to the electronic device;

translation of the rotatable and translatable member generates a second input to the electronic device;

the compressible seal comprises first and second arms connected at a base portion and separated by a space to define an arm angle;

the first arm contacts the housing;

the second arm contacts the rotatable and translatable input member; and

the first and second arms are operable to pivot when the rotatable and translatable member translates to reduce the arm angle.

2. The input mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein the compressible seal is formed of at least one of silicone, polyurethane, hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber, or a fluoroelastomer.

3. The input mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the first arm has a first end and a second end;

the second arm has a third end and a fourth end;

the first and third ends are unconnected; and

the second and fourth ends are connected at the base portion.

4. The input mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein the compressible seal obscures at least one component that is at least one of formed of a different material than the manipulation structure or has a different finish than the manipulation structure.

5. The input mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein rotation of the rotatable and translatable member is not transferred to the compressible seal.

6. The input mechanism assembly of claim 1, wherein the contaminants comprise liquid absent hydrostatic pressure.

7. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a body including an aperture;

a crown comprising;

a knob; and

a stem coupled to the knob and positioned at least partially within the aperture;

a tactile structure connected to the crown that is actuatable by translation of the crown; and

an elastomer Y-ring positioned between the crown and the body comprising a pair of hingedly connected limbs that each contact one of the body or the knob, the pair of hingedly connected limbs define a space and an arm angle between the limbs;

wherein;

the limbs pivot to reduce the arm angle in response to the knob moving towards the body; and

the elastomer Y-ring is operable to move freely of the body or the crown.

8. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein rotation of the crown is transferred to the elastomer Y-ring.

9. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a gasket positioned between the crown and the body that is shaped to define an indent into which the gasket is configured to expand when compressed.

10. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein a shape of a force curve corresponding to actuation of the tactile structure by the translation of the crown is unchanged by the elastomer Y-ring.

11. The wearable electronic device of claim 7, wherein the elastomer Y-ring is configured to prevent light passage.

12. The wearable electronic device of claim 11, wherein a finish or a color of the elastomer Y-ring is configured to prevent light passage.

13. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a body including an aperture;

a crown comprising;

a knob; and

a stem coupled to the knob and positioned at least partially within the aperture;

a tactile structure connected to the crown that is actuatable by translation of the crown; and

an elastomer Y-ring positioned between the crown and the body comprising a pair of limbs connected at a base that define an arm angle of a space between the limbs;

wherein

the limbs move at the base to reduce the arm angle in response the knob moving toward the body;

a first of the limbs contacts the body and a second of the limbs contacts the knob; and

rotation of the crown is transferred to the elastomer Y-ring.

14. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a body including an aperture;

a crown comprising;

a knob; and

a stem coupled to the knob and positioned at least partially within the aperture;

a tactile structure that is actuatable by translation of the crown;

an elastomer Y-ring positioned between the crown and the body and comprising a pair of connected limbs, each in contact with one of the body or the crown, the pair of connected limbs configured to pivot to reduce an arm angle of a space formed by the pair of connected limbs when the crown translates to move the knob toward the body; and

a gasket positioned between the crown and the body that is shaped to define an indent into which the gasket is configured to expand when compressed.

15. A wearable electronic device, comprising:

a body including an aperture;

a crown comprising;

a knob;

a stem coupled to the knob and positioned at least partially within the aperture;

a tactile structure connected to the crown that is actuatable by translation of the crown; and

an elastomer Y-ring positioned between the crown and the body comprising connected limbs that pivot at a connection point to reduce an arm angle of a space defined between the connected limbs when the crown translates to move the knob toward the body;

wherein;

a first limb of the connected limbs is in contact with the body and a second limb of the connected limbs is in contact with the crown; and

a shape of a force curve corresponding to actuation of the tactile structure by the translation of the crown is substantially unchanged by the elastomer Y-ring.