Switch mechanism for wristwatch

• US 4,170,104 A
• Filed: 11/30/1977
• Issued: 10/09/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Yamagata, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): Truhe, J. V.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pojunas, Jr., Leonard W.
• Application Number:
  US05/856,189
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 200/DIG. 25, 200/302, 200/159 B, 58/23 R, 58/50 R, 58/85.5
• US Class Current: 368/289
• 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 3/001 Electromechanical switches for setting or display in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 277/919 Seal including electrical feature

Abstract

A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, which comprises conductive contact means disposed on the substrate to be in registration with a switch position of the switch mechanism, stepped bore means provided in alignment with the contact means, a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with the flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of the embossed portion to be in alignment with the contact means, pressure ring means for compressing the flange to retain the diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect, and push-button means disposed in the stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of the diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press the embossed portion and the contact element toward the contact means to close the switch mechanism when the push-button means is depressed.

Claims

1. A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, comprising:

conductive contact means disposed on said substrate to be in registration with a switch position of said switch mechanism;

stepped bore means provided in alignment with said contact means;

a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with said flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of said embossed portion to be in alignment with said contact means;

pressure ring means for compressing said flange to retain said diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect; and

push-button means disposed in said stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press said embossed portion and said contact element toward said contact means to close said switch mechanism when said push-button means is depressed;

said diaphragm assembly including a radial distortion preventive means by which the flange of said diaphragm assembly is prevented from being distorted in a radial direction, said radial distortion preventive means comprising a plurality of engagement bore means formed in the flange of said diaphragm assembly, and said pressure ring comprising a plurality of engagement projections fitted to the engagement bores of the flange of said diaphragm assembly.

2. A switch mechanism according to claim 1, in which said stepped bore means comprises a guide sleeve press-fitted to a stepped portion of said case.

3. A switch mechanism according to claim 1, in which said stepped bore means comprises said case.

4. A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, comprising:

conductive contact means disposed on said substrate to be in registration with a switch position of said switch mechanism;

stepped bore means provided in alignment with said contact means;

a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with said flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of said embossed portion to be in alignment with said contact means;

pressure ring means for compressing said flange to retain said diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect; and

push-button means disposed in said stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press said embossed portion and said contact element toward said contact means to close said switch mechanism when said push-button means is depressed;

said diaphragm assembly including a radial distortion preventive means by which the flange of said diaphragm assembly is prevented from being distorted in a radial direction, said radial distortion preventive means comprising upwardly extending engagement projection means formed on the flange of said diaphragm assembly, said engagement projection means being fitted to a corresponding bore formed in the annular shoulder of said stepped bore means.

5. A switch mechanism according to claim 4, in which said stepped bore means comprises a guide sleeve press-fitted to a stepped portion of said case.

6. A switch mechanism according to claim 4, in which said stepped bore means comprises said case.

7. A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, comprising:

conductive contact means disposed on said substrate to be in registration with a switch position of said switch mechanism;

stepped bore means provided in alignment with said contact means;

a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with said flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of said embossed portion to be in alignment with said contact means;

pressure ring means for compressing said flange to retain said diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect; and

push-button means disposed in said stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press said embossed portion and said contact element toward said contact means to close said switch mechanism when said push-button means is depressed;

said case including a plurality of stepped bores formed in alignment with a plurality of said contact means, and an annular recess having first and second annular shoulders formed along said recess, and said push-button means comprising a plurality of plumgers disposed in said plurality of stepped bores, respectively, said diaphragm assembly comprising an annular ring including a plurality of said embossed portions provided with a plurality of said contact elements, respectively, in registration with the plurality of said contact means, and said pressure ring comprising an annular ring with a plurality of bores formed to be in registration with said plurality of contact elements, said diaphragm assembly being disposed in said annular recess of said case and said pressure ring being press-fitted to said annular recess of said case to compress said diaphragm assembly against the first and second annular shoulders of said annular recess of the case.

8. A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, comprising:

conductive contact means disposed on said substrate to be in registration with a switch position of said switch mechanism;

stepped bore means formed in said case in alignment with said contact means;

a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with said flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of said embossed portion to be in alignment with said contact means;

pressure ring means for compressing said flange to retain said diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect; and

push-button means disposed in said stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press said embossed portion and said contact element toward said contact means to close said switch mechanism when said push-button means is depressed;

said case having a large-diameter bore formed adjacent an upper surface of said case, and a small-diameter bore formed adjacent a lower surface of the case, and a radially extending annular shoulder formed between said large-diameter bore and said small-diameter bore, said flange of said diaphragm assembly being disposed in said large-diameter bore and compressed against said annular shoulder by said pressure ring which is press-fitted to said large-diameter bore, the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly extending downward through the small-diameter bore of said case toward said contact means.

9. A switch mechanism according to claim 8, in which said case also has a third bore smaller in diameter than said small-diameter bore, and a second annular shoulder formed between said small-diameter bore and said third bore, the bottom wall of said embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly partially engaging the second annular shoulder of said case.

10. A switch mechanism according to claim 8, in which said diaphragm assembly includes a radial distortion preventive means provided at the flange of said diaphragm assembly.

11. A switch mechanism according to claim 10, in which said radial distortion preventive means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores formed in the flange of said diaphragm assembly, and in which said pressure ring includes a plurality of downwardly extending projections fitted to the bores of said flange.

13. A switch mechanism according to claim 10, in which said radial distortion preventive means comprises a downwardly extending annular ring formed along the flange of said diaphragm assembly, and in which said annular shoulder between said large-diameter bore and said small-diameter bore is formed with a downwardly extending annular recess to which the downwardly extending annular ring of said radial distortion preventive means is fitted.

14. A switch mechanism according to claim 8, in which said push-button means has a bore formed at its bottom end, and in which said diaphragm assembly has an upwardly extending engagement portion formed at the bottom wall of said embossed portion, the upwardly extending engagement portion being fitted to the bore of said push-button means.

15. A switch mechanism according to claim 8, in which said diaphragm assembly has an upwardly extending annular ring portion of which a lower end of said push-button means is fitted.

16. A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, comprising:

conductive contact means disposed on said substrate to be in registration with a switch position of said switch mechanism;

stepped bore means provided in said case in alignment with said contact means;

a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with said flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of said embossed portion to be in alignment with said contact means;

pressure ring means for compressing said flange to retain said diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect; and

push-button means disposed in said stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press said embossed portion and said contact element toward said contact means to close said switch mechanism when said push-button means is depressed;

said case including a first annular recess formed along a circumferential periphery of said case, a second annular recess, first and second radially extending annular shoulders formed between said first and second annular recesses, and said push-button means comprising a plurality of plungers, said diaphragm assembly comprising an annular ring including a plurality of circumferentially spaced and downwardly extending embossed portions provided with a plurality of said contact elements, respectively, in registration with a plurality of said contact means, and said pressure ring comprising an annular ring formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores in alignment with said plurality of said embossed portions to accommodate plurality of said plungers, said flange of said diaphragm assembly being disposed in said first annular recess of said case and said pressure ring being press-fitted to said first annular recess of said case to compress the flange of said diaphragm assembly against the annular shoulder of said case.

17. A switch mechanism according to claim 16, in which said case has first and second downwardly extending annular recesses formed on said first and second radially extending annular recesses, respectively, and in which the flange of said diaphragm assembly has fist and second downwardly extending annular projections which are fitted to the downwardly extending annular recesses of said case.

18. A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, comprising:

conductive contact means disposed on said substrate to be in registration with a switch position of said switch mechanism;

stepped bore means provided in said case in alignment with said contact means;

a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with said flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of said embossed portion to be in alignment with said contact means;

pressure ring means for compressing said flange to retain said diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect; and

push-button means disposed in said stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press said embossed portion and said contact element toward said contact means to close said switch mechanism when said push-button means is depressed;

said case having first, second and third bores concentric with one another, a first annular shoulder formed between said first and second bores, and a second annular shoulder formed between said second and third bores, said push-button means comprising a cap movably disposed in said first bore and having a bore axially extending thereof and a radially extending annular flange normally engaging said first annular flange, and the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly comprising an elastomeric upwardly extending projection partially received in the bore of said cap, the flange of said diaphragm assembly being disposed in said third bore of said case and compressed against the second annular shoulder of said case by said pressure ring means which is press-fitted to the third bore of said case.

12. A switch mechanism according to claim 20, in which said radial distortion preventive means comprises a plurality of circumferentially spaced downwardly extending projections provided on the flange of said diaphragm assembly, and in which the annular shoulder between said large-diameter bore and said small-diameter bore is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced bores to which the projections of said radial distortion preventive means are fitted.

19. A switch mechanism according to claim 18, in which said flange of said diaphragm assembly also comprises radial distortion preventive means.

20. A switch mechanism according to claim 19, in which said radial distortion preventive means comprises a plurality of engagement bores circumferentially spaced in said flange of said diaphragm assembly, and in which said pressure ring means comprises a plurality of upwardly extending projections which are fitted to the engagement bores of said diaphragm assembly.

21. A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, comprising:

conductive contact means disposed on said substrate to be in registration with a switch position of said switch mechanism;

stepped bore means provided in alignment with said contact means;

a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with said flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of said embossed portion to be in alignment with said contact means;

pressure ring means for compressing said flange to retain said diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect; and

push-button means disposed in said stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press said embossed portion and said contact element toward said contact means to close said switch mechanism when said push-button means is depressed;

said guide sleeve having first, second and third bores concentric with one another, a first annular shoulder formed between said first and second bores and a second annular shoulder formed between said second and third bores, said push-button means comprising a cap movably disposed in said first bore and having a bore extending axially thereof and a flange normally engaging the first annular shoulder, said embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly comprising an elastomeric upwardly extending projection which is partially received in the bore of said cap, the flange of said diaphragm assembly being disposed in the third bore of said guide sleeve, and said pressure ring means being press-fitted to the third bore of said guide sleeve for thereby compressing the flange of said diaphragm assembly against the second annular shoulder of said guide sleeve.

22. A switch mechanism for a wristwatch having a case and a substrate mounted in the case, comprising:

conductive contact means disposed on said substrate to be in registration with a switch position of said switch mechanism;

stepped bore means provided in alignment with said contact means;

a diaphragm assembly including a flange, an embossed portion integral with said flange, and a contact element provided on a bottom wall of said embossed portion to be in alignment with said contact means;

pressure ring means for compressing said flange to retain said diaphragm assembly in place while providing a water-tight sealing effect; and

push-button means disposed in said stepped bore means and normally engaging the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly, said push-button means being movable to press said embossed portion and said contact element toward said contact means to close said switch mechanism when said push-button means is depressed;

said case having a plurality of first and second bores concentric with one another and formed in circumferentially spaced positions of said case and annular shoulders formed between said first and second bores, respectively, and an annular recess formed in registration with said first and second bores, said annular recess having first and second annular shoulders formed therealong, said push-button means comprising a plurality of caps disposed in the first bores of said case, respectively and each having a bore axially extending thereof and an annular flange normally engaging the annular shoulder of said case, the embossed portion of said diaphragm assembly comprising a plurality of elastomeric upwardly extending projections which are partially received in the bores of said case, respectively, and said pressure ring means comprising an annular ring press-fitted to the annular recess of said case for thereby compressing the flange of said diaphragm assembly against the first and second annular shoulders of said annular recess of the case.