Timepiece with switch operable by pressing the timepiece glass

• US 5,742,564 A
• Filed: 11/25/1996
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Junghans Uhren GmbH
• Original Assignee: Junghans Uhren GmbH
• Inventors: Muller, Andreas, Kuschel, Pieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US08/753,431
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 368/69-70, 368/185-187, 368/223-225, 368/228, 368/294-296, 368/319-321
• US Class Current: 368/69
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/08 Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces

Abstract

A timepiece, such as a wristwatch, includes a casing, a carrier disc disposed in the casing, a glass mounted elastically to the casing in front of the carrier disc, and control switches in the form of piezoelectric sensors each sandwiched between an outer edge of the glass and a forwardly facing edge of the carrier disc. The sensors are electrically connected to an electrical control circuit of the timepiece and are actuable in response to being compressed by a rearward pressure applied to the outer edge of the glass.

Claims

1. A timepiece comprising:

a casing;

a carrier disc mounted in the casing;

an electrical circuit disposed in the casing behind the carrier disc, the circuit disposed eccentrically with respect to a center axis of the carrier disc;

a glass mounted elastically to the casing in front of the carrier disc whereby an outer edge of the glass can be rearwardly depressed; and

control switches comprising piezoelectric sensors each interposed between the outer edge of the glass and a forwardly facing edge of the carrier disc, the sensors being electrically coupled to the electric circuit and being actuable in response to being compressed by a rearward pressure applied to the outer edge of the glass.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein one of the carrier disc and glass includes an annular flange extending coaxially with respect to the center axis;

the sensors being sandwiched between the flange and the other of the carrier disc and glass.

3. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the circuit is a multilayer circuit.

4. The timepiece according to claim 1 further including timekeeping hands rotatable about the center axis, and a motor operably connected to the hands;

the motor disposed within a works capsule disposed behind the carrier disc.

5. The timepiece according to claim 1 further including solar cells mounted on a front surface of the carrier disc.

6. The timepiece according to claim 5 further including an electrical energy storage member disposed adjacent to the works capsule behind the carrier disc.

7. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the carrier disc includes a window, the works capsule including an electro-optical display element disposed behind the window in alignment therewith.

8. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the casing includes a cylindrical inside surface, the timepiece further comprising timekeeping hands rotatable about the center axis, a motor operably connected to the hands and disposed within a works capsule disposed behind the carrier disc, an electrical energy storage member disposed adjacent to the works capsule behind the carrier disc, and a magnetic radio-controlled antenna comprising a coil and an arcuate core, the core extending along the cylindrical inside surface of the casing behind the carrier disc and being situated adjacent the works capsule and the storage member, the antenna being electrically connected to the circuit.

9. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the timepiece comprises a wristwatch.