Wristwatch with capacitive coupling

• US 6,350,055 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1999
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ETA SA Fabriques d'Ebauches
• Original Assignee: ETA SA Fabriques d'Ebauches
• Inventors: Barras, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODWIN, JEANNE M
• Application Number:
  US09/468,344
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 368/10, 368/276, 368/281, 368/282, 368/221, 368/203-204
• US Class Current: 368/281
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/1486 Arrangements for fixing to a bracelet building watches into bracelets (montre marquise) G04B37/12; arrangements for hanging pocket- or other watches on chains G04B37/1446

Abstract

The present invention concerns a wristwatch (30) including a case (32) provided with a first electric conductor (50) and an electric circuit (36) connected to said first electric conductor, and a wristband (34) including a second electric conductor (42). This wristwatch is characterised in that the first and second conductors are arranged to form an electric connection without any mechanical contact and, more precisely, by capacitive coupling. One advantage of such an arrangement of the wristwatch is that it achieves an electric connection without mechanical coupling, i.e. an electric connection which does not require any additional external material arrangement other than the conventional articulation between the wristband and the case.

Claims

1. A wristwatch including:

a case provided with at least a first electric conductor arranged in the vicinity of an outer surface of the case and an electric circuit connected to said first electric conductor,

a wristband including at least a second electric conductor arranged in the vicinity of an outer surface of the wristband, portions of said first and second conductors being at a distance from and opposite to each other to define two electrodes of a coupling capacitor and to form an electric connection by capacitive coupling,

wherein said second electric conductor is arranged to have a shape suited to said outer surface of the wristband opposite to said first electric conductor, and

wherein the distances between said electrodes of the coupling capacitor and opposite surfaces of each electrode are the same once said wristband is mounted onto said case in order to assure a constant capacitance value of the coupling capacitor, whatever the angular position of said wristband with respect to said case.

2. A wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein said wristband incorporates an antenna having ends which are formed by said second electric conductor and another second electric conductor, so that, once said wristband is mounted onto said case, said antenna is electrically connected to said first electric conductor and another first electric conductor, respectively, via said capacitive coupling.

3. A wristwatch according to claim 1, further including an electric circuit connected to said first electric conductor, so that, once said wristband is mounted onto said case, said electric circuit being electrically connected to said second electric conductor, via said capacitive coupling.

4. A wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein the second electric conductor is covered with an electrically insulating material, and wherein the surface of the first electric conductor opposite the second conductor is level with the first outer surface.

5. A wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein each of said first and second electric conductors is formed of a metal layer covered with an electrically insulating material.

6. A wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein said case is formed of a metallic material, and wherein said case includes first and second zones formed in an electrically insulating material, and arranged on either side of said first electric conductor, so as to achieve electric insulation between the case and the first electric conductor of said wristwatch.

7. A wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein said case is formed of a metallic material, and wherein said case includes at least one zone of insulating material embedding said first electric conductor, so as to achieve electric insulation between the case and the first electric conductor of said wristwatch.

8. A wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein the second electric conductor in the vicinity of the outer surface of the wristband opposite to said first electric conductor has the shape of a circular sector centered with respect to an axis of rotation of the wristband and the case of the watch.