Electric device for switching between at least three different contacts

• US 6,672,758 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2001
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Swatch Group Management Services AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: Swatch Group Management Services AG (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Ehrsam, Nicolas, Meyrat, Clement
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Goodwin, Jeanne M.
• Application Number:
  US09/883,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20010053109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 368/190, 368/69, 368/185-187, 368/216, 368/319-322, 368/284, 200/206.A
• US Class Current: 368/190
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 3/04 Rigidly-mounted keys, knobs or crowns jointed winding-stem G04B37/06
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/005 Multiple switches G04C3/004 takes precedence

Abstract

The wall of a case includes a U-shaped recess with two through passages (11, 17) for a control stem (20) held in a neutral position by a spring (27) and guided in the outer passage (11) by an O ring (25) allowing translation and tilting movements, and in the inner passage (17) by a contour of oblong shape allowing the end (22) to close an electric contact (32) by pressure and two other contacts (31, 33) by tilting. Application to an electronic timepiece.

Claims

1. Electric switching device mounted in a case, the case including:

a frame having a U-shaped recess formed by two branches of the frame, wherein each branch includes, along an first axis parallel to a base of the recess, a through passage for a stem, wherein one end of the stem is provided with a setting head disposed outside of the case, and the other end of the stem is disposed, inside the case, wherein the end of the stem disposed inside the case is positioned to act on at least three electric contacts mounted on a plate extending beyond the base of the frame, wherein an opening of the through passage located in one of the branches, by the head;

is circular, wherein an inner edge of the circular opening is provided with a flange, wherein a diameter of the flange is greater than a diameter of the stem that is guided inside of the through passage by an O-ring, wherein the O-ring is housed in a groove of an annular swelling of the stem, whereas the through passage in the other one of the branches, by the electric contacts, includes at least an elongated guide contour having a width substantially the same as a width of the diameter of the stem, wherein the contour is surrounded by a circular groove that accommodates a helical spring compressed at an end by a washer abutting against a clip, wherein the clip is engaged in a groove in the stem and a surface of the clip abutts against the flange of the through passage by the head so as to allow, by acting on the head a tilting movement of one end of the stem along the elongated contour to close an electric contact located in proximity to one end of the elongated contour, and on the other hand, to allow an axial displacement along the first axis to close another electric contact.

2. Electric switching device according to claim 1, wherein the guide contour has an oblong shape or is V-shaped with two electric contacts in proximity to distal parts of the guide contour.

3. Electric switching device according to claim 1, wherein the guide contour is T-shaped or has the shape of a Greek cross with three or four electric contacts in proximity to distal parts of said contour.

4. Electric switching device according to claim 1, wherein the electric contacts are flexible metal strip contacts.

5. Electric switching device according to claim 1, wherein the case is a timepiece case having a middle part and a back cover, said device allowing the time related functions or non time-related functions of said timepiece to be controlled.

6. Electric switching device according to claim 5, wherein the frame is integral with the middle part forming one branch of the U-shaped recess that is on the side of the head and with the back cover to form, perpendicular thereto, another branch of said frame.

7. Electronic timepiece, wherein the time and non time-related functions are controlled by a switching device according to claim 1.