Switch connecting structure for timepiece

• US 6,846,998 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2003
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Citizen Watch Co Limited (Citizen Electronics Company Limited)
• Inventors: Hasumi, Takayuki, Yamada, Shinichi, Shimoda, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US10/349,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20030143897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 200/341, 200/520, 200/320.2, 368/328, 368/320, 368/321, 968/447, 968/450, 439/862
• US Class Current: 200/341
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/001 Electromechanical switches for setting or display in general H01H

Abstract

An inexpensive switch connecting structure is provided capable of avoiding abnormal wear-off or deformation of a contact spring of a supporting plate even if a movement in a basic shape is placed in a timepiece case having a shape different from the movement and a push button is repeatedly used. The switch connecting structure includes a supporting plate attached to cap a movement of a timepiece and provided with a contact spring having a contact portion at a tip brought into contact with a switch contact portion of a circuit board, and a switch regulating plate provided with a switch spring on an outer periphery corresponding to said contact spring and covering at least part of said supporting plate, wherein said switch spring is flexed by operation of an externally operated component attached to a timepiece case, thereby bringing the contact portion of the contact spring of said supporting plate into contact with the switch contact portion of said circuit board. The switch spring of the switch regulating plate acts as an intermediary to properly convey the pressing force from the externally operated component such as a push button attached to the timepiece case having a different shape from the basic shape of the movement.

Claims

1. A switch connecting structure, comprising:

a supporting plate attached to cap a movement of a timepiece and provided with at least one or more contact springs having a contact portion at a tip brought into contact with a switch contact portion of a circuit board; and

a switch regulating plate provided with at least one or more switch springs on an outer periphery corresponding to said contact springs, and covering at least part of said supporting plate;

wherein

said switch spring is flexed by operation of an externally operated component attached to a timepiece case, thereby bringing the contact portion of the contact spring of said supporting plate into contact with the switch contact portion of said circuit board.

2. A switch connecting structure according to claim 1, wherein

a plurality of said switch springs are disposed symmetrically on the outer periphery of said switch regulating plate.

3. A switch connecting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

a plurality of hook portions hooking onto said movement of the timepiece are disposed on the outer periphery of said switch regulating plate.

4. A switch connecting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

the switch spring of said switch regulating plate extends substantially in parallel to a inside wall of a body of said timepiece case, and has a round portion where it contacts said contact spring.

5. A switch connecting structure according to claim 1 or 2, wherein

the switch spring of said switch regulating plate extends substantially in parallel to a inside wall of a body of said timepiece case, and has a corner extending substantially in parallel to said contact spring and provided at a position where it contacts said contact spring.