Portable electronic device including means for establishing an electrical connection inside a case of said device

• US 6,854,978 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogã¨Re Suisse (The Swatch Group AG)
• Original Assignee: ETA SA Manufacture Horlogã¨Re Suisse (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Noirjean, Pierre-André
• Primary Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US10/693,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20040084200A1
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 439/37, 343/718, 368/282
• US Class Current: 439/37
• CPC Class Codes: A44C 5/14 characterised by the way of fastening to a wrist-watch or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/06 Electric connectors, e.g. conductive elastomers
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/04 Antennas attached to or integrated in watch bracelets
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals

Abstract

There is described a portable electronic device of the wristwatch type including, in particular, a first electric module (32), arranged in a case (20) of the device and a second electric module (13, 22) housed in a strand (1) of the wristband and including means (11) for and electric connection with the first electric module. The case (20) of the device has two main parts, a bottom portion (24) and a top portion (23). The present invention provides means (8, 27) for introducing the connecting means (11) inside the case (20), and means (36, 44) for establishing the electrical connection between said connecting means (11) and bump contacts (33) of the first electric module (32), via compression, when the two portions (23, 24) of the case (20) are mounted.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device including a case in which there is arranged a first electric module and a wristband attached to said case, the case including a top portion and a bottom portion which cooperate with each other in order to assemble said case a second electric module being associated with said wristband and electric connecting means providing an electrical connection between said first and second electric modules through an opening made in the case said first electric module including at least one electric bump contact capable of being connected to said electrical connecting means, the assembling of the case establishing an electrical contact via compression, between said connecting means and said bump contact, wherein said case includes means for positioning the angle and height of the first electric module, guaranteeing precise positioning of said bump contact with respect to said opening, arranged on a first of said portions of the case, additional means for positioning the height of the connecting means being arranged on the other of said portions of the case.

2. The devise according to claim 1, wherein it further includes securing a means for holding said bottom and said top together, the implementation of said securing means also being capable of maintaining said electrical contact between the connecting means and said bump contact.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein it includes first means for ensuring water resistance between said bottom and top portions of said case and wherein said device further includes second means made in a single piece with a constituent element of said wristband and ensuring the water resistance of said case at said opening.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said second means include a snug, made of moulded elastic material with a constituent element of said wristband, having slightly greater dimensions than the dimensions of said opening and capable of being deformed to engage by friction in said opening, said snug including a central passage for said electric connecting means.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein it includes radio frequency type signal reception means, said first electric module including electronic circuits for processing the electric signals received from said second electric module, the latter including an antenna capable of at least receiving radio frequency type signals, said connecting means including in particular two electric conductors respectively connected to a first and a second end of said antenna, said first electric module including at least two bump contacts intended to be contacted by said connecting means.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein said second electric module further includes means for communicating with the external environment, said connecting means including additional conductors for providing an electrical connection between said communication means and said first electric module.

7. The device according to claim 6, wherein said communication means include a charging coil capable of inducing an electric current between its terminals by interacting with an external charger.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein it further includes an element made of elastic material capable of compressing said connecting means against said bump contact when the case is assembled.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein said element is a buffer of substantially parallelepiped shape and whose face that will come into contact with said connecting means has a surface area at least equal to the surface area of said bump contact.

10. The device according to claim 8, wherein it includes radio frequency type signal reception means, said first electric module including electronic circuits for processing the electric signals received from said second electric module, the latter including an antenna capable of at least receiving radio frequency type signals, said connecting means including in particular two electric conductors respectively connected to a first and a second end of said antenna, said first electric module including at least two bump contacts intended to be contacted by said connecting means.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein it includes an additional element having positioning means with respect to the case and including a housing for receiving said element made of elastic material.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein said additional element is a spacer for positioning the height of said first electric module with respect to the other of said portions of the case.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein it includes radio frequency type signal reception means, said first electric module including electronic circuits for processing the electric signals received from said second electric module, the latter including an antenna capable of at least receiving radio frequency type signals said connecting means including in particular two electric conductors respectively connected to a first and a second end of said antenna said first electric module including at least two bump contacts intended to be contacted by said connecting means, and wherein said first electric module includes a printed circuit board carrying said bump contacts and said electronic circuits, said printed circuit board having at least one region arranged in contact with said spacer.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein said second electric module further includes means for communicating with the external environment, said connecting means including additional conductors for providing an electrical connection between said communication means and said first electric module.