Portable electronic instrument including at least one control member arranged for also transmitting electric signals

• US 7,034,237 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2004
• Issued: 04/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Swatch Group Research And Development Ltd
• Original Assignee: Asulab SA (The Swatch Group AG)
• Inventors: Dinger, Rudolf, Ferri, Yvan
• Primary Examiner(s): HOMZA, LISA NHUNG
• Application Number:
  US10/945,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20050061646A1
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 200308-314, 200341-345, 200/5.A, 200/5.R, 200/51.R
• US Class Current: 200/341
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6485 Electrostatic discharge protection in general H05F1/00, for electric apparatus H05K9/0067

Abstract

There is disclosed a portable electronic instrument (1) including a case (2) and a user interface (11 to 15) for selecting the functions of said portable electronic instrument, this user interface including at least a first control member (11) mounted to be mobile in an assembly orifice (3a) arranged in the case so as to have a translation travel along an axis of actuation (X—X), said control member being able to be actuated by pressure to be brought from a position called the non pushed-in position to a position called the pushed-in position and to generate in response a control signal (SEL). The control member includes an electrically conductive stem (100) which passes through the assembly orifice and which includes first and second ends opening out respectively inside and outside the case, said stem being adapted to allow transmission of electric signals from and/or to the portable electronic instrument, when the control member is brought into said pushed-in position. This electronic instrument further includes means (3, 30, 40; 35, 40) for bringing the stem of the control member to a determined electric potential when the control member occupies the non pushed-in position and for interrupting the connection of the stem of the control member to the determined electric potential when the control member occupies said pushed-in position and for thus allowing transmission of said electric signals from and/or to the portable electronic instrument.

Claims

1. A portable electronic instrument including a case and a user interface for selecting the functions of said portable electronic instrument, said user interface including at least a first control member mounted to be mobile in an assembly orifice arranged in said case so as to have a translation travel along an axis of actuation, said control member being able to be actuated by pressure to be brought from a position called the non pushed-in position to a position called the pushed-in position and to generate in response a control signal,

said control member including an electrically conductive stem which passes through said assembly orifice and which includes first and second ends opening out respectively inside and outside said case, said stem being adapted to allow transmission of electric signals from or to the portable electronic instrument, when said control member is brought into said pushed-in position,

wherein said electronic instrument further includes means for bringing the stem of the control member to a determined electric potential when said control member occupies said non pushed-in position and for interrupting the connection of the stem of the control member to said determined electric potential when said control member occupies said pushed-in position and for thus allowing transmission of said electric signals from or to the portable electronic instrument.

2. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 1, wherein said control member is retained axially in said case by a retaining element secured to said stem and made of an electrically conductive material, said retaining element being brought, when said control member occupies said non pushed-in position, into contact with an electrically conductive reference element which is brought to said determined electric potential, the contact of said retaining element with said reference element being interrupted when said control member is brought to the pushed-in position.

3. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 2, wherein said case includes at least one part made of an electrically conductive material and in which said control member is mounted, said part forming said reference element brought to said determined electric potential, the stem of said control member being electrically insulated from said electrically conductive part of the case by an insulating sleeve introduced into said assembly orifice of the control member.

4. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 3, wherein said retaining element is arranged on said stem inside said case, wherein said insulating sleeve includes a shoulder abutting a corresponding shoulder arranged on said assembly orifice outside said case, and wherein said control member further includes a head secured to the second end of the stem and having a larger diameter than the diameter of the stem, elastic return means being arranged between said shoulder of the insulating sleeve and said head of the control member in order to return said control member from its pushed-in position to its non pushed-in position after actuation.

5. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 4, wherein said insulating sleeve is made of eloxated aluminium, plastic material, ceramic material, or any other material including an electrically insulating external surface.

6. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 5, wherein said retaining element is configured like a push-button retaining key.

7. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 6, wherein said control member cooperates with a first electric contact actuated by the first end of the stem to generate said control signal;

said first end of the stem being electrically insulated by an insulating sheath to prevent any direct electric contact with said first electric contact,

and wherein said control member further cooperates with an electric contact strip distinct from said first electric contact, said electric contact strip being electrically insulated from said stem in the non pushed-in position and electrically connected to said stem in the pushed-in position to allow said transmission of electric signals from or to the electronic instrument.

8. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 7, wherein said electric contact strip is arranged tangentially to said stem in proximity to said first end of the stem such that, in the non pushed-in position, the electric contact strip is in contact with said insulating sheath and such that, in the pushed-in position, the electric contact strip is in contact with said stem.

9. Portable electronic instrument according to claim 7, wherein said electric contact strip is not arranged in direct contact with the stem of said control member, said electric contact strip being arranged facing said retaining element such that an electric connection is established with the stem, via said retaining element, when said control member is brought into said pushed-in position.

10. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 7, wherein said insulating sheath is made of eloxated aluminium, plastic material, ceramic material or any other material including an electrically insulating external surface.

11. The portable electronic instrument according to claim 7, wherein said interface further includes second, third and fourth control members configured in a similar manner to said first control member, said first and second control members being exploited to exchange data with said electronic instrument, said third and fourth control members being exploited to recharge an accumulator of said electronic instrument.

12. A control device for a portable electronic instrument, including at least one control member mounted to be mobile in a support so as to have a translation travel along an axis of actuation, said control member being able to be actuated by pressure to be brought from a position called the non pushed-in position to a position called the pushed-in position,

said control member including an electrically conductive stem arranged for allowing transmission of electric signals from or to the portable electronic instrument when said control member is brought into said pushed-in position,

said control device including a first electric contact, electrically insulated from said stem, and capable of being actuated by the control member to generate a control signal in response,

said control device further including a second electric contact capable of being actuated by the control member to establish, in the pushed-in position, an electric contact between said stem and an input/output line of the portable electronic instrument forming a transmission line of said electric signals,

wherein said control device, in the non pushed-in position, said second electric contact establishes an electric connection between said stem and a determined electric potential thus preventing accumulation of electric charges on said stem.