Electronic object of small dimensions capable of being worn on the wrist

• US 7,175,339 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2002
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ETA SA Fabriques d'Ebauches
• Original Assignee: ETA SA Fabriques d'Ebauches
• Inventors: Bisig, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska; Vit
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODWIN, JEANNE M
• Application Number:
  US10/300,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20030099161A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,545 Days
• Field of Search: 368203-205, 368/282, 368/281, 368/64, 320/108, 320/114, 439/37, 343/718, 455/575.6, 63/21
• US Class Current: 368/282
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 10/00 Arrangements of electric power supplies in time pieces circuits G04G19/00; mounting, assembling of components of electromechanical watches G04C3/008, of electronic watches G04G17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 17/083 Watches distributed over several housings

Abstract

The present invention concerns a portable object such as a timepiece (18) capable of being worn on a user'"'"'s wrist by means of a wristband, this portable object being supplied with electric power by at least one rechargeable accumulator able to be recharged by induction charging means, these inductive charging means including a primary winding (56) and a secondary winding (2), said portable object being characterised in that the secondary winding (2) is housed in a strand (16, 26) of the wristband.

Claims

1. A portable object capable of being worn on a user'"'"'s wrist by means of a wristband, this portable object being supplied with electric power by at least one rechargeable accumulator able to be recharged by induction charging means, these inductive charging means including a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the secondary winding is housed in a strand of the wristband,

wherein the conductive turns forming the secondary winding are arranged on at least one of the faces of an insulating substrate, and

wherein the secondary winding is formed by its external turn of rectangular shape, the other turns being concentrically arranged with respect to the external turn, their dimensions gradually decreasing.

2. The portable object according to claim 1, wherein the insulating substrate on which the secondary winding is arranged is inserted into a strand of a sheath-shaped wristband.

3. A portable object capable of being worn on a user'"'"'s wrist by means of a wristband, this portable object being supplied with electric power by at least one rechargeable accumulator able to be recharged by induction charging means, these inductive charging means including a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the secondary winding is housed in a strand of the wristband,

wherein the conductive turns forming the secondary winding are arranged on at least one of the faces of an insulating substrate, wherein the secondary winding is formed by its external turn of rectangular shape, the other turns being concentrically arranged with respect to the external turn, their dimensions gradually decreasing, and

wherein a sealing gasket is moulded onto the two free ends of the secondary winding, this sealing gasket having a head whose diameter is greater than that of a hole arranged in a case of the portable object and a flange which immobilises it axially.

4. The portable object according to claim 3, wherein the secondary winding and the antenna are coupled, capacitive decoupling means being provided in the portable object in order to decouple the electric signals routed by said secondary winding and by said antenna respectively.

5. A portable object capable of being worn on a user'"'"'s wrist by means of a wristband, this portable object being supplied with electric power by at least one rechargeable accumulator able to be recharged by induction charging means, these inductive charging means including a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the secondary winding is housed in a strand of the wristband,

wherein the conductive turns forming the secondary winding are arranged on at least one of the faces of an insulating substrate, wherein the secondary winding is formed by its external turn of rectangular shape, the other turns being concentrically arranged with respect to the external turn, their dimensions gradually decreasing,

wherein the insulating substrate, on which the secondary winding is arranged, is embedded in the thickness of a strand of the wristband made of a flexible material, and

wherein the secondary winding includes two free ends that are screwed, bonded or soldered onto a printed circuit board enclosed in the case of a portable object.

6. A portable object capable of being worn on a user'"'"'s wrist by means of a wristband, this portable object being supplied with electric power by at least one rechargeable accumulator able to be recharged by induction charging means, these inductive charging means including a primary winding and a secondary winding, wherein the secondary winding is housed in a strand of the wristband, the conductive turns forming the secondary winding being arranged on at least one of the faces on an insulating substrate, the secondary winding being formed by its external turn of rectangular shape, the other turns being concentrically arranged with respect to the external turn, their dimensions gradually decreasing, a sealing gasket being moulded onto the two free ends of the secondary winding, this sealing gasket having a head whose diameter is greater than that of a hole arranged in a case of the portable object and a flange which immobilises it axially.

7. The portable object according to claim 6, wherein an antenna is arranged on the same insulating substrate as the secondary winding.

8. The portable object according to claim 7, wherein the secondary winding and the antenna are coupled, capacitive decoupling means being provided in the portable object in order to decouple the electric signals routed by said secondary winding and by said antenna respectively.

9. The portable object according to claim 6, wherein the secondary winding is structured by photolithography on the surface of the insulating substrate.

10. The portable object according to claim 6, wherein the insulating substrate on which the secondary winding is arranged is inserted into a strand of a sheath-shaped wristband.

11. The portable object according to claim 6, wherein the secondary winding includes two free ends that are screwed, bonded or soldered onto a printed circuit board enclosed in the case of the portable object.