CONTROL MODULE FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE CONFIGURING TO WITHstand shock - Patent application

Abstract

To provide a control module for an electronic device adapted to withstand shocks.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a control module (10) for controlling an electronic device, the control module (10) comprising a push-button (11) including a striker element (111), and a switch (12) configured to be in the connected state or rest state, the striker element (111) being configured to drive the switch (12) into the connected state or the rest state. The control module (10) further comprises a stop member (13) configured to support the striker element (111) when the switch (12) is driven into the connected state or the rest state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of electronic devices, and in particular to members for controlling the functions of electronic devices.

[0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a control module for an electronic device that is configured to withstand shock.

[0003] Advantageously, the present invention is particularly suitable for portable electronic devices, such as electronic portable timepieces (eg wristwatches, pocket watches). [Background technology]

[0004] The control members of electronic devices generally consist of switches configured to allow or prevent the flow of electrical current, such as to enable commands to be sent to perform a function.

[0005] In particular, in order to allow or prohibit the flow of electric current, the switch is intended to be in a rest position and a connected position, and is moved to at least one of these positions by the operation of a user.

[0006] In particular, switches are known that include a flexible membrane covering an elastic blade that is configured to connect connecting terminals when operated by a user, i.e., when stressed, and to prevent connection between the terminals when in a rest state.

[0007] Electronic devices often include a pusher configured to be operated by a user and utilize a striker to contact a flexible membrane of the switch and deform a resilient blade into a connected position.

[0008] When the electronic device is impacted on the pusher, the resilient blade may be plastically deformed by the applied force and may therefore be irreversibly damaged.

[0009] One approach to this problem is to increase the size of the striker's contact surface, distributing the transmitted force as evenly as possible, thereby reducing the pressure experienced by the resilient blade.

[0010] However, this approach may not be feasible in applications where size is a critical design constraint, such as in the microelectronic and micromechanical fields, such as in the timekeeping field.

[0011] Also, manufacturing constraints and the like may make it impossible to implement this approach.

[0012] Another approach is to add additional thickness to a flexible membrane, typically made from silicone, that is intended to elastically deform and absorb forces when impacted.

[0013] However, such additional thickness is not suitable for absorbing high forces, such as those generated by a shock corresponding to a deceleration of 5000 G as specified in the Swiss watch industry standard NIHS 91-30, since in this case the flexible membrane would be highly deformed under the effect of the force received and would transmit this force to the elastic blades and the terminals, which would then be plastically deformed. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] To address the above-mentioned problems, the present invention relates to a control module for controlling an electronic device, the control module comprising a pusher including a striker element and a switch configured to have a connected state and a rest state, the striker element configured to move the switch to the connected state or the rest state when the pusher is operated, the control module further comprising a stop member against which the striker element rests when the switch is moved to the connected state or the rest state.

[0015] It is noted that in the present invention, the stop member is separate from the switch, which can therefore advantageously be a standard commercially available component.

[0016] Advantageously, the stop member can block the progression of the moving pusher when excessive force is applied to the switch, thus controlling the magnitude of the maximum force applied to the switch and protecting the switch against excessive forces such as those generated by impact.

[0017] In particular implementations, the invention may further comprise one or more of the following features, taken alone or according to any technically possible combination:

[0018] In certain implementations, the striker element has an axial projection extending from a support surface, the axial projection forming a shoulder with the support surface, the striker element configured to move the switch to a connected or resting state when the pusher is actuated, the axial projection applying pressure to the switch and the support surface resting against the stop member.

[0019] In a particular implementation, the stop member is in the form of a wall attached to the switch, the stop member having a through hole intended to receive the axial projection of the pusher when the striker element moves the switch to a connected or resting state, i.e. the axial projection of the pusher is intended to pass through and engage the through hole to move the switch to a connected or resting state.

[0020] In a particular implementation, the switch has a frame and the stop member has a recess that is positioned opposite the switch such that the stop member is supported on the frame by a peripheral region that extends around the periphery of the stop member.

[0021] In certain implementations, the control module includes a damper configured to absorb a portion of the play force when the striker element moves the switch to the engaged or disengaged state, at least when the force is greater than a predetermined threshold.

[0022] In certain implementations, the damper is disposed on the support surface and is compressed when the striker element moves the switch to a connected or unconnected state.

[0023] In a particular implementation, the damper is in the form of a washer made of an elastically deformable material disposed around the axial projection.

[0024] In a particular implementation, the damper is intended to be placed between a structure of the timepiece movement and the switch, in extension of the direction of movement of the pusher.

[0025] In a particular implementation, the switch has a frame on which a resilient blade and connection terminals are mounted. The resilient blade is moved to a connection position that allows contact between the connection terminals when the switch is in a connection state, and is moved to a rest position that prevents any contact between the connection terminals when the switch is in a rest state. The stop member is disposed in an extension of the direction of movement of the pusher so as to face one of the connection terminals, and is configured so that the connection terminal is disposed between the stop member and the striker element.

[0026] In certain implementations, the pusher has a pusher head connected to a pusher rod that slidably engages within a guide tube, the pusher has a free end to which the striker element is secured, and the pusher includes a spring disposed between the pusher head and the guide tube to urge the pusher toward a rest position.

[0027] In certain implementations, the striker element has a body that is substantially cylindrical in shape having a radial dimension extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction of motion of the pusher, the radial dimension being less than an outer diameter of the end of the guide tube in which the striker element is disposed.

[0028] In another aspect, the invention relates to a watch comprising a case housing an electronic timepiece movement, the watch comprising said control module, said pusher engaging through a middle part in said case, said switch and said stop member being attached to the structure of said timepiece movement.

[0029] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear clearly on reading the following detailed description, given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a middle part of a watch housing an electronic timepiece movement with a control module according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and a detailed cross-sectional view of a switch of the control module. [Diagram 2] 4 shows a schematic cross-section of a middle part of a watch housing an electronic timepiece movement with a control module according to another exemplary embodiment of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 and described herein, the invention is applied in the field of timepieces. In particular, the invention relates to a control module 10 arranged in an electronic timepiece movement housed in a watch case, said case having a middle 20, intended to control functions as required by a user or the like.

[0032] 1 and 2, the control module 10 comprises a pusher 11 intended to be operated by a user and capable of translational movement in the direction AA. In the particular example shown in the drawings, the pusher 11 engages through a middle part 20 so as to be accessible to the user. Alternatively, the pusher could be rotatable, or more generally, capable of any type of movement.

[0033] The control module 10 also includes a switch 12 intended to be actuated by a user when the pusher 11 is operated, and a stop member 13 against which the pusher 11 rests, i.e. is supported, when the switch 12 is actuated.

[0034] In particular, switch 12 is configured to have a connected state and a rest state, and pusher 11 is configured to place switch 12 in one or the other of said states when actuated.

[0035] As shown diagrammatically in the detailed view of FIG. 1 for one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the switch 12 may have a frame 120 to which a resilient blade 121 made of a conductive material and connecting terminals 122 and 123 are attached. As can be seen in the detailed view of FIG. 1, the switch 12 may have a connecting terminal, also called a "center terminal" 122, which is disposed in the direction of movement of the pusher 11, i.e., aligned with the direction AA, and one or more peripheral terminals 123. Preferably, the resilient blade 121 is configured to be in a connecting position that makes contact between the center terminal 122 and the one or more peripheral terminals 123 when the pusher 11 is operated by a user. The pusher 11 is configured to rest against the stop member 13 when operated to move the resilient blade 121.

[0036] In particular, when the user operates the pusher 11, the pusher 11 exerts pressure on the elastic blade 121, causing the elastic blade 121 to deform into an unstable flat position in which the elastic blade 121 is in contact with the central terminal 122 and the peripheral terminal 123. The elastic blade 121 is also configured to assume a stable rest position that prevents contact between the central terminal 122 and the peripheral terminal 123 when the user is not operating the pusher 11. As shown in the detailed view of Figure 1, when the elastic blade 121 is in the rest position, it can bend, thereby prestressing it to be resiliently.

[0037] Switch 12 may also include a flexible membrane 124 covering elastic blade 121, and it is intended that pusher 11 rests against flexible membrane 124 when pusher 11 is operated, but flexible membrane 124 is not required for the present invention.

[0038] In a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, the pusher 11 rests directly against the stop member 13, as will be explained in detail below. In another exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 2, the pusher 11 rests indirectly against the stop member 13, with the switch 12 disposed between said pusher 11 and said stop member 13.

[0039] As can be seen by figures 1 and 2, the switch 12 and the stop member 13 are intended to be attached to a structure 21 of a timepiece movement, for example by any means known by a person skilled in the art.

[0040] Pusher 11 has a pusher head 110 that extends outside of middle section 20 and is intended to be operated by a user. Pusher 11 also includes a striker element 111 that is connected to pusher head 110 by means of a pusher rod 112 that is slidably engaged within a guide tube 113 that is mounted within a throughbore in middle section 20. For example, striker element 111 may be threaded onto pusher rod 112 or may be attached by any suitable means within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0041] The guide tube 113 has at a first end a first portion which is responsible for engaging the through hole in the middle section 20 and at a second end a second portion which has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the first portion, thereby forming a shoulder with the first portion. As shown in Figure 1, the guide tube 113 is configured to abut against the middle section 20 using this shoulder. The pusher 11 includes a compression spring 114 disposed between the pusher head 110 and the shoulder of the guide tube 113 for urging the pusher 11 into a rest position.

[0042] 1, when pusher 11 is in its rest position, striker element 111 rests against a first end of guide tube 113. That is, striker element 111 forms a travel limit stop that stops pusher 11 when striker element 111 rests against stop member 13 and guide tube 113.

[0043] The striker element 111 has a body of substantially cylindrical shape with a radial dimension extending in a direction perpendicular to the direction AA, which radial dimension is advantageously smaller than the outside diameter of the first portion of the guide tube 113. Said feature facilitates the assembly of the striker element 111 to the pusher rod 112, if this can be done before the pusher 11 is fixed to the middle part 20 of the watch, i.e. before the pusher 11 engages in the through hole in said middle part 20.

[0044] 1, the body of the striker element 111 has an axial projection 115 extending from a bearing surface, said projection 115 forming a shoulder with said bearing surface. The striker element 111 is configured, when the pusher 11 is operated by a user, to exert pressure on the resilient blade 121 via the axial projection 115, causing the resilient blade 121 to deform until it is in the connected position and the bearing surface rests against the stop member 13.

[0045] In brief, the invention prevents the switch 12 from being overstressed when the stop member 13 acts as a translational stop for the pusher 11 and transmits the forces received to the frame or, as the case may be, to the structure 21 of the timepiece movement. Thus, thanks to the invention it is possible to control the strength of the maximum force that can be exerted on the switch 12, which is determined in particular by the length of the axial projection 115.

[0046] Advantageously, the control module 10 may comprise a damper 116 configured to absorb a portion of the play force when the pusher 11 actuates the switch, at least when said force is greater than a predefined threshold. Preferably, the damper 116 is made of an elastically deformable material, such as an elastomer, or has an elastically deformable structure, such as a compression spring.

[0047] In one embodiment of the invention, the damper 116 is disposed on the support surface and compressed when the resilient blade 121 is moved to the connected position as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In particular, in the preferred exemplary embodiment shown in Figure 1, the damper 116 is in the form of a washer that is disposed around the axial projection 115.

[0048] In another embodiment of the invention, not shown in the drawings, the damper 116 can be arranged between the structure 21 of the timepiece movement and the switch 21, in extension of the AA direction. In this way, the switch 12, when subjected to excessive forces, can transmit part of these forces by moving or deforming slightly locally at the damper 116, which absorbs part of said forces transmitted by the switch 12.

[0049] 1, the stop member 13 is in the form of a wall with a stop surface 130 through which passes a through hole 131. When the pusher 11 is operated, the support surface of the striker element 111 is intended to rest against and abut the stop surface 130, and the axial projection 115 is intended to engage through the through hole 131.

[0050] Advantageously, in a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention, the stop member 13 has a recess 132 facing the switch 12, which is configured so that the stop member 13 rests on the frame 120 of the switch 12 via a peripheral area extending around the periphery of the stop member 13. Thanks to this feature, on the one hand, it is possible to improve the resistance of the stop member 13 to mechanical stresses directed towards its periphery, and on the other hand, it is possible to transmit the stresses generated by the operation of the pusher 11 to the frame 120 of the switch 12, i.e. the forces generated by possible impacts are not transmitted to the elastic blade 121 and to the central terminal 121 and the peripheral terminal 123.

[0051] 2, the stop member 13 is disposed directly or indirectly to face the central terminal 121 so that the central terminal 122 is disposed between the stop member 13 and the striker element 111 when the user operates the pusher 11. That is, the stop member 13 is disposed on the rear side of the central terminal 122 so as to face the central terminal 122, assuming that the side facing the pusher 11 is the front side of the switch 12. This configuration provides a translational stop to the switch 12, particularly the resilient blade 121, when excessive force is applied to the switch 12, preventing any deformation of the switch 12.

[0052] It should be noted that in this exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a stop member 13 is arranged between the central terminal 121 and the structure 21 of the timepiece movement.

[0053] More precisely, the stop member 13 comprises a base plate 133 adapted to bear against the structure 21 of the timepiece movement, from which extends a projection 134 which rests at its free end against the central terminal 122.

[0054] In this exemplary embodiment, the body of the striker element 111 does not have an axial protrusion 115. In fact, as shown in FIG. 2, the body of the striker element 111 only has a flat bearing surface intended to exert a force on the switch 12, and more precisely on the resilient blade 121.

[0055] This exemplary embodiment can be compatible with an embodiment of the damper 116 in which the damper 116 is arranged between the structure 21 of the timepiece movement and the switch 12, in extension of the direction AA. In this case, the base plate 133 is arranged to bear against the damper 116. The invention has been described in relation to its application to an electronic device formed by a portable watch. Naturally, however, the invention is not limited to this application and can advantageously be used with any other portable or non-portable electronic device.

[0056] In general, the implementations and embodiments discussed above are described as examples, and therefore other alternatives are possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 10 Control Module 11 Pusher 12 Switch 13 Stop Member 20 Middle Section 21 Structure 110 Pusher head 111 Striker Elements 112 Pusher Rod 113 Guide tube 114 Spring 115 Axial projection 116 Damper 120 frames 121 Elastic Blade 122 Center terminal 123 Peripheral terminal

Claims

1. A control module (10) for controlling an electronic device, comprising: The control module (10) comprises a pusher (11) including a striker element (111) and a switch (12) configured to be in an engaged state and an inactive state; the striker element (111) is configured to move the switch (12) to a connected state or a non-connected state when the pusher (11) is operated; The control module (10) further comprises a stop member (13) against which the striker element (111) rests when the switch (12) is moved to a connected state or a rest state; The switch (12) has a frame (120) to which an elastic blade (121) and connection terminals (122, 123) are attached, the elastic blade (121) is moved to a connection position where the connection terminals (122, 123) are brought into contact with each other when the switch (12) is in a connection state, and is moved to a rest position where the elastic blade (121) prevents any contact between the connection terminals (122, 123) when the switch is in a rest state; The stop member (13) is arranged on an extension line of the movement direction of the pusher (11) so as to face one of the connection terminals (122, 123), and is configured so that the connection terminal is arranged between the stop member (13) and the striker element (111). A control module (10).

2. The striker element (111) has an axial projection (115) extending from a bearing surface, the axial projection (115) forming a shoulder with the bearing surface; the striker element (111) is configured to move the switch (12) to a connected state or a non-connected state when the pusher (11) is operated; The axial projection (115) exerts pressure on the switch (12) and the support surface rests against the stop member (13). A control module (10) as claimed in claim 1.

3. The stop member (13) is in the form of a wall attached to the switch (12); The stop member (13) has a through hole intended to receive the axial projection (115) of the pusher (11) when the striker element (111) moves the switch (12) to the engaged or rest state. A control module (10) according to claim 2.

4. The switch (12) has a frame (120); The stop member (13) has a recess, which is arranged to face the switch (12) and supports the stop member (13) on the frame (120) by a peripheral region extending around the periphery of the stop member (13). A control module (10) according to claim 3.

5. The control module (10) includes a damper (116) configured to absorb a portion of the play force when the striker element (111) moves the switch (12) to the engaged or disengaged state, at least when the force is greater than a predetermined threshold. A control module (10) as claimed in claim 1.

6. The damper (116) is disposed on a support surface of the striker element (111) and is compressed when the striker element (111) moves the switch (12) to a connected or unconnected state. A control module (10) according to claim 5.

7. The striker element (111) has an axial projection (115) extending from a bearing surface, the axial projection (115) forming a shoulder with the bearing surface; The striker element (111) is configured to move the switch (12) to a connected state or a non-connected state; The axial projection (115) exerts pressure on the switch (12) and the support surface rests against the stop member (13); The damper (116) is in the form of a washer made of an elastically deformable material disposed around the axial projection (115). A control module (10) according to claim 5 or 6.

8. The striker element (111) has a body that is substantially cylindrical in shape with a radial dimension extending perpendicular to the direction of movement of the pusher (11); The radial dimension is smaller than the outer diameter of the end of the guide tube (113) in which the striker element (111) is located. A control module (10) as claimed in claim 1.

9. The pusher (11) has a pusher head (110) connected to a pusher rod (112) that is slidably engaged within a guide tube (113); The pusher (11) has a free end to which the striker element (111) is fixed; The pusher (11) includes a spring (114) disposed between the pusher head (110) and the guide tube (113) to urge the pusher (11) toward a rest position. A control module (10) as claimed in claim 1.

10. A timepiece movement comprising a control module (10) according to claim 5, The damper (116) is intended to be placed between the structure (21) of the timepiece movement and the switch (12), in extension of the direction of movement of the pusher (11). A timekeeping movement characterized by:

11. A portable watch having a case in which an electronic timekeeping movement is housed, A control module (10) according to claim 1, The pusher (11) engages through a middle portion (20) in the case, The switch (12) and the stop member (13) are attached to a structure (21) of the timepiece movement. A portable watch characterized by the above.

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