Watch Crown With Conductive Surface And Isolator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods and components for assembling a watch crown face challenges with part alignment, electrical isolation, and crown performance, particularly in receiving rotational, translational, and touch inputs effectively.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves a crown design with an inner conductive crown body, an outer crown body, an isolator for electrical isolation, and a retainer to secure the isolator between the inner and outer crown bodies, allowing for rotational and translational inputs while preventing electrical grounding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional methods and components are used for assembling a watch crown, then the assembly process is simpler, but part alignment is difficult and manufacturing precision is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested structure where the inner crown body is positioned within the outer crown body, and the isolator is nested between them. The retainer mechanism is integrated within this nested arrangement to secure all components. This nesting approach ensures precise part alignment through concentric positioning features while maintaining a compact overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The isolator serves as an intermediary component between the inner crown body and the outer crown body. It not only provides electrical isolation but also acts as a positioning element that facilitates precise alignment during assembly. The retainer mechanism works with this intermediary to secure the entire assembly, resolving the contradiction between precision and complexity.
2Reliability
If traditional crown designs are used, then the structure is simpler, but electrical isolation is insufficient and crown performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The crown is segmented into distinct components: an inner crown body, an outer crown body, and an isolator positioned between them. This segmentation allows the isolator to provide dedicated electrical isolation functionality while the inner and outer bodies can be optimized for their respective mechanical functions. The retainer mechanism secures these segmented parts, ensuring they remain properly positioned during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The isolator acts as an intermediary element that provides electrical isolation between the conductive inner crown body and the outer crown body. This intermediary component enables the crown to achieve reliable electrical isolation without requiring complete redesign of the entire structure, thus improving reliability while limiting the increase in complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the crown receives rotational and translational inputs, then the functionality is enhanced, but part alignment becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The nested arrangement of the inner crown body within the outer crown body, with both components sharing a common rotational axis, enables the crown to receive both rotational and translational inputs while maintaining precise part alignment. The concentric positioning features ensure that movement in one direction does not compromise alignment in another direction.
Solution Approach 2:
The crown structure is designed to be dynamic, allowing the inner crown body to rotate and translate independently within the outer crown body. The retainer mechanism provides flexible securing that maintains alignment during these dynamic movements, enabling enhanced functionality without sacrificing manufacturing precision.
4Reliability
If a retainer is used to secure the isolator, then electrical isolation is improved, but the assembly process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The isolator serves as an intermediary component that integrates multiple functions: electrical isolation, positioning, and alignment reference. The retainer mechanism is designed to work with this multi-functional intermediary, securing it in place while maintaining proper alignment. This integration reduces the overall manufacturing complexity compared to having separate components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple functions into the isolator component: electrical isolation, positioning, and alignment reference. The retainer mechanism then secures this combined component, reducing the total number of separate parts and simplifying the assembly process despite the added functionality. This merging approach improves electrical isolation while limiting the increase in manufacturing complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device, such as a watch, has an input mechanism, such as a crown, that may receive translational inputs, rotational inputs, and/or touch inputs. Inputs received at the crown may result in changes in operation of the electronic device and/or outputs, such as graphical outputs, provided by the electronic device. In various embodiments, the crown includes a retainer that couples an outer crown body to an inner crown body and secures an isolator between the outer crown body and the inner crown body. The embodiments of the crown described herein provide a simple and robust input mechanism for receiving rotational, translational, and touch inputs as described above, while simplifying part alignment, ensuring consistent rotation, and allowing for efficient manufacturing.