Switching Mechanism of an Electronic Wrist Watch

The present invention relates to a switching mechanism of an electronic wristwatch for correcting the time-setting of the watch.

In the conventional switching mechanism of an electronic wristwatch a protuberance of a spring biased cam is received in a notch portion of a winding stem. When the stem is turned the cam is rotated. With this construction the thickness of the watch is increased by the longitudinal length of the cam so that it is not possible to have a thin wristwatch.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the disadvantages of the conventional switching mechanism. In accordance with the invention a clutch wheel and a winding pinion coaxial with the winding stem both have rectangular teeth which intermesh to connect the winding pinion with the winding stem. The winding pinion meshes with the teeth of a transmission wheel which is rotatable about an axis perpendicular to the axis of the winding stem and is coupled by a lost-motion device with a springcontrolled cam for operating a spring switch blade. With this mechanism the diameter of the winding stem can be small and the thickness of the watch can be reduced.

The nature, objects and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of switching mechanism in accordance with the invention and

FIG. 2 is a vertical longitudinal side view shown partially in sections.

In the embodiment of the invention shown by way of example in the drawings a clutch wheel 1 is axially slidable on a square portion 4a of a winding stem 4 so as to rotate with the winding stem. A winding pinion 2 which is rotatably supported on a round portion 4b of the winding stem 4 has on its inner end face rectangular teeth 3 which are engageable with like teeth on the adjacent end of the clutch wheel 1 so as to couple the winding pinion 2 with the clutch wheel 1 and hence with the winding stem 4 when the clutch wheel 1 is in the position shown in FIG. 2. The clutch wheel 1 is slidable in an axial direction on the square portion 4a of the winding stem 4 in order to engage or disengage the teeth 3 of the winding pinion 2 by the usual stem changing mechanism (not shown) comprising a setting lever 40 engaging in annular groove 1a in the clutch wheel 1 and operated by a setting lever. The winding pinion 2 meshes with a transmission gearwheel 5 which is rotatable on a pin 6 which is mounted on a plate 7 and is perpendicular to the axis of the winding stem 4. A double-lobe cam 8 also rotatable on the pin 6 is provided at opposite ends with concave portions 9 and 9'. A cam spring 10 which is mounted on a plate 7' by a screw 11 and pin 12 has at its free end portion a protuberance 10a which is located in the rotating locus of the concave portions 9, 9' of the cam 8. An electrically conductive switching spring 13 has one end portion which is fixed in a slot of a mounting member 15 which is rotatably and adjustably mounted on the plate 7' by a pin 14 so that the position of the switching spring 13 can be adjusted. The other end portion of the switching spring 13 is positioned in the rotating locus of the concave portion 9' of the cam 8 so as to be engageable by the cam. The cam 8 is coupled with the transmission gear wheel 5 by a lost-motion connection comprising a protuberance 17 on the cam which fits into an arcuate slot 16 in the transmission gear wheel, it being understood that conversely the protuberance could be on the transmission gear wheel and the arcuate slot could be in the cam 8.

When the clutch wheel 1 is in the position shown in FIG. 2 rotation of the winding stem 4 rotates the winding pinion 2 and hence the transmission gear wheel 5. As the transmission gear wheel 5 is provided with the arcuate slot 16, the transmission gear wheel can rotate through a selected angle without rotating the cam 8 rotation of which is restrained by the protuberance 10a on the spring 10. When the protuberance 17 reaches the end of the arcuate slot 16, continued rotation of the transmission wheel 5 causes the cam 8 to rotate in a clockwise direction about the pin 6 and the concave portion 9 of the cam 8 pushes the free end portion of the cam spring 10 upwardly against the elasticity of the cam spring. When the concave portion 9 of the cam 8 passes the protruding portion 10a the cam spring 10 returns by its elasticity and the cam spring 10 rotates the cam 8 to the extent of the length of the arcuate slot 16. When the cam 8 rotates clockwise, the switching spring 13 is pushed to the left by the concave portion 9' and contacts with a terminal pin 18 and then the switching spring 13 parts from the terminal pin 18 and returns to its central position. On the other hand when the cam 8 rotates counterclockwise the switching spring 13 is pushed to the right by the concave portion 9' and contacts with a terminal pin 19 and then the switching part 13 parts from the terminal pin 19 and returns to the center. These terminal pins 18 and 19 are respectively connected to the electronic circuit (logic) so that at least two different actions such as time correction, reset or the like are actuated by the switching operation.

It will thus be seen that according to the present invention the clutch wheel and the winding pinion which are rotated by the winding stem both have rectangular teeth which intermesh to couple the winding pinion with the winding stem so that the winding stem diameter need not be large. Furthermore as the winding pinion and the transmission gear wheel are disposed at right angles to one another the transmission gear wheel, cam and cam spring are disposed in the plane of the watch so that the timepiece can be made quite thin.

As will be recognized by those skilled in the art modifications can be made and hence the invention is in no way limited to the preferred embodiment illustrated by way of example in the drawings and herein particularly described.