Connection Structure for Watch Case and Band

This invention relates to a connection structure for a watch casing and a watch band, in which internal modules incorporated in the watch casing and external modules secured to the watch band are electrically and positively connected through a relay connector having electric conductors at the position where a watch band is fixed to the casing.

In an electronic wristwatch, it is very advantageous from the standpoints of the design and manufacture of an electronic wristwatch having multi-functions and various applications that modules such as a battery which may not be provided inside the watch casing, IC circuit operation button and the like, are arranged on the watch band. However, it is very difficult to electrically connect the internal modules incorporated in the watch casing and the external modules dispersedly arranged on the watch band. This is a disadvantage since the accuracy of the wristwatch is made extremely low due to mal-connection therebetween. An object of the present invention is to obviate such a defect and to provide an electronic wristwatch having highly reliable functions.

According to one aspect of this invention, there is provided a connection structure for a watch casing and a watch band comprising a case for the watch casing, an internal module incorporated into the inside of said case, a recess formed at the bottom of the case, a plurality of lead pins disposed at the top of the recess and each being connected to the internal module respectively, a relay connector block of an elastic insulating material being vertically provided with a plurality of flexible conductors and received in the recess so as to contact with the lead pins, said watch band of a flexible insulating material provided at the proximal end of the watch band with a projection engaging the recess, an external module attached to a given portion of the watch band, a plurality of lead wires embedded in the watch band, each end of the wires being connected to each terminal provided so as to contact with the flexible conductor and the other end being connected to the external module, and a back cover firmly sandwiching the case and projection.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described referring to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an outline drawing showing an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view thereof;

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are explanatory drawings for showing the principal parts of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is an explanatory drawing showing relay connectors according to the present invention.

In the drawings , reference numeral 1 designates a case of a watch casing and reference character 2 designates recesses symmetrically formed on the bottom surface of said case, on the top surfaces of which a plural number of lead pins 4 are respectively provided in a row so as to be connected to internal modules 3 incorporated in the watch casing. Reference numeral 5 denotes a watch band made of flexible insulating material and having, at its proximal end, projections 6 to be inserted into the respective recesses 2 of said case 1. This band is provided with external modules 7 such as a battery, IC cicuit elements, a buzzer, an operation push button and the like. This band is further provided with a plural number of lead wires 8 embedded therein, respective one ends of which are connected to the external modules 7 and the respective other ends of which to the terminals 9 provided in a row on the projections 6 formed on the proximal end of the band. Reference numeral 10 is a relay connector made of an elastic insulating material, in which a plural number of flexible conductors 11 made of conductive rubber are embedded with both ends exposed therefrom, as shown in FIG. 5(A), at positions corresponding to the lead pins 4 provided in a row to the recess portion 2 of the case 1 and the terminals 9 provided in a row on the projections 6 of the band 5. Alternatively, said relay connector 10 may be formed with a plural number of spring-shaped flexible conductors 11 having electrodes at their both ends and arranged vertically as shown in FIG. 5(B). Thus, the watch band 5 and the case 1 of the watch casing are connected in such a manner that the relay connectors 11 and the projections 6 on the proximal end of the band 5 are inserted in layers into the recesses 2 of the case 1; a plural number of lead pins 4 exposed from the top surfaces of the recesses 2 and a plural number of terminals 9 provided in a row on the respective projections 6 of the band 5 are electrically connected through the conductors 11 of the relay connector 10; and under such a condition where the external modules 7 incorporated in the watch band and the internal modules 3 incorporated in the case are electrically connected, a back cover 12 is securely fixed to the case 1 so as to watertightly make compression joint of the projections 6 of the band which are inserted into the recess portions 2 and the relay connector 10 made of an elastic material.

While the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 comprises the watch casing made of plastic material, when the casing is made of metal material, the case 1 is provided with a hole 13 for inserting therein an insulator 14 in which a plural number of lead pins 4 are embedded, as shown in FIG. 4.

The present invention having the structure as explained above, can offer various advantages and practical effects such that, with adoption of the relay connector 10, when the back cover 12 is secured to the case 1, the pressure is applied to the joint portions of the elastic conductors 11 vertically provided in the relay connector 10, the corresponding lead pins 4 and the terminals 9 provided on the band end, thereby reducing electrically connecting resistance and positively carrying out the electric connection between the internal modules 3 incorporated in the watch casing and the external modules 7 dispersedly arranged on the watch band as well as attaining an excellent waterproof effect. Moreover it is possible to design and manufacture of a wristwatch which is thin in thickness and has multifunctions since the modules such as a battery, IC electronic circuit elements, an operating button and the like are dispersedly provided on a watch band. Furthermore, by the replacement of the watch band having the external modules thereon, the specification of the watch can be easily changed.