JPS61281990A - Electric clock - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an electric watch, which includes a watch drive mechanism having a metal frame, a plastic frame, and at least one rotatable element, the wheel of the watch movement and the rotation of the watch drive mechanism. a watch drive mechanism in which elements are arranged between facing inner surfaces of a metal frame and a plastic frame and are mounted in bearing holes of these frames, and said metal frame and said plastic frame, and all the remainder of the watch movement; The present invention relates to an electric watch equipped with a connecting device for connecting elements of the present invention.

In assembling this type of watch, the standard procedure is to first attach one end of the shaft of the various wheels of the watch movement, and the rotor of the stepper motor, and more precisely, one end of the shaft of the rotor assembly, to the metal The plastic frame is inserted into the bearing hole provided in the frame, and the plastic frame is positioned with respect to the thus obtained structure. At this time, the other end of each shaft of the wheel and rotor of the watch movement 1 is inserted. , which is inserted into a bearing hole provided in a plastic frame. Plastic frames are usually
It is screwed to the metal frame, with a space provided between the plastic frame and the metal frame, which space is already fixedly connected to the metal frame during assembly and is screwed at its free end. It is determined by a spacer provided with a hole. In this way, each wheel of the watch movement, the rotor of the stepper motor and, depending on the state of technology, the stator are fixed in the desired position between the two frame elements (West German Patent Application No. 1,
257,690). Optionally, corresponding spacers are also formed on the plastic frame.

A coupling device in the form of a screw connection is completely unsatisfactory as far as manufacturing technology is concerned, in terms of its internal thread requirement and the substantial assembly time for tightening the screw, which increases the overall cost of the watch. is not satisfactory. Another disadvantage is that the elements of the watch movement, including, for example, the complete stator device, are not located between the two frame elements and, according to the earlier proposals, additional mounting devices are required. -, thereby increasing manufacturing and assembly costs. These basic problems also arise when, according to another recent proposal, at least small groups of elements are joined by spring clips to form one structural unit before final assembly.

From the above, it is an object of the invention to improve the coupling device in an electric watch of the type mentioned above, so as to provide a reliable releasable coupling between at least a metal frame and a plastic frame in a cheap and quick manner. It is to form.

This object is achieved by the following configuration according to the invention.

That is, in the above-mentioned type of electric watch, the coupling device is formed by a spring clip, and this clip is composed of a plate-like body and at least two spring legs bent at an angle, and the body of the spring clip is by being releasably connected to the associated mating element of the metal frame when placed on the plastic frame and/or other components arranged thereon and, if necessary, to other elements of the watch. A spring projection adapted to make contact is provided on the main body of the spring clip.

A particular advantage of the spring clip of the present invention, which replaces conventional coupling devices, is that it can be punched from a spring metal sheet and bent as a relatively simple element so that the plastic frame can be assembled to the metal frame. After the further elements have been placed on top of the plastic frame, they can be easily pressed onto the associated element or the plastic frame from above, with the angularly bent The spring legs are configured to first be expanded outwardly somewhat and then snapped onto the associated mating elements of the metal frame.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the mating elements of the metal frame are provided with a recess along the outer periphery of the metal frame, into which the spring leg of the spring clip falls when the spring clip is pressed. It is supposed to be done. The lateral wear at the lower or free end of the spring leg contacts the end area of the said recess from below, the associated end area being set back somewhat with respect to the outer surface of the metal frame and facing the back of the dial, i.e. the dial. This allows the metal frame to make flat contact.

Another important advantage of the spring clip of the invention is that with the aid of the additional spring projections, further elements of the watch can be fixed with respect to the frame element. In general, it is possible to use the spring projections as contact springs for batteries or as contact springs for contact elements of electronic circuits, in which case the electronic circuit consists of, for example, a printed circuit board and the printed circuit board can be placed in the desired position on the upper side of the plastic frame by means of projections in the plastic frame on the one hand and by openings in the printed circuit board on the other hand.

Another possible advantage is to use the spring projection of the spring clip as a stop spring for the winding stem. A number of the above-mentioned additional functions and other possible further functions can also be realized simultaneously by means of a plurality of spring projections, which are provided on the body of the spring clip and are in particular integrally formed.

Therefore, in the electric watch of the present invention, a releasable connection is formed between the plastic frame and the metal frame with the help of a single spring clip, while at the same time reducing the assembly cost and reducing the required amount of the watch. Additional functionality is implemented that reduces the number of components.

Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 3, the timepiece of the invention has as a base element a metal frame 10, on the front or bottom of which a dial 12 is arranged, for example by means of a small leg. It is glued or clamped there.

The clock is assembled as follows. A metal frame 10, provided with holes and recesses and whose inner surface is shown in detail in FIG. 4, is first inserted into an assembly holder (frame receiving device), not shown. The front or lower ends of the shafts of the rotor of the stepper motor, the central wheel 22 and the switching and setting wheel 24 then fit into the bearing holes 14, 16, 18 of the metal frame 10.
inserted inside. Subsequently, a plastic frame 26 is placed on the assembly thus obtained, so that the rotor 20 and the rear or upper ends of the shafts of the wheels 22, 24 of the watch movement are inserted into the associated openings 2B, 30 of the plastic frame 26. .32 accepted.

Then the stator metal sheet 3 with the excitation coil 36
4 is arranged outside the plastic frame 26, and the stator metal seats 1 to 34 are arranged outside the plastic frame 26.
Regarding stator metal sea! - is positioned with the aid of projections of the plastic frame 26 passing through corresponding openings. One of these protrusions is shown in FIG. 3 as plastic frame protrusion 26a. During the same assembly process, the first intermediate wheel 38 is placed on several pins 26b provided on the outside of the plastic frame 26. In the same assembly step, spring fingers (not shown) for spring-supporting the battery (not shown) of the watch movement rest on pins provided on the plastic frame.

In the next assembly step, a second intermediate wheel 40, which engages the pinion of the rotor and meshes with the first intermediate wheel, is placed on the pivot pin 42, which prior to the assembly of the plastic frame 26, It has already been inserted into the opening provided in the plastic frame 26 from the inside. In this assembly plane, a bridging element (not shown) rests roughly on another pin of the plastic frame 26, which bridging element magnetically bridges the open gap of the stator metal seat 1-;
This is necessary for pressing the excitation coil 26.

A spacer (not shown) is placed on one of the protrusions of the plastic frame 26 to position the stator metal seats 1-34.

In the next assembly step, the electronic module of the watch movement with its printed circuit board 44 is placed on the positioning projections provided for that purpose on the plastic frame.

A cast integrated circuit 46 has already been placed on the printed circuit board 46, including a quartz 48 and a capacitor 50.
is mounted next to the printed circuit board. Roughly speaking, a winding stem 52 is inserted into the horizontal opening slot 26c of the plastic frame, and a pinion 52a is provided at the inner end of the winding stem 52, and the winding stem 52 is provided with a pinion 52a at the inner end shown in FIG. When the stem 52 is placed in its outer position, the pinion 52a is adapted to cooperate with the teeth 24a of the switching and setting wheel, where the inner and outer positions of the winding stem 52 are determined by annular grooves 52c and 52d. These annular grooves cooperate with the stop spring elements described below and between them are arranged annular ribs 52e having slopes on both sides.

After completion of the previously described assembly steps, the spring clip 54, shown in detail in FIG. 2, is assembled in a final assembly step.
The entire assembly thus obtained is pressed from above. When the watch movement is installed inside the watch casing,
A winding stem can be inserted. Here, the three angularly bent spring legs 54a, 54b, 1)i and 54C are first expanded somewhat outwards and then recessed in the periphery of the metal frame 10. .

10b and 10C. The protrusions 54a', 54b' and 54C° projecting outward are the resection portion i.
oa'.

10b' and ioc', thereby releasably coupling the spring clip 54 to the metal frame 10. This connection is released for maintenance and repair by pressing the spring legs outward. For that purpose, each spring leg 54a-54c is provided with an opening 60 in its angularly bent region, through which a suitable tool can be applied.

The cross-sectional shapes through the spring legs 54a-54C along intersection lines c-c, f-f and h-h are shown in detailed FIGS. 2C, 2f and 2h, and the spring clip 54 The design structure of is shown.

As is clear from FIG. 2, the spring clip 54 includes spring legs 54a-54c, as well as spring legs 54a-54c.
A number of other spring lobes, Q54d, whose cross-sectional shape along line a is shown in FIG. 2a.

54e, whose cross-sectional shape along the line bb in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 2b; 54f, whose cross-sectional shape along the line dd in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 2d; 54g whose cross-sectional shape along line ee is shown in FIG. 2e, and 54h whose cross-sectional shape along line Q-q in FIG. 2 is shown in FIG. 2q.

Spring protrusion 5 bent at an angle at the free end
4d serves as a positive contact for the watch battery. The spring protrusion 54f further
- It has the function of holding the circuit board 44. Also, the spring projections 54 (J have the function of contact springs for the contact elements of the printed circuit on the printed circuit board 44. Finally, the spring projections 54, whose free ends are bent at an angle, 54h has a function as a stop spring for the winding stem 52.

In addition to the spring legs and spring protrusions, the plate-like body of the spring clip 54 is provided with an engraving 62, which is attached to the spring clip 5.
4 has a knob-like projection formed on the inside thereof, which serves, for example, as an additional device for holding the pudding 1 to the circuit board 44 and as an axial stop for the shaft end of the wheel of the watch movement. It has become.

As is clear from the foregoing description, the spring clip 54 of the present invention, which constitutes the necessary connection device between the plastic frame and the metal frame, is a multifunctional member, and in addition to its function as a connection device, In electric watch movements of normal design specifications, many additional functions can be fulfilled which require corresponding additional elements. Therefore, the number of elements in the watch movement can be significantly reduced. On the other hand, despite its apparently complex design, the spring clip 54 can be mass produced by punching, stamping and bending spring metal sheets relatively easily and inexpensively with the aid of a corresponding tool set. Can be manufactured.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the scope of the claims.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the rear side of the fully assembled timepiece movement of the electric timepiece of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a plan view of the spring clip of the timepiece movement of FIG.
Figures 2a to 2h are various cross-sectional views taken along line a-a to line h-h of Figure 2, respectively, and Figure 3 is a complete cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the inside of the metal frame of the training movement 1 shown in FIG. 1. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Metal frame, 10a-10c... Combination element, 26... Plastic frame, 44... Element (electronic circuit) on plastic frame, 54...
Spring clips, 54a-54a... Spring legs, 54d-54d... Spring protrusions.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A watch drive mechanism having a metal frame, a plastic frame, and at least one rotating element, wherein the wheel of the watch movement and possibly the rotating element of the watch drive mechanism are connected to the metal frame and at least one rotating element. a watch drive mechanism disposed between facing inner surfaces of the plastic frames and adapted to be mounted in bearing holes of these frames, and a connection connecting the metal frame and the plastic frame and all remaining elements of the watch movement; In an electric watch with a device, the coupling device is formed by a spring clip (54), which spring clip (54) is connected to a plate-like body and at least two angularly bent spring legs ( 54a to 54c), and when the body of the spring clip (54) is placed on the plastic frame (26) and/or another element (44) arranged thereon, the metal Related combination elements (10a-10c) of frame (10)
), and spring protrusions (54d to 54h) are formed on the main body of the spring clip (54) and are formed to contact another element of the watch as necessary. An electric clock characterized by: 2. The electric timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the spring protrusion (54d) has the shape of a battery contact spring. 3. The spring protrusion is the retaining spring for the winding stem (52) (
54h) The electric timepiece according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has a shape of 54h). 4. The spring protrusion (54g) has the shape of a contact spring for a contact element of an electronic circuit (44), according to any one of claims 1 to 3. electric clock. 5. The combination element has the shape of a recess (10a-10c) along the outer edge of the metal frame (10), and the spring leg (5) of the spring clip (54)
4a to 54c) are provided with transverse projections (54a' to 54c'), said transverse projections being configured to contact the end regions of said recesses (10a to 10c) from below. An electric timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 4. 6. Electrical according to claim 5, characterized in that the end region has the shape of a cutout (10a' to 10c') which is returned with respect to the outside of the metal frame (10). clock. 7. A stamped portion (62) is provided at the base of the spring clip (54) from the outside thereof, and a corresponding knob-like projection having a function as a holding element is provided on the inside thereof. Claim 1
The electric watch according to any one of Items 6 to 6.