EP1113346B1 - Wrist-watch with an antenna - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wristwatch containing a telephone device capable of receiving and transmitting broadcast messages received and transmitted by an antenna.

It has been repeatedly proposed to attach to a wristwatch a telephone apparatus adapted to receive and transmit high frequency electromagnetic signals. The continued expansion of radio frequency communication systems, including mobile phone systems, is leading to a growing demand for increasingly compact and lightweight portable communications equipment. In addition to the technological advances that have led to the development of small size electronic circuits and radio frequency circuits and the development of high-performance power sources, low profile antennas have already been proposed which are suitable for mounting on portable communication units. .

For example the document EP 0 186 804 describes a wristwatch including a box and a bracelet associated with this box. The box comprises an electric circuit provided with an integrated circuit and a display device, the box being closed by an ice. The bracelet comprises two slats formed of a flexible plastic material and an antenna conductor disposed between these two slats. One of the slats comprises a thick zone, curved in which is formed a transverse hole for receiving a bar which serves as a hinge of the bracelet on the box.

Similarly, the document US 4,754,285 describes an antenna that winds in the wristband of an instrument worn on the wrist.

The wristwatch described in the document EP 0 339 482 offers no longer an antenna incorporated in the bracelet, but wound around the watch case.

The wristwatch phone described in the document US 5,381,387 includes an antenna integrated in a tongue, one end of which is attached to the bracelet. This tongue is arranged to be arranged in two positions, the first position being a position for which the tongue runs along the bracelet and is merged with it.

In all the examples mentioned above, the antenna is disposed in the immediate vicinity of the wrist of the wearer of the instrument and sticks to the skin in some way. It follows that the available radio frequency signal is absorbed in part by the mass represented by the wrist which decreases the amplitude of the useful signal arriving at the telephone device. It will be understood therefore that the apparatus can only function well if it is in a high signal area, which limits the geographical extent in which this apparatus operates with security.

To overcome the disadvantage described above and therefore increase the amplitude of the signal received or transmitted by the radio frequency device. The present invention relates to a wristwatch as defined in claim 1.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the end of the tongue is attached to the box by means of a hinge located above where the bracelet originates on the watch case.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective de la montre-bracelet de l'invention, cette montre étant équipée d'une languette intégrant une antenne;
• la figure 2 est une coupe dans la montre illustrée à la figure 1, la languette étant montrée dressée sur le bracelet;
• la figure 3 est une coupe dan la montre illustrée à la figure 1, la languette étant montrée confondue avec le bracelet, et
• la figure 4 est une vue en plan illustrant d'une part l'articulation de la languette et d'autre part les connexions reliant l'antenne au dispositif électronique situé à l'intérieur de la boîte de montre.

The features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawing and giving, by way of an explanatory example, but in no way limiting, an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a drawing in which :

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of the wristwatch of the invention, this watch being equipped with a tongue incorporating an antenna;
• the figure 2 is a cut in the watch shown in the figure 1 , the tongue being shown erected on the bracelet;
• the figure 3 is a cut in the watch shown in the figure 1 , the tongue being shown merged with the bracelet, and
• the figure 4 is a plan view illustrating on the one hand the articulation of the tongue and on the other hand the connections connecting the antenna to the electronic device located inside the watch case.

The figure 1 is a perspective drawing illustrating the wristwatch 1 of the invention. It consists of a box 2 and a bracelet 6. In a preferred version of the invention the box 2 and the bracelet 6 are made of a piece of semi-rigid plastic material. In addition to the components necessary for the time-keeping function, the box contains a telephone device 3 capable of receiving and transmitting broadcast messages. The telephone device 3, not apparent to the figure 1 is sketched in figure 4 . The box still contains other elements essential to the phone function, but not shown here. We will find in the document EP 0 899 635 how to integrate an earpiece and a microphone to the watch case. Many other documents describe the integration of a keyboard to said box. The broadcast messages are received and transmitted by an antenna 4 which will now be described in detail since it constitutes the main object of the present invention.

As we see on the figures 1 , 2 and 3 , the antenna 4 is integrated in a tongue 5. The antenna 4 is a film or a metal sheet sandwiched between two elements 35 and 36 constituting the tongue 5. The element 36 may be a capton sheet welded under the element 35 consisting for example of a polyimide plastic material.

The figures also show that one of the ends 7 of the tongue 5 is attached to the box 2 above where the bracelet 6 originates. According to an alternative embodiment, the tongue can of course be attached directly to the bracelet 6. Thus constructed and attached, it will be understood that the tongue 5 can be arranged in at least two positions. The first position is illustrated in the figure 3 where the tongue 5 runs at least partially around the bracelet 6 and is confused with it. By confused, it is meant that the facing faces of the tongue 5 of the associated bracelet strand are applied against each other. The second position is illustrated on the figures 1 and 2 where the tongue 5 deviates from the bracelet 6 and stands above in the plane containing the circle defined by the bracelet when wearing.

The way of attaching the tongue to the box or the bracelet and the place where this fastener takes place, in particular on the bracelet, can be imagined in various ways. Apart from the manners preferably retained here and illustrated by the figures, it is possible to envisage a fastener which would use, for example, a semi-rigid plastic film, as well as a fastening link which would be situated, for example, at mid-distance between the box and a clasp equipping two strands of the bracelet.

However, in the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated by the figures, it can be seen that the end 7 of the tongue 5 is attached to the box 2 by means of a hinge located above the place 8 where the bracelet is born on the box 2. This place 8 can be at noon, as shown in figure 1 or at six o'clock.

More specifically, the figures indicate that the joint consists of a bar 9, whose function is similar to that used to attach a bracelet to a box. For this purpose and as we see well in figure 4 , the box 2 or, more exactly, the place 8 where the bracelet 6 originates on the box 2, is provided with four horns 17, 18, 19 and 20 each pierced with a hole referenced respectively 10, 11, 12 and 13. For its part, the end 7 of the tongue 5 has three hinges 21, 22 and 23 each pierced with a hole referenced respectively 14, 15 and 16. Once the hinges inserted between the horns, all the holes that they comprise are located in enfilade and the bar 9 can be introduced to achieve the expected articulation. It will be noted here that the joint in question could have only two horns cooperating with a single hinge.

The figure 4 shows the box 2 containing the telephone device 3 and the tongue 5 in which the antenna 4 is integrated. The tongue 5 is articulated on the box 2 at the place 8 where the bracelet is born and this by means of the bar 9. It is therefore necessary to connect the telephone device 3 to the antenna 4 while crossing the articulation described above. To do this, the telephone device 3 is connected to the antenna 4 by means of a first blade 24 connected at 42 to said device and a second blade 25 connected at 41 to said antenna. The figure 4 shows that the blades 24 and 25 are facing in a plane perpendicular to the axis 26 which has the bar 9. For this a portion of the blade 25 is folded perpendicular to the plane of the figure 4 to face the other blade 24. The blades 24 and 26 are thus in contact rotating on one another and provide the connection between the antenna 4 and the telephone device 3.

In particular, the figure 4 shows that the first blade 24 along the horn 19 of the box 2 and the second blade 25, in its folded portion, along the hinge 22 of the tongue 5 at the location where the horn 19 rotates against the hinge 22. To ensure an elastic contact between the two blades, the figure 4 shows that the horn 19 is provided with a recess 40 located on the back of the blade 24 which ensures good rotational contact between the blade 25 and the blade 24, the latter being made of an elastic material. To ensure a sealed passage of the blade 24 from the inside to the outside of the box 2, this blade can be overmolded with the material of the box or be glued to this box as indicated by reference 43 of the figure 4 .

The figure 4 shows another blade 44 coming out of the box 2 and following the horn 18 of this box. This blade 44 is connected at 45 to the ground of the telephone device 3. It is used to check the proper functioning of the device 3 before the tongue 5 is attached to the box 2.

If we now turn to Figures 2, 3 and 4 it can be seen that the hinge is provided with a notch system which allows the tongue 5 to be held in the first or second position. To maintain this tongue 5 in the first position coinciding with the bracelet 6, the figures 3 and 4 show that the blade 24 is provided with a drop 27 held in a notch 29 formed in the hinge 22. To maintain the tongue 5 in the second position erected above the bracelet, the drop 27 cooperates with another notch 28 made in the hinge 22 (see figure 2 ).

If one wants to make sure of a good application of the tongue 5 against the bracelet 6 when this tongue is in the confused position with the bracelet one can, as shown only in figure 2 , provide the tongue 5 with a hook 30 arranged to cooperate with a notch 31 arranged in the bracelet 6.

It has been explained above that the tongue 5 carrying the antenna 4 is raised in the second position to reduce the influence of the body of the carrier and thus improve the amplitude of the radio frequency signal collected by the antenna. The erect position of the tongue may also correspond to a so-called communication state of the telephone device 3, state for which a full power supply is conferred to it. In contrast to this, the folded position of the tongue can also correspond to a so-called standby state of the device 3, a state for which a reduced power supply power is conferred on it, this power being just sufficient to maintain the device 5 at the same time. listen to an incoming message. In order to switch from the standby state to the communication state, the bracelet 6 may be provided with a device 33 (see FIG. figure 1 ) The device 33 could be a Hall sensor and the element 32 a magnet.

The four figures which illustrate this description show that the tongue 5 is arranged to be superimposed on the bracelet 6 when said tongue is in its first position where it merges with the bracelet. For this purpose, the bracelet has, at the location of the superposition, a reduced thickness of an amount substantially equivalent to the thickness of the tongue 5 as shown in the sectional figures 2 and 3. However, the invention is not not limited to a superposition but could be a juxtaposition. For this purpose the tongue 5 could be of the same thickness as the bracelet and be arranged next to it, the essential residing in the fact that the tongue runs at least partially the bracelet in a first position and moves upwards in a second position.

Claims (8)

1. Wristwatch (1) provided with a wristband (6) and a case (2) containing a telephone (3) device able to receive and transmit broadcast messages received and transmitted by an antenna (4), this antenna (4) being integrated in a tongue (5) having an (7) end which is attached to the wristband (6) or to the case (2), this tongue being arranged to be disposed in at least two positions, a first position, in which it runs alongside the wristband at least partly and is merged with it, and characterised in that the second position is a position in which said tongue is moved away from the wristband and stands upright in a plane containing a circle defined by the wristband when it is worn.
2. Wristwatch according to claim 1, characterised in that the end (7) of the tongue (5) is attached to the case (2) by means of an articulation located above (8) a place from which the wristband originates on the case (2).
3. Wristwatch according to claim 2, characterised in that the tongue (5) has a thickness and is arranged to be superposed onto the wristband (6) when the tongue is in its first position, the wristband having, at the location of superposition, a thickness reduced by a quantity substantially equivalent to the thickness of the tongue.
4. Wristwatch according to claim 2, characterised in that the articulation consists of a bar (9) passing through holes (10, 11, 12, 13; 14, 15, 16) made in a row both in horns (17, 18, 19, 20) with which the case (2) is provided, and in hinges (21, 22, 23) of the end (7) of the tongue (5), the telephone (3) device being connected to the antenna (4) by means of a first strip (24) connected to said telephone device and a second strip (25) connected to said antenna, these strips (24, 25) facing each other in a plane perpendicular to the axis (26) of the bar (9), said strips being in rotating contact against each other.
5. Wristwatch according to claim 4, characterised in that the first strip (24) runs alongside a horn (19) of the case (2) and in that the second strip (25) runs alongside a hinge (22) of the tongue (5) at the place where said horn and said hinge rotate against each other.
6. Wristwatch according to claim 2, characterised in that the articulation is provided with a snap locking device (27, 28, 29) allowing the tongue (5) to be held in the first or the second position.
7. Wristwatch according to claim 2, characterised in that the tongue (5) is provided with a stud (30) co-operating with a recess (31) arranged in the wristband (6).
8. A wristwatch according to claim 2, characterised in that the wristband (6) is provided with a device (32, 33) allowing the telephone (3) device to be switched from a standby state to a communication state according to whether the tongue (5) is located respectively in the first or the second position.

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