Battery operated electronic watch

A battery operated watch includes an actuator mechanism adapted to actuating indicator hands of the watch. The actuating mechanism includes a gear train adapted to drive indicator hands, a motor for driving the gear train, and an electronic block unit. The electronic block unit includes an oscillator and electronic circuit for operating the motor. A mechanism plate and bridge are provided. A carrier plate of insulative material is disposed between the mechanism plate and bridge. The carrier plate has pockets, including indentations, bores and openings, for receiving and retaining in position at least some components of the actuating mechanism. Means is provided for securing the mechanism plate, bridge, and carrier plate together, including a plurality of pillars extending between the mechanism plate and the bridge.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTS 
The invention relates to a battery operated electronic watch. Such watches, 
especially a quartz-crystal wrist watch, have a watch mechanism with an 
electronic module, combined into a construction unit on a carrier of 
insulating material with a frequency standard and an electronic circuit 
for the time-keeping control of a watch drive with a subordinated 
hands-driving gear train which is disposed between a mechanism plate and 
at least one bridge. 
Such a watch is known for example from German AS 21 31 476. The carrier is 
made of plastic, and is developed as a shaped piece provided with 
chambers. Within these chambers all electronic construction units, such as 
a quartz-crystal oscillator, a frequency adjusting arrangement, a 
temperature compensation device and an oscillator, frequency divider and 
driving circuit for the drive of an electromechanical converter are 
stored. The remaining construction units of the watch, namely the gear 
train and dial train, as well as a motor are disposed in the watch in the 
traditional manner. 
Moreover, a watch mechanism has become known through German patent 19 01 
961, in case of which an intermediate plate, which serves at the same time 
as a support for a few penetrating shafts during assembly is disposed 
between a mounting plate and a bridge. 
Both arrangements mentioned above are based on the object of simplifying 
the mounting of very special individual parts of the watch or watch 
mechanism. 
As compared to that, the object of the present invention is to provide an 
electronic watch the mechanism of which may be produced at less cost by 
saving or reducing hiterto necessary finishing, mounting and aligning 
operations. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION 
In accordance with the present invention, a battery operated watch includes 
an actuator mechanism adapted to actuating indicator hands of the watch. 
The actuating mechanism includes a gear train adapted to drive indicator 
hands, a motor for driving the gear train, and an electronic block unit. 
The electronic block unit includes an oscillator and electronic circuit 
for operating the motor. A mechanism plate and bridge are provided. A 
carrier plate of insulative material is disposed between the mechanism 
plate and bridge. The carrier plate has pockets, including indentations, 
bores and openings, for receiving and retaining in position at least some 
components of the actuating mechanism. Means is provided for securing the 
mechanism plate, bridge, and carrier plate together, including a plurality 
of pillars extending between the mechanism plate and the bridge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
In the figures, 1 designates a mechanism or base plate, 2 a carrier plate 
and 3 a bridge, which parts form the frame of a watch mechanism 4 of a 
battery operated electronic quartz-crystal wrist watch. Concerning the 
parts of the watch movement 4 shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 5a and 5b, for the sake 
of clarity, only those parts are illustrated which are needed for 
understanding the invention. 
The mechanism plate 1 and the bridge 3 consist of metal. Both the plate 1 
and the bridge 3 fit against opposite surfaces of the carrier plate 2, so 
that their spacing and thus the width of the frame of watch movement 4 is 
determined by the thickness of the carrier plate 2. The latter comprises 
plastic, chiefly temperature resistant and dimensionally stable plastic, 
and is preferably produced by a single injection molding process. 
The carrier plate 2 has a large number of pockets in the form of bores, 
indentations and breaches for the positionally fixed arrangement or 
mounting of at least a large part of the mechanical and electronic parts 
for the operation of the watch. These parts include an electronics block 
5, a battery (not shown), several parts of the motor 6 forming the drive 
for the watch, and an arrangement 7 for the setting of the hands, and the 
gear train 8. 
In detail the carrier plate 2 has an opening 9, within which a rotor 61 of 
the motor 6 is disposed. The rotor 61 is mounted rotatably in a bearing 
61a disposed in the mechanism plate 1 and in a bearing 61b in the bridge 
3. Located adjacent the opening 9 are a sub-shaped indentation 10 for the 
reception of a motor coil 62, and a pair of indentations 11a and 11b 
disposed on both sides of the indentation 10. Each indentation 11a, 11b 
receives one of the stator laminations 63a and 63b, disposed at both sides 
of the rotor 61. The cross-sectional surfaces of the indentations 11a and 
11b and of the breach 9 are adapted to the cross-sectional surfaces of the 
two stator laminations 63a and 63b in such a way, that their position in 
relation to the rotor 61 and the geometry of the air gap is positively 
fixed without additional adjusting measures. The motor coil 62 and the two 
stator laminations 63a and 63b are attached to the mechanism plate 1 by 
means of two screws 64. For this, bores have been made in the stator 
laminations and axially aligned thereto in an iron core 62a projecting 
laterally from the motor coil 62, and in a connecting plate 62b for coils, 
by the screws 64. 
The carrier plate 2 serves moreover for the reception of various individual 
parts of the adjusting arrangement 7, for the hands. Accordingly, a radial 
bore 12 has been molded into the carrier plate 2, which serves as a 
bearing for an adjusting shaft 71 for the hands. The shaft is both 
longitudinally shiftable and rotatable by outside manual action. The bore 
12 leads into an indentation 13, in which an adjusting gear 72 for the 
hands is seated, which gear 72 may be coupled with the adjusting shaft 71 
by a pinion 71a disposed thereon. This adjusting gear 72 for the hands is 
mounted rotatably via a bearing shaft 72a in a bore 72b in the carrier 
plate 2. Furthermore, an additional opening 14 is provided in the carrier 
plate which has mutually parallel inside surfaces disposed perpendicularly 
to the radial bore 12. The opening 14 is continued with the same 
cross-section in the mechanism plate 1 and the bridge 3. Within the 
spatial extent of this breach 14, an adjusting wheel 73 is disposed for 
the shifting of a date-ring 15. The wheel 73 sits on the adjusting shaft 
71 with little axial play being permitted by the inside surfaces of the 
opening 14, and which may be driven thereby. 
The time driving gear train 8 consists of an intermediate gear 81 
intermeshing with a motor pinion 65 seated on the rotor 61. The drive 
pinion 81a of gear 81 meshes with a seconds gear 82. The drive pinion 82a 
of the latter meshes with a small bottom gear 83. The gear 83 is in 
driving connection with a central seconds drive pinion 84 and the drive 
pinion 83a of the gear 83 is in driving connection with a minute gear 85. 
The intermediate gear 81 is mounted rotatably in a bearing 81b in the 
mechanism plate 1 and in a bearing 81c in the bridge 3. A bearing 82b in 
the mechanism plate 1 and a bearing 82c in the bridge 3 have been provided 
for the mounting of the seconds gear 82. The small bottom gear 83 is 
seated between a bearing 83b in the mechanism plate 1 and a bearing 83c in 
the bridge 3. For the mounting of the minutes gear 85, there is provided 
firstly a bore 16 in the carrier plate 2. Into this bore a bearing bushing 
85a is inserted nonpositively, which bushing forms the rear minutes gear 
bearing as well as the forward bearing for the central seconds drive 
pinion 84. The drive pinion 84 is also mounted in a bearing 84a in the 
bridge 3. For mounting the minutes gear 85 there is further provided a 
bearing bushing 17 inserted in a bore in the mechanism plate 1, aligned 
axially with the bore 16, which bushing 17 forms the forward minutes gear 
bearing. The axles of the gears 82 and 83 are guided through bores 82d and 
83d in the carrier plate, and the axle of the intermediate gear 81 is 
guided through a bore 81d penetrating the stator laminations 63a. 
In the carrier plate 2, an indentation 18 is provided for the reception of 
a battery (not shown for the sake of clarity) which indentation 18 is 
largely adapted in its outside shape to the battery. Within this 
indentation 18 there are disposed molded-in cavities 18a and 18b, in which 
contact lugs 19 and 20 have been disposed. These lugs 19, 20 serve on the 
one hand for an electric connection of the battery with the electronic 
block 5 and the mass (mechanism plate 1), and on the other hand for 
holding the battery within the indentation 18. 
All parts of the electronic block 5 for the drive of the motor 6 are 
attached on a bilaterally printed conductive plate 51. These parts include 
a quartz-crystal oscillator, a frequency adjusting arrangement, and an 
electronic driving circuit in integrated technique. In order to make 
possible a mounting of different parts, especially of the quartz-crystal 
oscillator, within the spacial extent of the carrier plate 3, the plate 2 
has an indentation 21 at an appropriate place (FIG. 2). The conductive 
plate 51, along with the complete electronic block 5, is attached by three 
screws 22a, 22b and 22c (FIG. 3) to the carrier plate 2. These screws are 
guided through associated bores of the carrier plate and engage with 
threads of the mechanism plate 1. The conductive plate 51 extends above 
the indentation 21 in its marginal area, such a way that the contact lug 
19, which fits on the one hand against the negative terminal of the 
battery and on the other hand against the input terminal of the electronic 
block 5, is attached to the carrier plate 2 by the screw 22a. In addition, 
the conductive plate 51 extends above the coil connecting plate 62b in 
such a way, that the coil connections, disposed thereon, coincide with the 
corresponding output connections of the electronic block 5 and are kept in 
pressure contact by the screw 22b. 
In order to orient the carrier plate 2 in relation to the mechanism plate 
1, a pillar arrangement has been provided. This pillar arrangement 
comprises several fixing pins 23a, 23b and 23c (FIG. 5a), molded on to the 
carrier plate 2 which engage with corresponding bores in the mechanism 
plate 1, and of several fixing bolts 24, 25, 26, attached to the mechanism 
plate 1. The fixing bolts engage with corresponding bores 24', 25' and 26' 
of the carrier plate 2. One of these connections is shown in detail in 
FIG. 4. The fixing bolts 24-26, with their associated bores, form an 
interference or friction fit in such a way that the carrier plate 2, after 
being fitted together with the mechanism plate 1, is held by pressure 
contact in the fitted together position. Every fitting bolt also has at 
its outside end an extension bolt 24", 25" and 26", which has a smaller 
diameter. These extension bolts project into corresponding bores of the 
bridge 3 and serve for the fixation of their position in relation to the 
mechanism plate and the carrier plate. The bridge 3 is attached to the 
carrier plate 2 by screws 27, 28 and 29, which engage with inside threads 
of the fixing bolts. 
Integrally molded at the periphery of the carrier plate 2 are several 
radial, resilient holding claws 30, 31 and 32. These claws 30-31 engage 
with a groove of a watch housing (not shown) and make possible a simple 
assembly of the entire watch movement into the watch housing, without any 
further attaching measures. These holding claws 30, 31 and 32 are also 
shaped such that a simple removal of the entire watch mechanism from the 
housing is also possible at any time. 
The gear train and hand adjusting mechanism 7 are connected to the 
indicator hands in conventional fashion, as demonstrated for example in 
the afore-mentioned German patent publications. 
By the use of a plastic carrier plate which determines the width of the 
frame of the watch movement, which is disposed between a mechanism plate 
and a bridge, and which may be produced by one single injection molding 
process, all hitherto necessary drilling and milling processes, at least 
on the side of the mechanism plate facing the bridge, are eliminated. 
Moreover, the mechanism plate, because of its considerably lesser 
thickness may now be formed by stamping. The carrier plate itself serves 
for the reception and mounting of almost all construction units needed for 
the operation of the watch, including a battery. These units are fixed in 
position in corresponding bores, indentations and breaches in such a way 
that no further adjusting measures are needed. Beyond that, the correct 
orientation and attachment of the carrier plate on the mechanism plate, 
and a simple final assembly or dismantling of the entire watch mechanism 
in a watch housing is provided by holding claws molded onto the periphery 
of the carrier plate. Thus production costs, which are considerably lower 
in comparison to traditionally produced watches, are possible as a result 
of these previously described measures. 
In conclusion, it should be pointed out that the invention is not limited 
to what has been shown in the figures and described in the preceding 
paragraphs but that other arrangements of the individual parts of the 
watch mechanism within the scope of the invention and maintaining the 
construction principle of the invention, e.g., different structures of the 
carrier plate or the mechanism plate, are possible.