Electronic watch, particularly a quartz-controlled wristwatch

An electronic watch, particularly a quartz-controlled wristwatch including an electronic circuit for the control of an indicator device. The watch includes an indicator setting arrangement having a setting shaft arrestable in different positions, and a support plate therefor. A stop or arresting spring for the setting shaft concurrently constitutes a switch element for controlling a conductor path in the electronic circuit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to an electronic clock or watch, in 
particular, a quartz-controlled wristwatch which includes an electronic 
circuit for the control of an indicator device, an indicator regulating 
arrangement with a setting shaft which is arrestable or capable of being 
stopped in different positions, as well as a carrier plate. 
2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
The locking of a setting or regulating shaft in a wristwatch is effected, 
in a known manner, through the intermediary of a stop spring which 
cooperatively engages in locking grooves. These types of stop springs are 
mostly constituted of single-piece leaf springs, produced through the 
utilization of a stamping process, and are fastened on a carrier plate, 
base plate, or the like, through the interposition of at least one 
fastening element. Independently of the manufacturing requirements, 
mounting and alignment required for this arrangement is being relatively 
extensive, and the stop spring only possesses the function of an arresting 
or locking element. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to construct a stop 
spring for a watch of the above-mentioned type, which is capable of 
concurrently assuming a plurality of functions which are necessary for the 
operation of the watch and, notwithstanding the foregoing, having a 
manufacturing cost which is appreciably lower in comparison with known 
devices. 
The foregoing object is inventively achieved through the provision of a 
stop spring which operates in conjunction with arresting elements for the 
setting shaft, and which is concurrently constructed as a switch element, 
through the intermediary of which, upon actuation of the setting shaft, 
there may be closed or interrupted at least one current path within the 
electronic circuitry. 
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stop or arresting spring is 
formed on the clockwork or watch movement platform and integrally 
constructed therewith as a stamped component. Through this measure alone, 
there is achieved an appreciable reduction in the manufacturing costs of 
the watch. The auxiliary function of a switch element by means of which, 
upon actuation of the setting shaft, at least one current path was 
interruptable within the electronic circuitry, heretofore, was either not 
required, or was assumed by further switch elements independently of the 
setting shaft. The stop spring itself is hereby constructed as a contact 
element which, on the one hand, is grounded across the watch movement 
bridge and, on the other hand, upon actuation of the setting shaft in 
dependence upon the position thereof and the depth of the arresting 
groove. This is accomplished through the intermediary of an angular 
contact arm adapted to be brought into pressure contact with a conductor 
path which is arranged on a printed circuit board mounting the electronic 
circuitry. Moreover, in accordance with a modified embodiment of the 
invention, in lieu of a contact arm, the stop spring may also comprises a 
switch finger by means of which, upon actuation of the setting shaft for 
interrupting the current circuit, a resilient contact element engaged by 
the switch finger may be pressed against a conductor path on the printed 
circuit board.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is illustrated a 
clockwork or movement 1 for a wristwatch, which includes a support plate 2 
on which there is arranged a movement plate 3 on the side towards the dial 
plate (FIG. 1), as well as a printed circuit board 4 towards the bottom 
side (FIG. 2), and a gear plate (not shown). The printed circuit board 4 
is mounted on the support plate 2 and serves as a carrier for the 
electronic components of the watch; these consisting of a quartz crystal 
oscillator 5, as well as (not shown) an encased integrated switching 
network and frequency adjusting elements. The current for these electronic 
components is supplied by a suitable button battery (not shown) which is 
adapted to be seated in a receiving recess 6, and the connection of which 
to the printed circuit board 4 is effected through the intermediary of a 
contact lug 7 which, on the one hand, contacts the negative pole of the 
battery and, on the other hand, has an input terminal to the electronic 
circuitry. An output terminal of the electronic circuit is connected to 
the drive or power coil 8 of a stepping motor, the latter of which further 
comprises a two-part stator 9 and a rotor 10 with a power-takeoff pinion 
11. Associated with this stepping motor is a gear drive train for the 
motivation of the indicator hands (not shown), a second-hand gear 12 which 
interconnects with the output pinion 11 of the rotor, a minute-hand gear 
13, a change gear 14, and an hour-hand gear 15. The second-hand gear 12, 
on the one side, is hereby supported within the gear plate and, on the 
other side, in a bearing location 16 in the movement plate 3. In addition 
to the foregoing, the last-mentioned serves for the covering and the axial 
securing of the change gear 14 which is freely rotatably mounted on a 
rigid bearing pin 17. There is additionally provided an indicator hand 
setting arrangement which consists of a setting gear operating in 
cooperation with the minute-hand gear and a manually actuatable setting 
shaft 18, the latter of which is manually displaceable into two arrested 
or stopped positions which are marked through the distance between two 
arresting grooves 19 and 20. For the mechanical positioning of the setting 
shaft 18 in one of the respective locking grooves 19 or 20 there is 
provided a stop or arresting spring 21, which is constituted of a leaf 
spring and, inventively, is integrally formed with the movement plate 3 as 
a stamped component. Hereby the stop spring 21 extends over the setting 
shaft 18 and with a portion thereof forming an arresting arm 21a extends 
sideways into the locking groove 19 or 20 which is presently associated 
with an arresting position. 
Moreover, in an inventive manner, the locking spring is also formed so as 
to constitute a switch element. Hereby, as illustrated in detail in FIG. 3 
of the drawings, the outer end of the locking arm 21a is angled and forms 
a contact arm 21b extending in perpendicular relative to the printed 
circuit board 4, and which is adapted to be brought into pressure-contact 
with a conductor path 22 located in the circuit board. In order to 
facilitate this switching sequence, the two arresting grooves 19, 
respectively 20 in the setting shaft are formed with different depths, in 
such a manner, that the contacting connection between the contact arm 21b 
and conductor path 22 is closed upon the setting shaft being displaced 
into a corrective position, and opened when the setting shaft is not in a 
corrective position. 
In the embodiment pursuant to FIG. 4, the outer bent or angled end of the 
locking arm 21a is not constructed as a contact arm but is in the shape of 
a switch finger 23 in engagement with a resilient contact element 24 which 
is mounted on a printed circuit board 25. This contact element 24 is 
adapted to be brought into or out of contact with a conductor path 26, 
which is also arranged on the printed circuit board 25, through the 
intermediary of the switch finger 23, dependent upon the position of the 
setting shaft and the depth of the respective arresting groove 19 or 20. 
At closed contact connection, similar to the embodiment pursuant to FIG. 
3, a current path is interrupted within the electronic circuit. In the 
illustrated exemplary embodiments, this contact connection is predicated 
on the function of a reset-contact in which the current circuit from the 
integrated switch circuit to the stepping motor is actively interrupted 
during an indicator hand setting sequence and at closed contact 
connection, so that during an indicator hand setting sequence no drive 
impulses can be transmitted to the stepping motor, and overlapping of 
manually introduced adjusting movements of the gear drive train with 
motor-generated drive movements are effectively prevented. 
It is readily apparent that the invention is not limited to the embodiments 
illustrated in the drawings, but other solutions may be ascertained which 
fall within the scope and purview of the present invention. The foregoing 
is particularly applicable to the arrangement and construction of the 
arresting spring, as well as its actuation by means of the setting shaft, 
which need not be identical with a winding shaft, and finally, the 
location, type and function of the contact connection within the 
electronic circuitry.