Patent Publication Number: US-10761487-B2

Title: Convertible smart watch

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a National Stage Patent Application of PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2016/010309 (filed on Sep. 13, 2016) under 35 U.S.C. § 371, which claims priority to Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2015-0130364 (filed on Sep. 15, 2015) and 20-2015-0006161 (filed on Sep. 15, 2015), which are all hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     Example embodiments of inventive concepts may be applicable to a convertible smart watch, and more particularly, to a convertible smart watch which is freely convertible from smart watch to analogue watch and vice versa. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A smart watch is an embedded system wrist watch which has advanced functions compared to general watches. Initially, the embedded functions were calculating, translating, and playing games together with displaying time. But, presently, the functions may include various functions driven by mobile applications as well as phone call, receiving/sending voice and text messages, and playing audio and video files. Present smart watch generally includes camera, accelerometer, thermometer, altimeter, barometer, compass, chronograph, touch screen, touch screen, GPS, SD card, and chargeable and dischargeable battery. 
     The smart watch includes a display panel for performing functions and checking information. The design including a display panel may arouse ethnic sense of future oriented, but users who are accustomed to the traditional ethnic sense of analog watch having an hour hand and a minute hand may not choose the design. 
     So, a smart watch which is designed to look like an analog watch displaying a rotating hour hand a rotating minute hand is being required. But it is still hard to reproduce traditional ethnic sense of analog watch. In addition, checking time may be impossible when wireless communication condition is bad or a battery is discharged. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Goal of the Invention 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the inventive concept provides a convertible smart watch combining smart watch and analog watch, which is convertible from smart watch to analog watch and vice versa. 
     Technical Solution of the Invention 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the inventive concept, a convertible smart watch includes a watch body, a frame, and a bracket. The watch unit combines an analog watch unit and a smart watch unit. Accordingly, one side of the watch body shows an analog watch and the other side of the watch body shows a smart watch. 
     The frame is inserted by the watch body so as to be detachable. The center of the frame includes one of a groove and a through hole. 
     One terminal of the bracket is combined to the watch body and the other terminal of the bracket is combined to the frame. At this time, the watch body is combined to the one terminal of the bracket so as to be rotatable. The other terminal of the bracket is combined by hinge to the frame. 
     The watch body revolves around the other terminal of the bracket between a first position where the one terminal of the bracket being close to the frame and a second position where the one terminal of the bracket being apart from the frame. 
     One between the analog watch and the smart watch is exposed on the front side of the frame, when the bracket is in the first position, and the watch body is inserted to one of the groove and the through hole of the frame. The other between the analog watch and the smart watch is exposed on the front side of the frame, when the bracket is in the second position, and the watch body rotates a 180 degree around the one terminal of the bracket such that the bracket returns to the first position. 
     The side of the watch body includes a guide groove extended from one terminal of the watch body to the other terminal of the watch body. The one terminal of the bracket includes a connection bump to be inserted into the guide groove. Accordingly, the watch body is rotatable around the connection bump and possible to move location with respect to the bracket while sliding as the guide groove being combined to the connection bump. 
     The guide groove may be formed on the both sides of the watch body, respectively, in a pair. The bracket including the connection bump may be formed in a pair so as to be combined to the bracket pair one-to-one. The bracket may be inserted into the groove or the through hole of the frame at the first position. 
     The convertible smart watch further includes a smart watch on-off unit which operates the smart watch unit only when the smart watch being shown to the front of the frame. 
     The smart watch on-off unit includes an elastic bump and a touch switch. The elastic bump is protruded from one of the frame and the watch body so as to be elastically shortened. The touch switch is formed on one of the frame and the watch body and allows the smart watch unit to operate when being pressed. At this time, the touch switch is pressed by the elastic bump only when the watch body is inserted to one of the groove and the through hole of the frame and the smart watch is exposed to the front of the frame. 
     The watch body includes a first locking groove to which the terminal of the elastic bump may be inserted. Also, the touch switch is formed inside the first locking groove. At this time, the terminal of the elastic bump may press the touch switch by being inserted to the first locking groove only when the watch body is inserted to one of the groove and through hole of the frame and the smart watch is exposed to the front of the frame. 
     The watch body includes a second locking groove to which the terminal of the elastic bump may be inserted on the opposite position to the first locking groove. The terminal of the elastic bump is inserted to the second locking groove only when the watch body is inserted to one of the groove and the trough hole of the frame and the analog watch is exposed to the front of the frame. 
     The watch body is locked to prevent falling off inadvertently, when the terminal of the elastic bump is inserted to one of the first locking groove and the second locking groove. 
     The convertible smart watch further includes a locking unit for watch body for locking the watch body not to fall off inadvertently from one of the groove and the through hole of the frame at the time that the watch body is inserted to one of the groove and through hole of the frame. 
     Effect of the Invention 
     According to the inventive concept, a convertible smart watch includes a smart watch unit and an analog watch unit at the same time standing against their back and is convertible to show between the smart watch and the analog watch. Accordingly, a user may choose a smart watch or an analog watch with just one watch differently for dress, mood of the meeting, and so on. 
     According to the inventive concept, the convertible smart watch has structure of a watch body being connected to the frame with a bracket such that the smart watch may be converted into the analog watch, or the analog watch may be converted into the smart watch while being worn on the wrist. 
     Also, the convertible smart watch may show time on the analog watch unit even if the smart watch unit not being available in battery discharge or in bad wireless communication condition. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIGS. 1 through 6  are perspective views illustrating converting process from convertible smart watch to analog watch successively according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept; and 
         FIGS. 7 through 10  are perspective views illustrating converting process from convertible smart watch to analog watch successively according to another exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept. 
     
    
    
     BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
     Various example embodiments will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular example embodiments and may be varies according to the user&#39;s purpose or conventional custom in the art. Accordingly, definition of the terminology should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art. 
       FIGS. 1 through 6  are perspective views illustrating converting process from convertible smart watch to analog watch successively according to an exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept. Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 6 , a convertible smart watch  1  includes a frame  5 , a watch body  20 , and a bracket  10 . The frame  5  includes a groove  8  formed in a rectangle shape at the center. The watch body  20  is inserted to the groove  8  so as to be detachable. Both longitudinal ends of the frame  5  include strap supporting bars  6 . A strap  2  is connected to strap supporting bars  6  to let frame  5  be worn around the hand. The groove  8  is opened at the front side of the frame  5  and closed at the rear side of the frame  5 . A through hole which is opened at both of front side and rear side may be formed instead of the groove  8  to include the watch body  20 . 
     The watch body  20  combines an analog watch unit  30  and a smart watch unit  36  against each back. The watch body  20  shows an analog watch at one side and a smart watch at the other side. The watch body  20  further includes a bezel  21  for wrapping edges of the analog watch unit  30  and the smart watch unit  36 . The watch body may be a rectangular shape of thickness being less than width and height. 
     The analog watch unit  30  tells time through an hour hand  32  and a minute hand  33  rotating on one side of the watch body  20 . The analog watch unit  30  includes mechanical movement or quartz movement to spin the hour hand  32  and the minute hand  33 . 
     The smart watch unit  36  tells time by displaying numbers as time on a display panel prepared at the other side of the watch body  20 . The smart watch unit  36  may provide various function such as a calculator, a translator, a game console, and so on through mobile applications as well as telling time, phone call, sending/receiving voice and message. The smart watch unit  36  includes a camera, an accelerometer, a thermometer, an altimeter, a barometer, a compass, a chronograph, a touch screen, GPS, an SD card, a chargable/dischargable battery, and so on. 
     The bracket  10  connects the frame  5  and the watch body  20  and is prepared in a pair to support both sides of the watch body  20 . The watch body  20  combines to one side of the each bracket  10  so as to be rotatable. 
     Specifically, the bezel  21  at the side of the watch body  20  includes a pair of guide grooves  22 . The pair of guide grooves  22  are extended from one end to the other end of the watch body  20  in a straight line. The end of each bracket  10  includes a combining bump  11  to be inserted into the pair of guide groove  22 . 
     The watch body  20  is rotatable around the pair of combining bumps  11 , when the watch body  20  gets out of the groove  8 . And the watch body  20  slides along the pair of the brackets  10  while the pair of combining bumps  11  being joined to the pair of guide grooves  22 . Each end in longitudinal direction of the guide groove  22  includes a combining bump arriving groove  23  to receive the combining bump  11 . 
     Meanwhile, the other terminals of the pair of brackets  10  are hinged on the pair of corners inside the groove  8  of the frame  5  although not shown clearly with a hidden view. Accordingly, the pair of bracket  10  is rotatable around the other terminals of the bracket  10  between the first position and the second position. The first position is the position which one terminal of the bracket having the combining bump  11  becomes close to the frame  5 . The second position is the position which one terminal of the bracket becomes far from the frame  5 . The other terminals of the bracket  10  denotes an imaginary bracket rotating axis RC 1  connecting the other terminals of the brackets  10 . 
       FIGS. 1 and 6  are showing the first position of the brackets  10 , and  FIGS. 2 through 5  are showing the second position of the brackets  10 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the pair of brackets  10  are inserted to the groove  8  of the frame  5 , and one of the analog watch and the smart watch is shown on the front surface of the frame  5  when the watch body  20  being inserted to the groove  8  at the first position. 
     For example, the first position is the position that the watch body  20  is inserted to the groove  8  of the frame  5  while showing the analog watch on the surface of the frame as shown in  FIG. 1 . At this state, the pair of brackets  10  rotates around the bracket rotating axis RC 1  and moves to the second position getting out of the groove  8  as shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown in  FIG. 3 ., the watch body  20  slides while the combining bump  11  is being combined to the guide groove  22 , when the watch body  20  is pulled in direction of being parallel with the extension of the guide groove  22 . Accordingly, the watch body  20  moves far from the other terminals of the brackets  10 . The combining bump  11  arrived at the combining bump arriving groove  23  of the one terminal of the guide groove  22  moves to the combining bump arriving groove  23  of the other terminal of the guide groove  22 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the smart watch is shown on the front surface of the frame  5 , and the analog watch is hidden, when the watch body rotates around the watch body rotating axis RC 2 . At this time, the watch body rotating axis RC 2  is an imaginary line connecting the pair of combining bumps  11  arrived at the combining bump arriving groove  23  of the other terminal of the guide groove  22 . 
     And, the smart watch is shown on the front surface of the frame  5  while the watch body  20  is being inserted to the groove  8  of the frame  5  unlike  FIG. 1 , when the pair of brackets  10  rotates around the bracket rotating axis RC 1  to turn into the first position as shown in  FIG. 6 . If a user wants to show the analog watch on the front surface of the frame  5 , the opposite procedure to the above description. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 6  together, the convertible smart watch  1  further includes a smart watch on-off unit. The smart watch unit on-off unit is projected to work only when the smart watch is exposed to the front surface of the frame  5 . The smart watch unit on-off unit includes an elastic bump  16  and a touch switch  28 . 
     The elastic bump is formed on any one of inner side surfaces which are not hidden by the pair of brackets among four inner side surfaces of the groove  8  of the frame  5 . The elastic bump  16  is inserted to an elastic bump receiving groove  13  which is formed on inner side of the frame  5 . The elastic bump  16  is protruded to the center of the groove  8  of the frame  5  and compressed by a spring  16  formed between the bottom surface of the elastic bump receiving groove  13  and the elastic bump  16 . 
     The elastic bump  16  includes a flange  17  extended in a radial direction and a threshold  14  formed around the entrance of the elastic bump receiving groove  13 . Accordingly, the elastic bump  16  is protruded to the groove  8  of the frame  5  without leaving from the elastic bump inputting groove  13 . Also, once the elastic bump contacts the bezel  21  during the process that the watch body  20  is inserted to the groove  8  of the frame  5  or left from the groove  8 , the elastic bump  16  becomes to be inserted into the inside of the elastic bump receiving groove  13 . 
     The touch switch  28  approves operation of the smart watch unit  36  once being contacted and pressed and stops operation of the smart watch unit  36  once not being contacted and pressed. At this time, operation stop of the smart watch unit  36  denotes blocking current to be provided with a display panel formed on one side of the watch body  20  from a chargable/dischargable battery to turn off the display panel for not showing letters or patterns. 
     The touch switch  28  is formed on the bezel  21  of the watch body  20  so as to be aligned with the elastic bump  16  only when the watch body  20  is inserted in the groove  8 . Accordingly, the smart watch unit  36  operates by contacting and pressing the touch switch  28  with the elastic bump  16  only when the watch body  20  is inserted into the groove  8  and the smart watch is shown on the front surface of the frame  5  as show in  FIG. 6 . On the other hand, the smart watch may not operate when the watch body  20  is close to the groove  8 , but the analog watch is shown on the front surface of the frame  5 . 
     The bezel  21  includes a first locking groove  25  and a second locking groove  26 . Specifically, the first locking groove  25  is formed at the position aligned with the elastic bump  16  only when the watch body  20  is inserted to the groove  8  such that the smart watch may be exposed to the front surface of the frame  5 , and the second locking groove  26  is formed at the position aligned with the elastic bump  16  only when the watch body  20  is inserted to the groove  8  such that the analog watch is exposed to the front surface of the frame  5 . The touch switch  28  is formed inside the first locking groove  25 . 
     Accordingly, the watch body  20  is locked so as not to be fallen from the groove  8  of the frame  5  inadvertently by the terminal of the elastic bump  16  being inserted to the first locking groove  25 , when the watch body  20  is inserted to the groove  8  of the frame  5  and the smart watch is exposed to the front surface of the frame  5  as shown in  FIG. 6 . At this time, the touch switch  28  is pressed by the terminal of the elastic bump  16  to operate the smart watch unit  36 . 
     On the other hand, the watch body  20  is locked so as not to be fallen from the groove  8  of the frame  5  inadvertently by the terminal of the elastic bump  16  being inserted to the first locking groove  25 , when the watch body  20  is inserted to the groove  8  of the frame  5  and the analog watch is exposed to the front surface of the frame  5  as shown in  FIG. 1 . At this time, the touch switch  28  is not pressed by the terminal of the elastic bump  16  to not operate the smart watch unit  36 . 
     The elastic bump  16 , the first and the second locking groove  25 ,  26  perform functions as a watch body locking unit. The watch body locking unit locks the watch body  20  so as not to be fallen from the groove  8  in case of being inserted to the groove  8  of the frame  5 . 
     The convertible smart watch  1  shown in  FIG. 1  through  FIG. 6  includes a watch body locking unit and a smart watch on-off unit together with the touch switch  28  formed inside the first locking groove  25 , but the watch body locking unit and the smart watch on-off unit may be formed separately. Meanwhile, the smart watch on-off unit shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6  includes the elastic bump  16  formed on the frame and the touch switch  28  formed on the watch body  20 , but the elastic bump may be formed on the watch body  20  and the touch switch may be formed on the frame  5 . 
       FIGS. 7 through 10  are perspective view illustrating process of conversion from an analog watch unit to a smart watch unit in a convertible smart watch according to another exemplary embodiment of the present inventive concept. Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 10 , the convertible smart watch  50  includes a frame  55 , a watch body  70 , and a smart watch on-off unit. The frame  55  includes a through hole  58  of a rectangular shape in the center so as to load the watch body  70  detachably. The frame  55  includes strap supporting bars  56  and straps  52  for wearing by the wrist at both longitudinal ends. 
     The watch body  70  combines an analog watch unit  80  and a smart watch unit  86  against each back. The watch body  70  shows an analog watch at one side and a smart watch at the other side. The watch body  70  further includes a bezel  71  for wrapping edges of the analog watch unit  80  and the smart watch unit  86 . The watch body  70  may be a rectangular shape of thickness being less than width and height. The watch body  70  is located inside the through hole  58  of the frame  55  so as to rotate around an imaginary rotating axis RC 3 . 
     The analog watch unit  80  tells time through an hour hand  82  and a minute hand  83  rotating on one side of the watch body  80 . The analog watch unit  80  includes mechanical movement or quartz movement to spin the hour hand  82  and the minute hand  83 . The smart watch unit  86  tells time by displaying numbers as time on a display panel prepared at the other side of the watch body  70 . The smart watch unit  86  may provide various function such as a calculator, a translator, a game console, and so on through mobile applications as well as telling time, phone call, sending/receiving voice and message. The smart watch unit  36  includes a camera, an accelerometer, a thermometer, an altimeter, a barometer, a compass, a chronograph, a touch screen, GPS, an SD card, a chargable/dischargable battery, and so on. 
       FIG. 7  shows the analog watch on the front of the frame  55  and the smart watch on the rear of the frame  55 , and  FIG. 10  shows the smart watch on the front of the frame  55  and the analog watch on the rear of the frame  55 . As shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the analog watch and the smart watch are converted with each other, when the watch body  70  is rotated by a half turn around the rotation axis RC 3 , resulting to show the smart watch on the front of the frame  55  and the analog watch on the rear of the frame  55 . The analog watch returns to the front of the frame  55  and the smart watch to the rear of the frame  55 , when the watch body  70  is rotated by a half turn around the rotation axis RC 3  again from the above state. 
     The smart watch on-off unit allows the smart watch unit  86  to operate when the smart watch appears on the front of the frame  55  and the analog watch on the rear of the frame  55 . Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 10 , the smart watch unit on-off unit includes an elastic bump  64  and a touch switch  75 . 
     The elastic bump  64  is formed on one inner side of the four inner sides of the through hole  58  of the frame  55  but except on the position overlapping with the rotation axis RC 3 . The elastic bump  64  is inserted to the elastic bump inserting groove  61  formed inside of the frame  55 , and compressed spring  67  is interposed between the floor of the elastic bump inserting groove  61  and the elastic bump  64 , such that the elastic bump  64  is protruded toward the center of the through hole  58  of the frame  55  so as to be elastically shrinkable. The elastic bump  64  includes a flange  65  extended in a radial direction and a threshold  62  formed around the entrance of the elastic bump inputting groove  61 . Accordingly, the elastic bump  64  is protruded to the through hole  58  of the frame  55  by the terminal without leaving from the elastic bump receiving groove  61 . Also, once the elastic bump contacts the bezel  71  during the process that the watch body  70  is rotated around the rotating axis RC 3 , the elastic bump  64  becomes to be inserted into the inside of the elastic bump receiving groove  61 . 
     The touch switch  75  approves operation of the smart watch unit  86  once being contacted and pressed and stops operation of the smart watch unit  86  once not being contacted and pressed. At this time, operation stop of the smart watch unit  86  denotes blocking current to be provided with a display panel formed on one side of the watch body  70  from a chargable/dischargable battery to turn off the display panel for not showing letters or patterns. 
     The touch switch  75  is formed on the bezel  71  of the watch body  70  so as to be aligned with the elastic bump  64  when the smart watch appears on the front of the frame  55  and the analog watch appears on the rear of the frame  55 . Accordingly, the smart watch unit  86  operates by contacting and pressing the touch switch  75  with the elastic bump  64  when the watch body  70  is disposed in parallel with the frame  55  while not being inclined, and the smart watch appears on the front of the frame  55 . However, the smart watch may not operate when the watch body  70  is disposed in parallel with the frame  55  while not being inclined, but the analog watch appears on the front of the frame  55 . 
     The convertible smart watch  50  further includes a watch body locking unit which is projected to lock the watch body  70  so as not to rotate around the rotation axis RC 3  inadvertently, when the smart watch appears on the front of the frame  55  and the analog watch appears on the rear of the frame  55 , or the analog watch appears on the front of the frame  55  and the smart watch appears on the rear of the frame  55 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the watch body locking unit includes a pair of locking bumps  73  protruded from the bezel  71  of the watch body  70  so as to be elastically shrunken toward outside and a pair of locking grooves  69  formed so as to receive the terminal of the pair of the locking grooves  73  inside of the through hole  58  of the frame. The locking bump  73  has similar structure with the elastic bump protruded so as to be elastically shrinkable shown in  FIGS. 7 and 10 . 
     Although one of the locking bumps  73  and one of the locking grooves  69  are shown in  FIGS. 8 and 9 , the pair of locking bumpts  73  are prepared in positions symmetrical to with each other with respect to the rotating axis RC 3 . Accordingly, the watch body  70  is disposed in parallel with the frame  55  without not being tilted, and the terminal of the pair of locking bumps  73  are inserted to the pair of locking groove  69 , when one of the smart watch and the analog watch appears on the front of the frame  55 , and one of the smart watch and the analog watch appears on the rear of the frame  55 , resulting that the watch body  70  may not be rotated around the rotating axis RC 3  in advertently. 
     The convertible smart watch  50  shown in  FIGS. 7 through 10  has the watch body locking unit and the smart watch on-off unit separately, but the watch body locking unit and the smart watch on-off unit may be united in other embodiments. Meanwhile, the watch body locking unit shown in  FIGS. 7 and 10  has the locking bumps  73  on the watch body  70  and the locking grooves  69  on the frame  55 , but the watch body locking unit may has the locking bumps on the frame  55  and the locking grooves  69  on the watch body  70 . 
     While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims. 
     INDUSTRIAL USABILITY 
     The present invention is applicable to a smart watch or a wrist watch.