Watch provided with an antenna, in particular the wrist watch type.

Description the present invention relates to a timepiece of the wristwatch type, having a housing composed of a middle part, a hinged seat and a bottom, and containing a dial the EL means for receiving and/or transmitting radio signals, said means comprising at least one antenna and a modulation/demodulation device and encoding/decoding these radio signals.There are currently several watches equipped with an antenna for receiving radio signals,

notammenl

one described in European Patent Application published under the number EP-to-0 382,130.The timepiece is a wristwatch wherein an area of the telescope is replaced by a core of fertile soil which is wound with wire. This embodiment alters deeply external appearance of a watch.In another embodiment of a watch of this type, a metal wire constituting an antenna is provided in the crystal of the watch. This embodiment is unsightly and complicates the

leclure

time.In both embodiments discussed above, the turns of the antenna are exposed, so that their number is limited so that the look of the watch is little damaged and that time remains readable.This of fair the antenna cannot sense that relatively high power signals and having a frequency and therefore a short wavelength.If it is desired to sense signals of low frequency and low amplitude, the antenna must have an opening as large as possible so as to provide the largest possible surface to the electromagnetic fields. This surface ESLs limited by the dimensions of the watch. This limitation is compensated by winding a number of turns more importantly that the frequency to be worked is low.There is some kind of watch in which the antenna is produced from the bracelet. Although in this case, the antenna is nearly invisible, the ends of the wire constituting the winding must be connected to the interior of the watch, wherein the sensed signals are processed. This greatly complicates the connection, the embodiment of the watch case and substantially prevents the change of a bracelet. In addition, the connection of the

anrenne

is fragile and as the bracelet is movable relative to the housing, the

ñsque

rupture is present and difficult to remove.German Patent published under No. of 3,819 057 describes a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, having the shape of a watch case, provided with a wrist band, the lower portion of the housing being closed by a removable

piaque

maintaining two batteries to power an emitting device distress signals. The housing further comprises a plurality of keys arranged to trigger transmission of a distress signal. This document does not disclose a watch, but an alarm device with a housing shaped like a watch, the EL having a function of emitting a distress signal when the user presses a key. This object is of particular use in specialized processing facilities or care for persons

ågées

, instead of gongs or interphones. Such a device may invoke the caregivers, m-mth if the user is not able to reach a doorbell or intercom. This device has the additional objective of operating in a wet environment, e.g. in a shower. This object is adapted to emit a signal to short distance, in a confined environment, this signal being transmitted power plant by means of a relay. As the distance between the alarm device is still low, the antenna may be made of a small number of turns, for example only one turn. This device cannot Give used for transmitting or receiving signals & long distance.For picking up signals having a relatively low power, the antenna must have a high sensitivity. To this end, the antenna must have a diameter as large as possible and a large number of turns. These imperatives size has not been solved in this document.The Japanese utility model DW ID-U-1 138,485 watch discloses an antenna located in the lower portion of the middle part in the dial. The antenna includes a magnetic core surrounded by turns. It has a restricted diameter relative sputtering the size of the watch. For using low frequency signals, it

faudrais

a very large number of turns to compensate for the low diameter.The thickness of the coil would then be large that it is difficult to configure a watch having a conventional outward appearance.Patent FR's to-2 621,179

décñt

a receiver having the shape of a watch case in

lequet

the antenna comprises two elements. One of the elements is isolated from the remainder of the watch case and may for example be formed of only one turn of a conductor wire disposed in a recess of the watch or embedded in a molded plastic case.Such an antenna does not allow the use of low frequency signals. If it is desired to perform a member having a sufficient number of turns to use low frequencies, stresses esthetic codes cannot be satisfied.The international application WO 94/09450 describes a data storage medium in the disk

torme

that comprise in particular a circuit driving a liquid crystal display that can indicate time or date. The disk may Give filled as a coin in the slot of a

tecture

station. 11 may also be placed in a housing comprising a lower portion and an upper

parrietaquelle

is provided in an annular groove containing an auxiliary antenna coil-shaped. The subject of this application resembles somewhat to a pocket watch, the upper portion constituting the bottom-middle part provided with a recess for housing the antenna. The means provided for displaying time cause the object can Give considered clockwise to control head of 3 ch-686,696 b5 4 pocket. This watch would however not be reduced to the size of a wristwatch and have the ability to sense signals at low frequency.The present invention is intended mulch these disadvantages by making a bracelet type wristwatch with an antenna is totally concealed when the container is closed, wherein the connection is checked! fixed and which is for receiving and/or transmitting signals of low frequency.This is achieved by a watch as defined in preamble and

caractërisée

in that the bezel and/or case are provided in their thickness, an inner recess having an annular shape, in that the antenna comprises at least one electrical conductor wire wound into a coil, in that said antenna is housed in the internal recess, and in that the antenna is arranged to be mounted in a modular manner.The present invention and its advantages will be better understood with reference to the description of embodiments given as non-limiting examples and accompanying drawings in which:fig. 1 - illustrates a first embodiment of the watch according to the invention; Figure 2 - illustrates a second embodiment of the watch according to the invention; Figure 3 - illustrates a bottom view of the antenna as used in the watch of the fig.. 2; - the Figure. 4a to 4d are sectional views of alternative embodiments of an antenna as used in a timepiece according to the invention.figure 5 represents a -

vañante

for producing an antenna equipping a watch according to the present invention, - the Figure. 6a, 6b and 6c are sectional views of alternative embodiments of antennas watch as used in the present invention, and the fig. -. 7 is a partial view of the watch according to the present invention in which is disposed the antenna of the fig.. 6b.With reference to Figures 1 and 2, the watch 10 has a housing 11 formed in a middle 12 supporting a bezel 13 and a bottom 14. The housing contains a movement (defined by its outer contour) causing four indicators EIHHs that a needle 15 hours, a needle 16 showing minutes, a needle 17 for the second and a disk 17' indicating the days. A dial 18 is disposed above the movement.The watch also includes means for receiving and/or transmitting electromagnetic waves designed for detecting for example a radio signal containing time information such that signals transmitted by the transmitter the TDF (broadcast France) or transmit a radio signal. These means consist of an antenna 20 of a modulation device and/demodulation/decoding and encoding

hemme

well known to those skilled and performed on an electronic unit 21 fed by a battery or an accumulator 22.In the illustrated embodiment of fig. 1, the bezel and the middle part 13 12 comprise an inner recess 23 of annular shape in which is wound a wire conductor, such as copper, forming the antenna both ends of the copper wire are connected to two conductors of a flex circuit 26, disposed opposite two springs 27 which transmit potential changes to contacts 28 of the electronic unit 21.As in conventional manufacture watches, the dial 18 is covered with a flange 29 so that the antenna is totally invisible when the various components of the watch are

assemblës

.In the embodiment illustrated by Figures 2 and 3, only the antenna differ with respect to the embodiment of fig. 1.The antenna 30 is formed of a bracket 31 of synthetic insulating material whose section

iransversale

has the shape of an L, the shorter limb of the L having an annular shoulder 32 perpendicular to this branch. The dial of the watch 18 is disposed between the annular shoulder 32 and the collar 29 so that the antenna is also invisible as the watch case is closed.The Figure. 4a to 4d are sectional views of different embodiments of antennas for a timepiece according to the invention.In the Figure. 4a, the support 41 of the antenna 40 has a U-shaped cross section, thus providing effective holding windings of the coil 42, for easy handling prior to the placement of the antenna in the watch the EL authorizes a mounting modular components of the watch, including the antenna.The support 51 an antenna 50 shown in fig.. 4b has a U-shaped cross section, the shorter limb of the U being bonded to an annular shoulder 52, perpendicular this branch and arranged to receive the dial of the watch.The fig.. 4c illustrates a

torme

antenna 60 whose support 61 has a L-shaped cross-section, thereby easily wind the conductive wire forming the coil of the antenna.The fig.. 4d illustrates another embodiment of an antenna 60 provided on the watch according to the present invention. The antenna includes a support 61 identical to that of the fig.. 4c, but two windings 62, 63 are wound on separate support. Each stator winding has a number of turns and wire diameter different. Each winding is for sensing and/or transmitting signals of different frequencies. In this embodiment, the pickup or drop to be transmitted may be selected by selecting one of the two windings. This selection can be done manually by means of a pusher, or automatically by determining the winding for best reception.Fig. 5 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the antenna for a timepiece according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the antenna 70 includes a core ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic HM 686,696 b5 6 71 which is wound with insulated electrically conductive wire 72 forming turns. The core 71 has a shape of circle

podion

having an angular extent less than or equal to 180o. The coils are wound such that when the core is in a horizontal plane, the turns are contained in vertical planes.The core 71 may have a I-shaped cross section as shown in fig.. 6a, or T as shown in fig.. 6b.In the embodiment of the fig.. 6c, the antenna 90 91 includes a core supporting two windings 92, 93 different, thereby receiving signals of different frequencies.An antenna of the type illustrated by Figure 5 and 6 is disposed in the middle annular

Iëvidement

made and/or in the watch bezel and its shape is adapted to that of the recess. It is more particularly for picking up signals while the watch is in the horizontal position while the antenna as shown in fig. 1 to 4 by the is more particularly for picking up signals while the watch is in the vertical position.The antenna as shown in fig. 5 and 6 with Los can be made of several circular sectors so as to allow, for example, the passage of pushers if the watch in a large number.In this case, each sector constitutes an independent antenna, said antenna being electrically connected to each other in the appropriate direction.Each sector may also include a winding formed of yarns of different length and diameter, so that each sector

Vantenne

is tuned to a different frequency.The fig.. 7 represents an antenna having the form illustrated the fig. perse. 6b, such that it is mounted in a watch according to the present invention. This arrangement is the same layout that mounting the antenna 30 shown in fig. 2.The antenna watch according to the present invention is particularly convenient to use because it can be placed in any watch case in which the bezel and/or the middle part include a recess adapted. This allows placement of this type of antenna in a variety of existing modular

boffiers

and thereby increase the flexibility of the after-sales service.Additionally, the contact between the ends of the copper wire and the printed circuit is particularly easy to implement with the means known to the skilled person, EIHHs that for example with a flex circuit conductor 26 and a contact spring 27, thereby avoiding a tedious mounting, allows significant time and facilitates automated assembly.Since the antenna is inside the case of the watch, the contact between the antenna and the circuit

impñrué

is fixed, thus assuring a longer lifespan of that in case of a movable contact. On the other hand, changing the bracelet may Give made without interfering these contacts, thereby enabling a greater choice of bracelets.This construction enables to produce an antenna with an extra thread length, for lo and thus sense and/or transmitting signals of low frequency or, which points to an Mth, long wavelength, and low amplitude. The number of turns of the coil EL are the diameter of the wire can be modified to accommodate the desired frequency.The antennas according to the invention can easily Give made in shapes other than the annular shape. Thus they can be tailored to watches to housing square, rectangular, polygonal or elliptical in particular.Finally, the antenna mounted in the watch can Give eg used to correct the time automatic watch, receiving signals electronic messaging, paging or issuance of signals as encountered in the proximity sensors and the wireless controllers.