Watch, has USB connector arranged on inner face of strap, where inner face of strap comes into contact with wrist of user when wearing watch, and strap is attached to middle part of case of watch

[0001] la a wristwatch with an electrical connector, for example of the USB type. The electrical connector is connected via a connecting member to at least one electronic circuit and/or a rechargeable battery, which are disposed within a housing of the watch.

[0002] a watch electromechanical may comprise an electronic unit for receiving radio-frequency signals positioning or transmission of signals or data also management of multiple functions of the watch. Such a watch may be provided with a color display device, resulting in the use of a rechargeable battery. It may be arranged on the watch a connector member connected to said battery so as to connect said connector element to a charger for recharging the battery or data transfer. Said connector element may take the form of a connector of the USB type for connection to a computer or wall charger. Such a USB connector male type can locate at a closing end of one branch of a watch strap as described in US 7,006 408 b2. It is typically difficult to protect or conceal such a USB connector, disadvantage.

[0003] on may be mentioned as such Patent NC 200,993 734, which describes an electronic watch, which is provided with a storing unit rotatably mounted between two horns of the armband at the watch case. This storage unit comprises a male USB connector at an end opposite the end attachment to the casing. The bracelet comprises a housing for receiving the USB connector in the rest position. This USB connector can easily be rotated so as to connect it to a charging apparatus or to a processing apparatus or recording information in the storage unit. Such a storage unit with the USB connector is large and cannot be completely hidden. In addition, it is also difficult to protect the environmental conditions, and this has drawbacks.

[0004] on still include the utility model U-NC 2,921 901, which describes an electronic watch to at least one connector or electrical outlet. The electrical socket, presented in the form of a socket [...] or RCA, is attached through an opening in the middle part of the watch case. This jack is also mounted in an end housing of the bracelet, which is open on the side of the watch crystal. The jack may also be connected to a USB plug connector, which is also fixed to the strap near the bracelet clasp. This engagement is always visible once the watch worn on a wrist of a user and it is difficult to protect from environmental conditions, which is disadvantageous.

[0005] l'invention is therefore to overcome the disadvantages mentioned above by proposing a wristwatch with an electrical connector on the bracelet for accessing an electronic circuit inside the watch and/or a rechargeable battery, which is simple in design, non-visible upon wearing the watch and protected from environmental conditions.

[0006] a therefor, a wristwatch with an electrical connector, which has the features of the independent claim 1.

[0007] particular embodiments of the wristwatch are defined in the dependent claims 2 to 12.

[0008] un advantage of the wristwatch according to the invention lies in the fact that the electrical connector, in particular of the USB type, is provided on the inner side of the bracelet near the middle part of the watch case. Thus, the electrical connector is protected from environmental conditions, when the watch is worn on a wrist of a user. The electrical connector is connected via a connecting member, which is disposed through the middle part of the housing, to an electronic circuit on a printed circuit board and/or a rechargeable battery.

[0009] advantageously, the female electrical connector, disposed in the last link of the bracelet, enables a connection of a USB plug or HDMI in an insertion direction vertical to the inner curvature of the bracelet. For a watch sports or multimedia, recharging of the rechargeable battery can be performed via the electrical connector, which can be wired to a charger. The electrical connector is mounted in a housing of the last link of the bracelet, which comprises a wall bearing against the shoulder of the housing to hold it stationary. A connection area of the electrical connector engages or is attached to electrical connection terminals of the connection member, which may be a flexible connector such as zebra.

[0010] goals, advantages and features of a wristwatch with an electrical connector will appear better in the following description are not limited to facing drawings on which:

figure 1 represents a partial view three-dimensional below the wristwatch at the

band connecting to the watchcase in according to the invention,

figure 2 represents a partial view three-dimensional below the wristwatch in popped before mounting of one length of the housing with the electrical connector of the watch according to the invention,

figure 3 represents a longitudinal partial sectional view at the connection of the band to the watch case according to the invention, and

figure 4 represents a partial view of side of the middle part of the watch case with the electrical connecting element through the housing of the watch according to the invention.

[0011] in the following description, all components of the wristwatch, which are well known to the skilled person in this technical field, are only reported simplified. Emphasis include the arrangement of the electrical connector on the wristwatch.

[0012] the Figure 1 to 3 represent three dimensional views partial or partial cross-section of the watch 1 to wristband 4, 4'. The timepiece 1 is provided with an electrical connector 5 especially arranged in the wristband. Said watch 1 can be a watch electromechanical powered by a supply voltage source or a battery not shown. The supply voltage source or the battery is disposed within the housing and above the bottom of the watch case 2. This battery can be a rechargeable battery. The bottom 2 can be fixed e.g. by means of screws 22 to the middle of the housing 3 with the interposition of a conventional seal. The middle part 3 with the bottom 2 are closed by a glass 8 and its bezel. The glass 8 is arranged above a dial not shown watch with needles of time indication or a display such as LCD type.

[0013] le bracelet may be composed of two strands 4, 4' with a closure with folding buckle or clasp traditional. The example shown in Figures 1 to 3, the bracelet is a metal bracelet comprising two strands 4, 4' provided with a series of links connected to each other by means of pins to allow them to rotate relative to each other. The last link of each strand 4, 4 'of the bracelet has a through opening 23 for being attached between the ears of the middle 3 of the housing by a tube assembly 7' and pin 7 into circular apertures 13 of horns. Each last link of the bracelet, which is fixed to the middle of the housing 3, comprises a wall 14, an external face of which rests against an outer surface of the middle part 12 of the housing 3 to hold it fixed against rotation. Preferably at least part of the outer face of the wall 14 is supported integrally against a portion of the outer surface 12 of the middle part. The outer surface 12 may be flat or may define a portion of a cylinder. The outer face of the wall 14 has a complementary shape to the outer surface 12 of the middle part 3 so as to lie completely against this outer surface 12.

[0014] la watch 1 includes an electrical connector 5, which is preferably a female electrical connector of the USB type. This USB electrical connector or USB plug is arranged in the wristband 4, 4' at one end of the bracelet 3 fastened to the middle of the housing between two horns traditional attachment. The female electrical connector 5 can be integrated in part in the bracelet or the material is preferably disposed in a housing 6 of the bracelet. The housing 6 of the bracelet 4 is open on the side of an inner face invisible once the watch 1 is worn on a wrist of a user.

[0015] in the case of a metal bracelet comprised of links as mentioned ahead, the female electrical connector of the USB type 6 is arranged in a housing of a last link attached to the middle of the housing 3. The wall 14 defines a wall of the housing 6, which is located between the fastening openings 23 and the surface 12 of the middle 3. the housing 6 is complementary in shape to the outer portion of the electrical connector 5. this external portion of the electrical connector 5 may be made of insulating material, if the electrical connector 5 is inserted into a housing 6 of the metal link.

[0016] when inserted into the housing 6 of the last link, the USB electrical connector 5 comprises an electrical connection region, accessible via an opening 24 of the wall 14 of the last link. This area of connection of the electrical connector 5 is intended to rest or be secured or welded to terminals for electrically connecting a connecting member 15. As shown in the Figure. 4, the connecting element 15 is fixed seal through an opening 16 of the surface 12 of the middle portion of the middle part 3.3 with the surface 12 may be made of insulating material or be made of metallic material as the set of the middle part 3, but in this case the periphery of the connecting element to be electrically insulated.

[0017] l ' connection member 15 is connected within the housing mechanically and electrically to a printed circuit board 25 carrying one or more electronic circuits not shown for the operation of the watch. The printed circuit board 25 is connected in a conventional manner to the battery for supplying power to the electronic circuitry. The connecting element 15 extends outwardly of the housing for engaging in the passage 24 of the wall 14 for mechanical and electrical connection with the connection area of the connector 5. electrical connecting element 15 may be a flexible connector such as zebra.

[0018] de preferably, the electrical connector 5 is placed in the housing 6 of the last link of the bracelet 4 prior to attaching the cuff to the middle of the housing 3. The last link of the strand 4 of the bracelet is then fixed to the frame 3. contact pressure can exercised between the connection region and the connection terminals of the connection member 15 to establish the electrical connection. With this configuration, this allows easy changing of the cuff 4, 4' of the watch 1 and also the electric connector 5 in the housing 6 of the last link.

[0019] de preferably, the female electrical connector or receptacle of the USB type is provided for receiving a plug a USB key or USB connector complementary to an electric charger or an electronic instrument, such as a computer station. The USB plug may be type micro USB drives. It can be thereby provided recharge the rechargeable battery or also the handover of watch information to the computer station or of the computer station to the watch. A USB key with a device for wireless data transmission can also be connected to USB electrical connector.

[0020] la connection of the wrench or a USB plug into the USB electrical connector 5 of the bracelet can only be accomplished once the watch is removed from the user's wrist. The female electrical connector for USB 5 is provided to receive the USB key or USB plug in a vertical direction, [...] to say in a direction perpendicular to the inner face of the bracelet or at the bottom of the housing 2. This facilitates the introduction of the USB key or a USB plug once the watch is placed on the side of its glass 8 on a support, such as a table.

[0021] a from the description just made, several embodiments of the wristwatch with an electrical connector may be designed by the skilled person without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the claims. It may then be considered to have two electrical connectors of different or the same kind at both ends of the bracelet of the watch housing-fixed on the inner side not visible once the watch worn by the user. The bracelet may be a bracelet made of plastic material with the electrical connector integrated into the plastic material in a position between the two horns of the fastening and the face side of the bracelet in contact the wrist of a user. The female electrical connector or plug in the bracelet may be also an electrical connector like HDMI or other type for information transfer between the watch and an electrical device connected to the electric connector. It may still be provided for closing the opening of the electrical connector with a protective cover arranged in the extension of the inner face of the bracelet. The protective cover is slidable to the end of the bracelet to cover or expose the opening of the electrical connector. The connecting element and the electrical connector can be formed as a single piece.