Time correction device for electronic timepieces

Claim 2

An electronic timepiece comprising oscillator circuit means for producing a high frequency time standard signal; multi-stage frequency divider means for dividing said high frequency time standard signal to produce a low frequency timing signal at each of a plurality of said divider stages; display means for the digital display of time including a display element for each digit of time to be displayed; means driving each of said display elements in response to a timing signal of one of said divider stages; and time correction means including a manually operable selector switch means having a movable contact and at least two fixed contacts, each of said selector switch means fixed contacts being connected to at least one of the divider stages producing said time keeping signals, and a manually operable secondary switch means for applying a correction signal through said selector switch means to the selected divider stage for coRrecting the display element associated with the selected divider stage, said selector switch means and said secondary switch means having a common switch member displaceable in a rotational direction to operate said selector switch means and displaceable in a longitudinal direction to operate said secondary switch means.

Claim 3

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein said selector switch means is a rotary switch having a rotary switch element having said movable contact mounted thereon for rotation thereby, said fixed contacts being circumferentially spaced in the path of said movable contact, at least a portion of said rotary element defining said switch member and being longitudinally displaceable for actuating said secondary switch means.

Claim 4

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 2, wherein said secondary switch means has a fixed contact and a movable contact, said secondary switch means movable contact being mounted on said switch member for engagement against said secondary switch means fixed contact upon the longitudinal displacement of said switch member.

Claim 5

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 3, said rotary switch element including a contact holding element formed with a shaped central aperture therethrough and bearing said selector switch means movable contact and said switch member, said switch member being formed with a portion shaped for receipt within said contact holding element central aperture so that said switch member may be longitudinally displaced independent of said contact holding element and may carry said contact holding element with it when rotatably displaced.

Claim 6

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein said selector switch means movable contact is mounted on said switch member for displacement therewith, said selector switch means fixed contacts being circumferentially space about said selector member, said switch member being rotatably displaceable to align said movable contact with one of said fixed contacts, said switch member being longitudinally displaceable to bring said movable contact into operative engagement with said aligned fixed contact, thereby defining said secondary switch means.

Claim 7

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 5, including indexing means for positioning said switch member in a plurality of discrete rotary orientations, one of said orientations being aligned with each of said fixed contacts.

Claim 8

An electronic watch as recited in claim 6, including indexing means for longitudinally positioning said switch member at at least two positions.

Claim 9

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 7, wherein said longitudinal indexing means includes a pair of spaced circumferential grooves, a corresponding pair of fixing buttons, and spring means for biasing said fixing buttons against said circumferential grooves.

Claim 10

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 8, wherein said circumferential grooves serve to longitudinally position said switch member at a first position at which said movable contact is out of engagement with the aligned fixed contact and a second position at which the movable contact engages the aligned fixed contact.

Claim 11

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 8, wherein both of said pair of grooves and fixing buttons serve to position said switch member so that said movable contact is out of engagement with said fixed contact, one of said grooves and fixing buttons being positioned so that said movable contact engages said fixed contact when said switch member is longitudinally displaced just passed said groove, said fixing button cooperating with a wall of said groove when said switch member is released to automatically reposition said switch members so that said movable contact is out of engagement with the aligned fixed contact.

Claim 12

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein at least two of said fixed contacts are coupled to only one of said divider stages, another of said fixed contacts being coupled to all of said divider stAges, for the simultaneous return-to-zero thereof.

Claim 13

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 11, wherein still another of said fixed contacts is coupled to the divider stage associated with the 1 second and 10 second timing signal for the simultaneous return-to-zero of said 1 second and 10 second divider stages without regard to the setting of the other of said divider stages.

Claim 14

An electronic timepiece as recited in claim 1, wherein said correction signal is an intermediate frequency signal taken from one of said divider stages.

Claim 15

An electronic timepice comprising oscillator circuit means for producing a high frequency time standard signal; multi-stage frequency divider means for dividing said high frequency time standard signal to produce a low frequency timing signal at each of a plurality of said divider stages; display means for the digital display of time including a display element associated with each divider stage producing a time signal to be displayed; means driving each of said display elements in response to a timing signal of one of said divider stages; and a time correction switch including a manually operable selector switch means having a movable contact and at least two fixed contacts, each of said fixed contacts being connected to at least one of said divider stages producing said timekeeping signals and a manually operable secondary switching means for selectively applying a correction signal through said selector switch means to the selected fixed contact of said selector switch means for correcting the display element associated with the selected divider stage, whereby the time standard signal applied to said divider means by said oscillator means and said timing signals applied to said display elements by said divider stages are not interrupted during the selective application of said correction signal by said secondary switch means.

Claim 16

An electronic timepice comprising oscillator circuit means for producing a high frequency time standard signal; multi-stage frequency divider means for dividing said high frequency time standard signal to produce a low frequency timing signal at each of a plurality of said divider stages; display means for the digital display of time including a display element associated with each divider stage producing a time signal to be displayed; means driving each of said display elements in response to a timing signal of one of said divider stages; and a time correction switch including a manually operable selector switch means having a movable contact and at least two fixed contacts, each of said fixed contacts being connected to at least one of said divider stages producing said timekeeping signals and a manually operable secondary switching means for selectively applying a correction signal through said selector switch means to the selected fixed contact of said selector switch means for correcting the display element associated with the selected divider stage, whereby the time standard signal applied to said divider means by said oscillator means and said timing signals applied to said display elements by said divider stages are not interrupted during the selective application of said correction signal by said secondary switch means.

Claim 17

In an electronic timepiece, a time correction switch comprising a manually operable selector switch means having a movable contact and at least two fixed contacts and a manually operable secondary switch means for applying a correction signal through said selector switch means to the selected fixed contacts, said selector switch means and said secondary switch means having a common switch member, wherein said switch member is rotatably displaceable to operate said selector switch means and longitudinally displaceable to operate said secondary switch means.

Claim 18

In an electronic timepiece, a time correction switch comprising a manually operable selector switch means having a movable contact and at least two fixed contacts and a manually operable secondary switch means for applying a correction signal through said selector switch means to the selected fixed contacts, said selector switch means and said secondary switch means having a common switch member, wherein said switch member is rotatably displaceable to operate said selector switch means and longitudinally displaceable to operate said secondary switch means.