US3863436A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Solid state quartz watch
Assignee: Timex Group USA Inc
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Filing: 1974-04-18
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Granted: 1975-02-04
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Expires: 1994-04-18
Abstract
Abstract A solid state quartz watch has an electrooptical digital display, a printed circuit substrate with an integrated circuit mounted thereon for providing driving signals to the display to indicate the time, an intermediate connector member positioning the display and the substrate with respect to one another and electrically connecting them, a backing member holding the substrate in the connector member with openings therein for holding a battery and making adjustments, and a spring clip holding the assembly together in a module or ''''sandwich.
Inventors
- 👤 Jack Schwarzschild
- 👤 Raymond Robert Boxberger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 13:16
CPC Classifications
G; G04; G04G; G04G17/00; G04G17/02
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
157 words
A solid state watch module comprising: Electrooptical display means having electrically energizable characters visible on a viewing surface and also having a first plurality of electrical contact terminals connected to said characters. a substrate having printed circuit leads on at least one side thereof connected to a second plurality of electrical contact terminals, said substrate having an integrated circuit mounted thereon also connected to said printed circuit leads and adapted to provide driving signals to said display characters to give a time indication, an intermediate connector member having first means locating the display means on one side thereof and second means locating the substrate on the other side thereof and including electrically conductive members making contact between said first and second plurality of contact terminals, and spring clip means adapted to hold said display means, connector member and substrate together in compression and to maintain said electrically conductive members in contact with the first and second terminals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
157 words
A solid state watch module comprising: Electrooptical display means having electrically energizable characters visible on a viewing surface and also having a first plurality of electrical contact terminals connected to said characters. a substrate having printed circuit leads on at least one side thereof connected to a second plurality of electrical contact terminals, said substrate having an integrated circuit mounted thereon also connected to said printed circuit leads and adapted to provide driving signals to said display characters to give a time indication, an intermediate connector member having first means locating the display means on one side thereof and second means locating the substrate on the other side thereof and including electrically conductive members making contact between said first and second plurality of contact terminals, and spring clip means adapted to hold said display means, connector member and substrate together in compression and to maintain said electrically conductive members in contact with the first and second terminals.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The combination according to claim 1, and further including a backing member disposed on the other side of the substrate from said connector member, said spring clip being provided with flexible arms arranged to compress the backing member against the display means via the substrate and connector member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
The combination according to claim 2, wherein said substrate is provided with printed circuit leads on both sides thereof, said second plurality of contact terminals being connected to printed circuit leads on the dispLay side of the substrate, and further including test point terminals connected to selected printed circuit leads in the other side of the substrate, said backing member having probe holes providing access to said test point terminals without disassembling the watch module.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
68 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein said first plurality of contact terminals are spaced on an undersurface of said display means, and wherein said second plurality of contact terminals are similarly spaced on the display side of said substrate, and wherein said electrically conductive members comprise a plurality of compressible conductive leads passing through said connector member and connecting respective pairs of first and second contact terminals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The combination according to claim 1 including an insulating dam mounted on said substrate, said integrated circuit being disposed within said dam and surrounded by encapsulating material.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
50 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein said first means on the connector member comprises a first recess for receiving the display means and wherein said second means comprises a second recess for receiving the substrate, whereby the first and second contact terminals are aligned with respect to one another.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
The combination according to claim 6, wherein an insulating backing member with exposed notches is arranged to fit in said second recess against the substrate, said spring clip means having flexible arms cooperating with said backing member notches.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein said spring clip has a window framing the display means viewing surface and flexible arms adapted to snap around the module.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
The combination according to claim 1, wherein the side of the substrate opposite the display means includes a printed circuit resistor with a wiper arm providing a variable resistor accessible for adjusting the watch frequency without disassembling the module.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-02-03 | 1978-08-05 | 1979-02-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-02-03 | 1982-08-05 | 1983-02-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-02-03 | 1986-08-05 | 1987-02-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |