US3025662A - Illuminated wrist watch - Google Patents

Description

March 20, 1962 c. H. FL'Elsl-nwmuv ETAI.

ILLUMINATED WRIST WATCH Filed March 16, 1961 4 Y W ,M T y s e NSS Ewa m V Na@ vw 1a@ SMM United States Patent 3,025,662 ILLUMINATED WRIST WATCH Charles H. Fleishman, New York, and Bernard Ross, Island Park, N.Y., assignors to Electronic Cover-Lite Corp., New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Mar. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 96,213 4 Claims. (Cl. 58-S0) The present invention relates to a novel and improved illuminated wrist-watch, and in particular to a wrist-watch assembly including a self-contained electrical circuit, light bulb and switch means for illuminating the face of the watch.

lt has been proposed to provide a Watch with a selfcontained electric light and power supply assembly, these having been built directly within the watch body. This requires that the watch have a special construction and that the lighting arrangement be built in at the time of manufacture of the watch. ln addition, the mounting of the electric bulb, power supply, switch and circuit within the watch body necessarily increases the size of the watch and makes the assembly unsuitable for use in the smaller-sized ladies watches. Further, conventional illuminated watches have the light bulb built into the face of the watch at `the margin thereof, so that one side of the watch face is illuminated and it is diicult to read the opposite side.

An object of the present invention is to provide novel means for illuminating the face of a wrist-watch in which a miniature electric bulb is mounted exteriorly of the watch body and is so arranged that its light is directed uniformly over the entire face of the watch so that the latter can be easily read in dark surroundings.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an illuminated watch assembly including a watch band and a hinged cover for the watch face, in which an electric bulb, power supply and switch are built into the watch band and cover and apart from the main body of the watch, so that the lighting arrangement does not increase the size of the watch and can be used advantageously for miniature ladiesV wrist watches.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a watch assembly of the character described in which the watch band and cover with their built-in lighting arrangement may 4be applied to various watches of conventional type so that standard watches may be afforded illumination without changing the structure of the watch itself.

ln accordance with the invention herein, there is provided a Wrist watch assembly including a watch, a metallic band made of electrically conductive material and a watch cover also made of conductive material and hinged to the watch body for movement between a closed position in which the watch face is covered over and an open position in which the watch face is exposed to view. A miniature electric bulb is mounted in the watch cover and a miniature electric battery cell is mounted on the watch band. The watch cover and battery carry respective electrical contacts so positioned as to engage when the cover is opened to complete an energizing circuit between the battery cell and the light bulb and illuminate the latter. The open cover then acts as a reector to direct the light from the bulb onto the face of the watch.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a top plan view of a watch assembly made in accordance with the invention herein, and showing the watch cover in closed position and the watch band partially broken away;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view taken along line 2 2 of FIG. 1, with portions shown in section to reveal inner construction; and

FiG. 3 is a side elevational view partially in section, similar to FIG. 2, but on a more enlarged scale and with the cover shown in raised position.

Referring in detail to the drawings, there is shown a watch assembly incorporating the features l,of the present invention and generally including a wrist watch 10, a watch strap 12, and a hinged cover 14.

The wrist watch 10 may be of any conventional type and is shown herein as a ladies watch which is customarily made of small size. The watch 10` may have the usual winding crown 16, and has a face (not shown) covered by a transparent crystal 18. The watch casing 22 is also conventional, and for purposes of this invention is preferably made of electrically-conductive material such as a gold or silver for a purpose which will be presently apparent.

The watch strap 12 is also of conventional construction and is preferably made of electrically conductive material so as to form a part of the electrical circuit for the light bulb, as will be presently explained. For this purpose, a watch strap made of gold, silver, or other conductive metal may be employed. In the drawings, by way of example, the Watch strap 12 is shown made of a metallic mesh or linked type material and is formed of two separate strap sections 26 and 28. The inner end of strap section 28 is rigidly secured to the watch casing 22 as by welding or soldering 20. The strap section 26 terminates at its inner end in a rigid and inflexible portion 30 which is also made of electrically conductive material and preferably of the same metal as the remainder of the watch strap 12. This rigid portion 30 is secured to the opposite side of the watch casing 22, as by soldering 32. The free ends of the strap sections 26 and 28 may be provided with conventional clasp means (not shown) for securing the watch band 12 around the wrist.

The cover 14 is of inverted cup-shape having a top wall 34, and a depending peripheral wall 36, which in the drawings is shown as annular in shape to correspond to a circular watch body. This shape of wall 36, however, is shown merely by way of illustration, and it is to be understood that the watch casing 22 and cover 14 may have any suitable shape. The cover `14 is sized to overlie the top surface of the casing 22 and-to cover over the face thereof, in the manner shown in FIG. 2, with the top wall 34 spaced above the crystal 18. In this manner, the crystal 18 and watch face are protected when the watch is not in use. The outer surface of top Wall 34 may be provided with suitable design ornamentation designated by numeral 38 to enhance the appearance of the watch.

The edge portion of the cover peripheral wall 36 is movably mounted on the upper edge portion of the watch casing 22 by a hinge '40. The cover 14 may thus be swung between its closed position of FIGS. l and 2, overlying the watch face, to the opened position of FIG. 3 in which it upstands substantially perpendicularly from the plane of the watch face and exposes the latter to view. It will be observed that the hinge 49 is located adjacent the rigid portion 3i) of strap section 26, so that when the cover 14 is raised, it overlies the inner end of said rigid strap portion 30. Opposite said hinge 40, the cover wall 36 has an integral extension tab 42 which snaps into a position overlapping the adjacent side wall portion of the watch casing 22 to hold the cover 14 releasably in closed position.

A miniature electric bulb 44 is mounted within the cover i4, the bulb having a glass envelope 46 containing a filament 4S. The bulb envelope 46 is secured to the inner surface of the cover top wall 34, as by cementing. The filament l48 has a pair of terminal wires 50 and 52 which project from the envelope 46, the terminal wire 50 being electrically connected to the cover top wall 34 as by soldering 54. The other terminal wire 52 is covered by a layer of insulation 56 and extends along the inner surface of the top wall 34 to the peripheral wall 36, extending through an aperture 58 in the latter. The free bare end of wire 52 is electrically connected to a contact 6i) mounted onthe outer face of peripheral wall 36, but separated therefrom by an insulated plate 62.

The electric bulb 44 is energized by a miniature mercury electric cell 64 of the button type customarily used in hearing aids and similar devices. The battery cell 64 has a flat end portion 66l constituting the positive pole of the cell, and an opposite end portion 68 of larger diameter constituting the negative pole. The battery cell 64 is mounted on the lower surface of the rigid portion 3i) of watch band section 26 within a hollow battery casing 70 made of conductive material and formed integrally with the bottom surface of said strap rigid portion 30x The batf tery casing 70 has a bottom open end which is closed oil yby a cup-shaped cover section 72y which frictionally nts upon the casing 70 to retain the cell 64 therein. The negative pole section 68 of the battery cell 64 makes electrical contact with the conductive cover section 72 and through the casing 70, band section 26, watch casing 22 and hinged cover 34, with the bulb terminal wire 50. The aforementioned parts thus serve as a ground for the electrical circuit.

, The positive battery section 66 is insulated from the watch band section 26 by a non-conductive plate 80I which carries the bareend of an insulated wire 74. The wire 74 extends through the rigid portion Sil of watch band section 26 and its opposite bare end is connected to a contact 76 mounted on the outer surface of said rigid strap portion 30 and separated therefrom by an insulating plate 78. The contact 76 is so mounted that lwhen the hinged watch cover 34 is turned to its open position of FIG. 3, the contact 60 engages the contact 716 and closes the battery circuit through the light bulb 44. It will be appreciated that the rigid strap portion 30l serves as a secure mount for the contact '716I and cannot move relative to the watch casing Z2, thereby preventing accidental engagement of the contacts 6G, '76 during wearingrof the watch.

In use, the watch is normally worn with the cover 14 in closed position, in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2, and since the contacts 60` and 76 are separated, the energizing circuit to the light bulb 44 is interrupted and the light is extinguished. When the user is in a darkened room, theatre, or other dark surroundings, and wishes to ascertain the time by reading the watch face, it is merely necessary to open the cover 14 and turn it to its upstanding position of FIG. 3. This exposes the face of the watch l0 and at the same time brings the contact 60 into engagement with the contact 76 to illuminate the bulb. 44. vAn energizing circuit is thus completed by electrically connecting one end of the bulb filament 48 with the positive battery pole 66 through terminal wire 54, contacts 60, 76, and wire 714. As previously explained, the other end of filament 48v is already electrically connected to the positive battery pole 68 through the ground connections provided by the conductive battery casing 70, `cover section 72, strap section 2.6, watch casing 22, and hinged cover 14.

The inner surface of the cover 14 is highly polished to provide a reective surface for directing the light of the illuminated bulb 44 onto the face of watch 10. The direct and reflected light of the bulb `44 is sufficient to effectively illuminate the entire face of the watch so that it may be easily read in complete darkness.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it is obvious that numerous omissions, changes and additions may be made in such embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

l. A wrist watch assembly comprising a watch case having a watch iface, a wrist strap secured to said case, a cover hingedly secured -to said case and movable between `a closed position overlying the watch face and an open position exposing said watch -face, `a power source carried by said strap, an electric bulb mounted on said cover for illuminating said watch face when said cover is open, and circuit means for electrically connecting said power source to said bulb and including a first contact electrically connected to said bulb and carried by said cover and a second contact electrically connected to sai-d power source and carried by said wrist strap, said contacts being spaced from each other when the cover is in closed position, said first contact being positioned to engage the second contact when the cover is moved to its open position and complete the circuit means for energizing said bulb and illuminating said watch face.

2. A wrist watch assembly comprising a watch case having a watch face, a wrist str-ap secured to said case, a cover hingedly secured to said case and movable between a closed position overlying the Watch face and an open position upistanding from one side of lthe watch case and exposing said watch face, a miniature electric cell mounted on said strap, a miniature electric bulb mounted on the inner surface of` said cover for illuminating said watch face when said cover is in open position and having a pair of terminals, an energizing circuit for electrically connecting said electric cell to saidbulb and including circuit means connecting one pole of said cell to-:one termina-l of said bulb, a iirst contact electrically connected to the other terminal of :said bulb -and carried by said cover, and a second contact electrically connected to the other pole of saidcell and carried by said wrist strap, said contacts being separated from each other when the cover is in close-d position, said first contact being positioned to eng-age the second contact when the cover is' moved to its open position, thereby completing the energizing circuit for said `bulb and illuminating the watch face.

3. A wrist watch assembly according to claim 2 in which said wrist strap and cover are made of electrically conductive material and are included in said circuit means.'

4. A wrist watch assembly comprising a watch case having a watch face, a wrist strap secured to said case, a cover hingedly secured to said case and movable between a closed position overlying the watch face and an open position exposing said watch face, said wrist watch asseml'y including a power source, an electric bulb mounted on said cover for illuminating -said watch face when said cover is open, and circuit means for electrically connecting said power source to said bulb and including a first Contact electrically connected to said'bulb and carried by said cover and a second contact electrically connected t0 said power source, said contacts being spaced from each other when the cover is in closed position, said iirst contact being positioned to engage the second contact when the cover is moved to its open position and complete the circuit means for energizing said bulb and' illuminating said watch face.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

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