Manufacturing and mounting method of electrical contacts for control members of small dimensions, in particular for the horological field

A method for manufacturing and mounting electric contacts for control members of small dimensions, particularly for control members used in the horological field, wherein the method includes the following steps:

• a) stamping and pre-shaping a plate of electrically conductive material for forming an intermediate base plate including a support structure and a plurality of electric contact strips still mechanically connected to said support structure by a plurality of points of attachment, each electric contact strip including a base and a flexible extension connected to said base to form a mobile part of an electric contact adapted to be actuated by a control member;
• b) positioning the intermediate base plate on a first support piece electrically insulated from said electric contact strips;
• c) fixing onto said first support piece a second support piece including a base made of an electrically conductive material covered with an insulating material such that each of said electric contact strips is held between said first support piece and said insulating material of said second support piece via its base, said base being adapted to be brought to an electric potential to act as a contact zone common to all of said electric contact strips and with which each of the flexible extensions of said electric contact strips is adapted to be brought into contact to establish an electric connection when actuated by the control member;
• and
• d) breaking said plurality of points of attachment connecting the plurality of electric contact strips to said support structure such that all of the electric contact strips are made independent and electrically insulated from each other,
• wherein said stamping and pre-shaping step includes the preparation of a first set of electric contact strips for detecting rotations of a multi-function stem-crown and a second set of electric contact strips for detecting axial positions of said stem-crown.

A method for manufacturing and mounting electric contacts for control members of small dimensions, particularly for control members used in the horological field, wherein the method includes the following steps:

• a) stamping and pre-shaping a plate of electrically conductive material for forming an intermediate base plate including a support structure and a plurality of electric contact strips still mechanically connected to said support structure by a plurality of points of attachment, each electric contact strip including a base and a flexible extension connected to said base to form a mobile part of an electric contact adapted to be actuated by a control member;
• b) positioning the intermediate base plate on a first support piece electrically insulated from said electric contact strips;
• c) fixing onto said first support piece a second support piece including a base made of an electrically conductive material covered with an insulating material such that each of said electric contact strips is held between said first support piece and said insulating material of said second support piece via its base, said base being adapted to be brought to an electric potential to act as a contact zone common to all of said electric contact strips and with which each of the flexible extensions of said electric contact strips is adapted to be brought into contact to establish an electric connection when actuated by the control member;
• and
• d) breaking said plurality of points of attachment connecting the plurality of electric contact strips to said support structure such that all of the electric contact strips are made independent and electrically insulated from each other,
• wherein said first or second support piece includes a base plate and an insulating layer through which through orifices are arranged to allow access to said plurality of points of attachment of said electrical contact strips for facilitating breakage of said plurality of points of attachment using a tool, and
• wherein said stamping and pre-shaping step includes the preparation of a first set of electric contact strips oriented substantially perpendicularly to the axis of a multi-function stem-crown for a timepiece, for detecting rotations of said stem-crown and a second set of electric contact strips, oriented substantially parallel to the axis of the stem-crown, for detecting axial positions of said stem-crown.