JP2005108630A - Operating part structure and watch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an operating part structure and a watch equipped with it having various operating functions and compactly made by structuring an outer operating member which can be operated as a stem and can be used as a push-button switch. <P>SOLUTION: Of the operating part structure provided with an outer operating member 103 fitted to main bodies 101, 102, and a protecting member 105 arranged so as to surround the outer operating member around an axis line and structured in free attachment and detachment to and from the main bodies, the outer operating member is structured enabled to be pressed and drawn out in the axis line to and from the main bodies, and the protecting member is structured free in attachment and detachment to and from the main bodies, so that, when the protecting member approaches the main bodies, the outer operating member is released so as to be free in being pressed in the axial direction, and it is provided with engagement structures 103a, 105b engaged with the outer operating member when it is separated from the main bodies. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an operation unit structure and a timepiece, and more particularly to a configuration of an operation unit suitable for application to a device that requires a push button operation and a crown operation such as a radio timepiece.

  In general, in a portable timepiece such as a wristwatch or a pocket watch, an external operation member such as a crown is attached to a side portion of a watch case (trunk) constituting the watch body. A general crown is configured so that it can be pulled out and rotated. By rotating the crown in a pulled-out state, various operations such as time correction and calendar correction can be performed.

  On the other hand, even in the above-described portable timepiece, a push button type external operation member configured to perform a pressing operation is frequently used. In many cases, such push button type external operation members include an illumination switch for turning on the illumination of the display unit, a display switch for displaying the remaining battery level, a switch for inputting a start and stop of a timekeeping function, It is used as a time adjustment switch for time adjustment in a radio timepiece.

In order to protect the crown provided on the side of the portable watch, the crown is retracted by screwing it into the watch body when the crown is operated, and by loosening the screwed portion with respect to the watch body when the crown is not operated. There is known a structure including a protector configured to protect the surroundings (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below).
JP 2000-329867 A

  By the way, in the conventional portable timepiece, not only the time display function but also various additional functions, it is necessary to provide not only the crown but also a push button type external operation member. Therefore, since the crown and the push button are separately provided on the side of the main body, there are problems in that the manufacturing cost increases and the appearance design gives a complicated impression.

  In addition, in a portable watch equipped with a crown, the crown may be easily pulled out without fully learning how to operate the crown. There is a problem.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-described problems, and the problem is that various operations can be performed by configuring an external operation member that can be operated as a crown and also used as a push button type switch. An object of the present invention is to provide an operation unit structure that has a function and can be configured compactly, and a timepiece having the same. Moreover, it is providing the operation part structure which can prevent the misoperation of a crown, and a timepiece provided with the same.

  The operation unit structure of the present invention is an operation having an external operation member attached to the main body and a protective member arranged to surround the external operation member around the axis and configured to be able to contact and separate from the main body. In the partial structure, the external operation member is configured to be able to be pressed and pulled in an axial direction with respect to the main body, the protective member is configured to be able to contact and separate from the main body, The external operating member is released in a state in which it can be pressed in the axial direction when approaching to, and has an engaging structure that engages with the external operating member when separated from the main body.

  According to this invention, when the protective member is brought close to the main body, the external operation member can be pressed, so that the external operation member can be pressed as a press button, and the protective member is separated from the main body. Since the protective member engages with the external operation member, it is possible to rotate the external operation member via the protective member or pull it out in the axial direction. Therefore, the external operation member can be used as a push button or an operation member having another operation mode such as a crown. The protective member not only protects the external operation member, but also functions as an auxiliary tool for rotating or pulling out the external operation member.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the main body and the protection member have a screwing structure in which the main body and the protective member are screwed in the axial direction. According to this, since the protective member can be brought close to the main body by screwing into the main body, and since the protective member is connected to the main body via the screwing structure in such a state of being screwed. Since the protective member can be positioned with respect to the main body, the protective effect for the external operation member can be enhanced.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the engaging structure is configured to be engaged when the screwing state of the protective member to the main body is released. According to this, when the screwing state of the protective member is released, it can be rotated regardless of the position of the protective member, and the protective member can be pulled out to the outside in the axial direction without rotating. Therefore, it is possible to more easily perform the rotation operation and the pull-out operation of the external operation member.

  In the present invention, the external operation member is configured to be able to be pulled out in the axial direction outer side, and the engagement structure is configured such that the protection member is engaged with the external operation member from the inner side in the axial direction. preferable. Accordingly, the external operation member can be pulled out as it is by pulling it out in the axial direction while the protective member is engaged with the external operation member.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the external operation member is configured to be rotatable about an axis, and the engagement structure is configured to engage the protection member and the external operation member in a rotation direction about the axis. . Accordingly, the external operation member can be rotated as it is by rotating the protection member in a state of being engaged with the external operation member.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that the external operation member is configured such that an outer peripheral surface of the external operation member does not protrude from an outer end of the protection member when the external operation member is at a reference position in the axial direction. According to this, since the outer peripheral surface of the external operation member does not protrude from the outer end of the protective member, the external operation member cannot be pulled out alone, so that the external operation member is pulled out incorrectly or without knowing the operation method. Can be prevented. In addition, said reference position means the position when it is in the state which is not receiving external force in the state in which the external operation member was released without engaging with the protective member.

  Next, a timepiece according to the present invention includes any one of the operation unit structures described above. The present invention is particularly effective in that a multifunctional operation unit can be configured compactly in the case of a portable watch such as a wristwatch, a pocket watch, a divers watch, or a stopwatch that requires downsizing or design. In particular, it is most effective when the radio timepiece is configured to correct the time by receiving radio waves when the external operation member is operated as a push button.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing the operation unit structure of the timepiece 100. A through hole 101a penetrating the main body case 101 is formed in a side portion of the main body case (watch case; body) 101, and a cylindrical member 102 is fixed in the through hole 101a by bonding or the like. The cylindrical member 102 has a protruding portion protruding from the main body case 101, and a screw portion (male screw) 102a is formed on the protruding portion (outer surface thereof). An external operation member (crown) 103 is mounted inside the cylindrical member 102.

  The external operation member 103 includes a head 103A at the outer end thereof. An engaging portion 103a is formed at a portion of the head portion 103A facing inward in the axial direction (left direction in the figure). The engaging portion 103a has a concave shape. A plurality of engaging portions 103a are preferably provided around the axis. The external operation member 103 has a shaft portion 103B extending from the head portion 103A inward in the axial direction. The shaft portion 103B is configured to be slidable in the axial direction with respect to the cylindrical member 102. Here, the shaft portion 103B is connected to the winding stem 106 and connected to an internal structure to be described later. A sealing material 103 d is fitted on the outer surface of the shaft portion 103 </ b> B, and sealing between the tubular member 102 is ensured.

  An elastic member (coil spring) 104 is disposed between the external operation member 103 and the cylindrical member 102. More specifically, the external operation member 103 is provided with a stepped portion 103 b facing inward in the axial direction, and the elastic member 104 is accommodated between the stepped portion 103 b and the tubular member 102. The elastic member 104 urges the external operation member 103 outward in the axial direction (right side in the drawing).

  A cylindrical protection member 105 is disposed around the cylindrical member 102 and the external operation member 103. This protective member 105 is screwed into the protruding portion of the cylindrical member 102. More specifically, a screw part (female screw) 105 a is formed on the inner surface of the protection member 105, and the screw part 105 a is screwed into the screw part 102 a formed on the cylindrical member 102.

  On the inner surface of the protective member 102, an engaging portion 105b is formed so as to face the engaging portion 103a of the external operation member 103 on the inner side in the axial direction. The engaging portion 105b is configured to engage with the engaging portion 103a from the inner side in the axial direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the engaging portion 105b is configured to engage with the engaging portion 103a also in the rotational direction around the axis. It is preferable that a plurality of the engaging portions 105b are provided around the axis corresponding to the engaging portions 103a.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the protection member 105 is engaged with the external operation member 103 when the protection member 105 is screwed into the main body (the cylindrical member 102) (locked state). Therefore, the external operation member 103 is configured to be able to press inward in the axial direction against the elastic force of the elastic member 104. That is, in this locked state, the external operation member 103 functions as a push button without being restricted by the protection member 105.

  On the other hand, when the protective member 105 is removed from the main body (the tubular member 102) and separated (unlocked), the engaging portion 105b engages with the engaging portion 103a as shown in FIG. The protection member 105 is engaged with the external operation member 103 from the inner side in the axial direction. In this state, when the protection member 105 is rotated, the external operation member 103 can be rotated. That is, in this unlocked state, the external operation member 103 is in a state where it can be rotated.

  Furthermore, in this unlocked state, as shown in FIG. 3, the external operation member 103 can be pulled out in the axial direction outside by further pulling out the protective member 105 in the axial direction outside. That is, in this unlocked state, the external operation member 103 can be pulled out. Then, the external operation member 103 can be rotated by rotating the protective member 105 in the pulled-out state shown in FIG. The drawer state shown in FIG. 3 may be configured so that one of a plurality of stages can be selected. That is, it is configured so that the amount of pulling out of the external operation member 103 can be set in multiple stages. For example, the first pulling state and the second pulling state can be selected, and different predetermined operations are performed in each pulling state. Alternatively, it can be configured such that different predetermined operations are performed by performing a rotation operation in each pulled out state.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view showing a configuration example different from the above embodiment. In this configuration example, the same parts as those in the above embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and parts different from those in the above embodiments are indicated by adding “′” or “″” to the corresponding parts in the above embodiments. Further, in this configuration example, the description of the same parts as those in the above embodiment is omitted.

  In the timepiece 100 ′, even when the protective member 105 is screwed into the main body (the cylindrical member 102) and is closest to the main body (in the illustrated example, the state in which the external operating member 103 is in contact with the main body). The outer peripheral surface of the 'head 103A' is configured not to protrude outward in the axial direction from the outer edge of the protective member 105. However, the outer end surface of the head 103 </ b> A ′ may slightly protrude from the outer edge of the protection member 105. As a result, the external operation member 103 ′ cannot be pulled out alone in the axial direction without using the protection member 105. In this way, it is possible to prevent a person who does not know the operation method from apologizing and pulling out the external operation member 103 '. For example, when the external operation member 103 ′ is pulled out, the time display unit of the clock 100 ′ is stopped. If the external operation member 103 ′ is pulled out accidentally, the time display stops. This avoids a situation where the time must be set again.

  By the way, if comprised as mentioned above, since the protrusion amount of head 103A 'of external operation member 103' will be lose | eliminated or it will become very small, the case where pressing operation of external operation member 103 'becomes difficult may be considered. Therefore, it is preferable to use a head portion 103A ″ having a concave portion on the outer end surface as shown by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 5. In this way, an external operation can be easily performed by applying a pen tip or the like to the concave portion. The pressing operation of the member can be performed.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram schematically showing a structure around the operation unit structure of the timepiece 100 of the embodiment. An internal structure (movement) 110 is disposed inside the main body case 101, and the external operation member 103 is connected to the internal structure 110. More specifically, the external operation member 103 is connected to the internal structure 110 via the winding stem 106. Further, the winding stem 106 includes a contact drive unit 106a, and a contact structure that opens and closes by the contact drive unit is configured. For example, an A terminal 110A and a B terminal 110B connected to the internal structure 110 are provided, an elastic terminal piece 111 is conductively connected to the A terminal 110A, and a movable terminal piece 111 is disposed opposite to the B terminal 110B. A contact 111s is provided. With this configuration, when the external operation member 103 is pressed in the locked state, the elastic terminal piece 111 is deformed by the contact driving unit 106a, and the movable contact 111s is conductively connected to the B terminal.

  When the timepiece 100 is a radio timepiece, the internal structure 110 incorporates a radio wave reception function and a time correction function that corrects the time based on time information derived from the received radio wave. In this case, the radio wave reception function and the time correction function can be operated by the contact. That is, when the external operation member 103 is pressed in the locked state, the timepiece 100 receives a radio wave and corrects the time display based on the time information included therein.

  In the above embodiment, not only can the external operation member 103 be protected by the protection member 105, but the external operation member 103 can be operated as a push button, and the rotation operation of the external operation member 103 can be performed using the protection member 105. It is also possible to perform a pull-out operation, and various operation modes can be realized by a single external operation member.

  It should be noted that the operation unit structure of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example described above, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. That is, it can be used not only as a timepiece described in the above embodiment but also as an operation unit structure of various devices. Further, even when applied to a watch, it can be applied not only to the above-mentioned radio-controlled watch, but also to various watches, and in particular, a wristwatch, a pocket watch, in that an operation unit having various operation functions can be configured compactly. It is suitable for application to portable watches such as divers' watches and stopwatches.

The expanded fragmentary sectional view which shows the locked state of embodiment. The expanded fragmentary sectional view which shows the unlocking state of embodiment. The expanded partial sectional view showing the drawer state of an embodiment. The side view seen from the axial direction outer side of embodiment. The expanded fragmentary sectional view which shows a modification. The schematic block diagram which shows typically the structure of the operation part vicinity of a timepiece.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 ... Clock, 101 ... Main body case, 102 ... Cylindrical member, 102a ... Screw part, 103 ... External operation member, 103a ... Engagement part, 104 ... Elastic member, 105 ... Protection member, 105a ... Screw part, 105b ... Engagement Joint part, 106 ... Makishin, 110 ... Internal structure

Claims (7)

In an operation unit structure having an external operation member attached to the main body, and a protection member arranged to surround the external operation member around the axis and configured to be able to contact and separate from the main body,
The external operation member is configured to be able to be pressed and pulled out in the axial direction with respect to the main body,
The protective member is configured to be able to contact with and separate from the main body, and when the protective member approaches the main body, the external operation member is released in a state where it can be pressed in the axial direction, and when the protective member is separated from the main body. An operating portion structure having an engaging structure for engaging with the external operating member.   The operation part structure according to claim 1, wherein the main body and the protection member have a screwing structure in which the main body and the protection member are screwed in an axial direction.   The operation portion structure according to claim 2, wherein the engagement structure is configured to engage when the screwing state of the protection member to the main body is released.   The external operation member is configured to be able to be pulled out in the axial direction, and the engagement structure is configured such that the protection member is engaged with the external operation member from the axial direction inside. Item 4. The operation unit structure according to any one of Items 1 to 3.   The external operation member is configured to be rotatable about an axis, and the engagement structure is configured to engage the protection member and the external operation member in a rotation direction about the axis. The operation unit structure according to any one of 1 to 4.   6. The external operation member is configured such that an outer peripheral surface of the external operation member does not protrude from an outer end of the protection member when the external operation member is at a reference position in the axial direction. The operation unit structure according to claim 1. A timepiece comprising the operation section structure according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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