JP2001194471A - Wrist watch case - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a wrist watch case which hardly transmits impacts to the inside. SOLUTION: The wrist watch case is composed of an inner case 20 housing a movement 38 and an outer case 21 housing the inner case 20, and the cases 20 and 21 are coupled with each other only through buffer bodies 37 and 43 sandwiched between the cases 20 and 21.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a watch case. In particular, it relates to a shock-resistant structure of a watch case.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, a watch case described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-17110 is known as an impact-resistant structure for protecting a movement housed in a watch case from an externally applied impact. I have. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the conventional watch case,
A buffer 3 made of an elastic material such as polyurethane rubber is disposed between an inner case 1 made of metal and an outer case 2 made of a hard synthetic resin such as perprene. Buffer 3
Is sandwiched between the inner case 1 and the outer case 2 so as to cover the upper surface 1a of the inner case 1 and the outer periphery of the annular projection 1b holding the windshield 4. Inner case 1 and outer case 2
Is fixed by a plurality of fixing screws 5. The metal back cover 7 is fixed to the inner case 1 by screws 8. This shock-resistant structure has an advantage that the shock applied to the timepiece case can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the shock absorber 3 and the shock transmitted to the movement 6 can be reduced.

[0003] In a wristwatch equipped with such an impact-resistant structure, a crown guard is often used to protect the crown from impact. FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the crown guard. The crown guard 12 is composed of a pair of protective walls protruding from the outer case 2 so as to sandwich the crown 10 from both sides. Then, the size of the crown guard 12 is formed larger than that of the crown 10 so that the crown guard 12 has both the height and the length so that an impact is not applied to the crown 10. This crown guard 12 has a crown 1
0 is prevented from being loaded. Therefore, it is possible to prevent an accident that a winding core (not shown) connected to the crown is bent or broken by an impact.

[0004]

However, in the above-described shock-resistant structure, the outer peripheral wall 1c of the inner case 1 and the inner peripheral wall 2a of the outer case 2 are completely in close contact with each other in a portion where the buffer is not arranged. So, outside case 2 from outside
Is easily transmitted to the inner case 1. Further, an impact applied to the outer case 2 from the outside is transmitted to the inner case 1 via the fixing screw 5. As a result, the impact is transmitted to the movement 6 accommodated in the inner case, and the movement 6 may be broken.

[0005] In particular, the lower surface of the inner case 1 is not covered by the buffer or the outer case. Therefore, if the wristwatch is dropped and an impact is applied to the lower surface of the inner case, the impact cannot be buffered at all.

Further, the outer case 2 covers the side surface of the upper surface of the inner case 1, but does not cover the lower surface of the inner case. Therefore, when the fixing screw 8 is loosened, the inner case may come down from the outer case.

Further, the outer case 2 in the above-mentioned impact-resistant structure is a synthetic resin, though hard, but does not have sufficient strength, scratch resistance and abrasion resistance. Therefore, when an excessive impact is applied to the wristwatch, the outer case made of hard synthetic resin may be cracked even if the buffer sandwiched between the inner case and the outer case can be elastically deformed. Further, when the wristwatch was used for a long period of time, the outer case was damaged or worn.

On the other hand, the crown shown in FIG. 12 is called a screw lock crown. When the crown 10 is turned in a loosening direction, the lock is released, and the crown 14 is projected outward from the crown guard 12 by a spring 14. And crown 10
By turning, the movement 6 is moved to adjust the time. Thereafter, the crown 10 is turned to the tightened direction to lock. However, the above-mentioned crown guard 12
Because it is larger than crown 10, it prevents a finger from touching crown 10. Therefore, it was difficult to rotate crown 10 with a finger. This problem is common to crowns other than the screw lock crown. The crown guard, which is larger than the crown, hindered the operation of pulling the crown or turning the crown to set the time on a watch.

A first object of the present invention is to provide an impact-resistant structure of a wristwatch case that can sufficiently absorb an impact. A second object of the present invention is to provide an impact-resistant structure of a wristwatch case that can securely fix the outer case and the inner case. A third object of the present invention is to provide an impact-resistant structure of a watch case having sufficient strength, scratch resistance, and wear resistance. A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a watch case provided with a crown guard that can be easily operated by the crown.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
An inner case for accommodating the movement and an outer case for accommodating the inner case are characterized in that the inner case and the outer case are connected only by a buffer interposed therebetween. With such a configuration, even if a shock of the wristwatch case is applied to the outer case, the shock is absorbed by the shock absorber and is difficult to be transmitted to the inner case, and protects an operating portion such as a movement contained in the inner case from the shock. .
This is similar to the fixing screw 5 used in the prior art,
This is because a member that transmits an impact from the outer case to the inner case is eliminated.

[0011] The invention according to claim 2 includes a shock absorber disposed between the inner case and the outer case, and a gap is formed between the inner case and the outer case except for the portion where the shock absorber is arranged. It is characterized by having. With this configuration, since there is a gap between the inner case and the outer case in a portion where the shock absorber is not arranged, an external impact is less likely to be transmitted to the inner case.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the outer case comprises a supporting portion for supporting the inner case from below, and an eave covering the upper part of the inner case. With this configuration,
Since the inner case does not separate from the outer case in the vertical direction, the outer case and the inner case can be securely fixed. The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the outer case is divided into a lower body provided with a support portion and an upper body provided with an eave, and is provided with means for engaging the lower body and the upper body. Therefore, not only can the outer case and the inner case be securely fixed, but also the wristwatch case can be easily assembled.

[0013] The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the engagement means is an engagement via a fixing packing compressed between the upper body and the lower body. The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the engagement means is a threaded engagement between a screw portion formed on the upper body and a screw portion formed on the lower body. The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the engagement means is engagement by a fixing screw.

The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that the cushioning material includes an upper cushioning material in contact with the upper surface of the inner case and a lower cushioning material in contact with the lower surface of the inner case. With this configuration, even if an impact is applied from either the top or the bottom, the impact is 2
Is absorbed by one buffer. The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that the cushioning material is arranged on the step of the inner case. With this configuration, the buffer is reliably positioned, and rattling of the buffer is suppressed. The invention according to claim 10 is characterized in that the outer case is made of metal.
Therefore, even if the wristwatch is used for a long time, the outer case is hardly damaged or worn.

According to an eleventh aspect of the present invention, in a wristwatch case provided with a pair of crown guards protruding adjacent to the crown, a notch is formed in the crown guard so that the outer periphery of the crown is exposed. . With such a configuration, it is possible to easily operate the crown by putting a finger through the notch. The invention according to claim 12 is characterized in that the notch is formed on the lower surface of the crown guard. With this configuration, the notch is not visible even when the watch is viewed from above, so that the appearance of the watch is not spoiled. Further, since the notch is closed by the wrist, even if the outer periphery of the crown is exposed, no shock is directly applied to the crown. The invention according to claim 13 is characterized in that the notch is formed so as not to cut off the tip of the crown guard. With this configuration, the notch is not visible even when the watch is viewed from the side,
Does not impair the appearance of the watch. Further, even if an impact is applied to the side surface of the watch case, the impact is not directly applied to the crown.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along a radial line of a wristwatch using a case according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an entire watch case according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view of a watch case according to the present invention. The watch case according to the present invention includes a metal inner case 19 and a metal outer case 21. Examples of the metal used for each case include stainless steel, titanium, and brass.

The inner case 19 comprises a storage section 20 and a dial ring 31. The storage section 20 includes an annular peripheral wall section 20a.
And the bottom 20b. An annular buffer receiving upper step portion 22 is formed on the upper outer periphery of the peripheral wall portion 20a, and an annular buffer receiving lower step portion 23 is formed on the lower outer periphery. On the inner periphery of the storage section 20, a packing receiving step portion 24 is formed at an upper portion, and a movement receiving step portion 25, 26 is formed at a lower portion. Furthermore,
The dial ring 31 is fixed to the storage section 20. Windshield 30
An upper outer step 32, an inner step 33, and a downward step 34 are formed on the dial ring 31 that supports.

The outer case 21 is divided into an annular lower body 21a and an annular upper body 21c. An eave 36 that protrudes inward is formed on the upper part of the upper trunk 21c. An annular lower ridge 27 is formed downward from the lower surface of the upper trunk 21c. Therefore, a downward step 35 is formed on the back side of the eave 36. At the lower part of the lower trunk 21a, an inwardly projecting support portion 2
1b is formed. The upper body 21 is provided inside the upper part of the lower body 21a.
A step 28 for receiving the lower ridge 27 of c is formed.

Furthermore, the upper buffer 43 and the lower buffer 37
Is prepared. The shock-absorbing buffers 37 and 43 can be made of a material that can be elastically deformed, such as a soft synthetic resin or rubber. For example, polyurethane can be used.

Next, the overall structure will be described according to the order of assembly. A movement 38 is placed on the steps 25 and 26 in the storage section 20. The dial ring 31 is fixed to the storage section 20 by the fixing packing 41. The fixing packing 41 is compressed between the downward step portion 34 of the dial ring 31 and the step portion 24 of the storage portion 20, and is pressed against both the dial ring 31 and the storage portion 20. Therefore, the fixing packing 4
The dial ring 31 is fixed to the storage section 20 by the elastic force of 1. The dial 31 sandwiches the dial 40 and the movement 38 and holds the dial 40 and the movement 38. Further, the windshield 30 is fixed to the dial ring 31 by the packing 42. Therefore, the inner case 19
Accommodates the movement 38 in a watertight manner.

Next, an annular lower buffer 37 is placed on the upper surface of the support portion 21b of the lower trunk 21a. Lower cushion 3
The outer periphery of 7 is in contact with the inner wall of lower trunk 21a. And lower trunk 2
The inner case 19 is placed in 1a. A step portion 48 protruding downward from the lower surface of the storage portion 20 of the inner case 19 is
It enters the opening surrounded by the support portion 21b of the lower trunk 21a.
The inner periphery of the lower buffer 37 presses against the lower step 23 of the storage section 20 of the inner case. As a result, the position of the lower buffer 37 is determined, and rattling of the lower buffer 37 is suppressed.

Next, an upper cushion 43 having an inverted L-shaped cross section is placed on the upper step 22 of the storage section 20 and the upper step 32 of the dial ring 31. The upper step portions 22 and 32 form a step portion on which the upper buffer 43 is placed in the inner case, and determines the position of the upper buffer 43.

Next, the upper trunk 21c is fixed to the lower trunk 21a using the fixing packing 45. The fixing packing 45 is
It is compressed between the step 28 of the lower trunk 21a and the ridge 27 of the upper trunk 21c, and presses against both the lower trunk 21a and the upper trunk 21c20. Therefore, the lower case 21a and the upper case 21c are fixed by the elastic force of the fixing packing 45, and the outer case 21 is formed. The outer periphery of the upper buffer 43 presses against the inner wall of the lower trunk 21a and the inner wall of the ridge 27 of the upper trunk 21c. The upper surface of the upper buffer 43 presses against the back surface of the eave 36 of the upper trunk 21c, that is, the step 35. Therefore, rattling of the upper buffer 43 is suppressed.

In the watch case thus assembled, between the outer peripheral wall of the inner case 19 and the inner peripheral wall of the outer case 21 where the buffer 43 is not arranged, more specifically, the outer peripheral wall 20a of the storage section 20 and the lower part A gap 46 is formed between the body 21a and the inner peripheral wall. The dimensions of the two cases and the dimensions of the buffers 43 and 37 are determined so that the gap 46 is formed.

The inner peripheral wall 47 at the tip of the support portion 21b and the step portion 48 of the inner case 20 do not come into contact with each other, and the lower surface and the inner periphery of the eave 36 of the upper body 21c do not come into contact with the dial ring 31. Is provided. Furthermore, between the upper surface of the eaves 36 of the upper trunk 21c and the upper surface of the windshield 30,
There is a step of height H1, and the dimensions of each part are determined so that a step of height H2 is formed between the lower surface of the support portion 21b and the lower surface of the bottom portion 20b of the inner case 20.

The gap 46 and the steps H1 and H2 prevent the shock applied to the outer case 21 from being directly transmitted to the inner case 19. When the shock absorbers 43 and 37 are elastically deformed by the applied impact, the outer case 21
And the inner case 19 are prevented from colliding.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line passing through the crown. The crown 50 is connected to a winding core (not shown) in the movement 38 via a connecting shaft 51. When the crown 52 is turned and the screw 52 is removed, the crown 53 projects out of the crown guard 54 by a spring 53. It has become. By rotating the protruding crown, the winding core can be rotated via the shaft 51 to perform needle adjustment and the like. According to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, a notch 54a is formed at the lower edge of each guard of the pair of crown cards 54 at a position inside the tip of the crown guard. As is apparent from FIG. 4, the notch 54a is deeper than the outer periphery of the crown, and a finger can be inserted into the notch 54a to rotate the crown 50 so as to protrude the crown.

According to the present invention, the inner case 19 and the outer case 21 are fixed to each other by press-contacting the buffers 37 and 43 without using screws. And the buffer 37,
A gap is formed between the inner case 19 and the outer case 21 except for the portion where the 43 is arranged. Therefore, the shock given to the outer case 21 from the outside is absorbed by the buffer without being transmitted to the inner case 19. Since the lower shock absorber 37 is disposed in contact with the lower surface of the inner case 19, even if an impact is applied to the support portion 21b from the back side of the watch case, the shock is absorbed by the shock absorber and is not easily transmitted to the inner case 19. .

The support 21b of the outer case 21 that supports the inner case 19 from below covers the inner case. Further, an eave 36 of the outer case 21 covers the upper side of the inner case 19.
Therefore, the inner case 19 is not pulled out of the outer case 21 in either the up-down direction. Furthermore, height H1,
Since there is a step of H2, even if the watch is dropped, an object on the ground rarely hits the windshield 30 and the inner case 20. Furthermore, since the outer case 21 and the inner case 19 are made of metal, they have sufficient strength, scratch resistance, and wear resistance.

On the other hand, crown 50 is attached to crown guard 54.
Is formed, so that a finger can be inserted from here to operate the crown easily. The notch 54a is formed on the lower surface of the crown guard 54, so that the notch 54a is not visible even when the wristwatch is viewed from above, and does not impair the appearance of the wristwatch. Further, since notch 54a is closed by the wrist, even if the outer periphery of crown 50 is exposed from notch 54a, no impact is directly applied to crown 50. In addition, since the notch 54a is formed so as not to cut the tip of the crown guard 54, the notch 54a is not visible even when the wristwatch is viewed from the side, so that the appearance of the wristwatch is not spoiled. Furthermore, even if a shock is applied to the side of the watch case,
The impact is not transmitted directly to crown 50.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment, FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view thereof, and FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along a line passing through a crown. In the present embodiment, the outer case 21 is divided into an upper trunk and a lower trunk as different from the first embodiment. That is, the upper trunk 21c in the first embodiment
And the lower torso 21a are integrated into an upper torso 2 of the second embodiment.
1a. The upper trunk 21a has the same eaves 3 as in the first embodiment.
6a. On the other hand, the support portion 21 in the first embodiment
b independently constitute the annular lower trunk 56 of the second embodiment. And a male screw 57 formed on the outer periphery of the lower body 56 is
The upper trunk 21a and the lower trunk 56 are fixed by meshing with the female screw 58 formed at the lower part of the inner periphery of the upper trunk 21a. Inner case 1
9 is the same as in the first embodiment.

A large number of tool insertion holes 60 are formed in the lower body 56 as shown in FIG. The lower body 56 is rotated by inserting a tool into the hole 60 penetrating vertically, and the upper body 21 is rotated.
a. The tool insertion hole 60 is closed by the lower buffer 37. Therefore, water, sand, mud, or the like does not enter the gap 46 between the inner case 19 and the outer case 21. The tool insertion hole 60 may be a hole with a bottom opening outward. Other structures are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals are given and the description is omitted. The effects are the same as in the first embodiment.

(Third Embodiment) FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment, and FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view thereof. In this embodiment, four holes 61 are formed in the upper trunk 21c of the first embodiment. The hole 61 is a stepped hole vertically penetrating the upper body 21c. Four fixing screws 62 inserted into the holes 61 are screwed into the screw holes 63 of the lower body 21a. Therefore, the upper trunk 21c and the lower trunk 21a are fixed. There is no packing 45 in the first embodiment, and the upper trunk 21c and the lower trunk 21a are securely fixed.

It is preferable that the fixing screw 62 is disposed so as to avoid the upper buffer 43. This is because, if a hole or a notch for passing the screw 62 is provided in the buffer 43, the structure of the buffer 43 is complicated and cannot be manufactured at a low cost, and the elastic deformation of the buffer 43 due to the contact with the screw 62. There is a concern that will be hindered. The number of fixing screws 62 may be any number as long as it is plural. Others are the same as the first embodiment.

(Fourth Embodiment) FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a fourth embodiment. In the present embodiment, the lower trunk 66 is fixed to the upper trunk 21a by a plurality of fixing screws 65 instead of the male screw 57 and the female screw 58 in the second embodiment. More specifically, the fixing screws 65 inserted into the plurality of holes vertically penetrating the lower trunk 66 are screwed into the upper trunk 21a. It is preferable that the fixing screw 65 is arranged so as to avoid the lower buffer 37. Others are the same as the second embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the inner case 19
Although a specific waterproof structure is employed in the present invention, the present invention is applicable to any structure of the inner case 19. The outer case may be made of a material other than metal as long as wear resistance and scratch resistance are not given priority. In addition, although the screw lock crown is adopted as the crown, the notch of the crown guard of the present invention is effective even in crowns other than the screw lock type. You can put your finger through the notch to pull the crown other than the screw-lock system, or rotate the crown to wind the movement's screws.

[0037]

According to the present invention, the outer case is fixed to the inner case only by the shock absorber, and the outer case is not in contact with the inner case. Internal components can be protected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view taken along a radial line of a wristwatch using a case according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the entire watch case according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded sectional view of the watch case according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line passing through a crown according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along a line passing through a crown according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing a wristwatch case of the related art.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing a crown guard of a wristwatch case of the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 inner case 1a upper surface 1b annular protrusion 1c outer peripheral wall 2 outer case 2a inner peripheral wall 3 buffer 4 windshield 5 fixing screw 6 movement 7 back cover 8 fixing screw 10 crown 12 crown guard 14 spring 19 inner case 20 storage section 20a annular peripheral wall section Reference Signs List 20b Bottom 21 Outer case 21a Lower trunk 21b Support 21c Upper trunk 22 Upper step 23 Lower step 24 Packing receiving step 25, 26 Movement receiving step 27 Lower ridge 28 Step 30 Windshield 31 Look-up ring 32 Upper outer step Part 33 inner step part 34 downward step part 35 downward step part 36, 36a eave 37 lower buffer 38 movement 40 dial 41 fixing backing 42 packing 43 upper buffer 45 fixing packing 46 gap 47 inner learning wall 48 step Part 50 Crown 51 Connecting shaft 52 Screw 3 spring 54 crown guard 54a notch 56 beneath the barrel 57 male thread 58 female thread 60 tool insertion hole

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. An inner case for storing a movement,
A wristwatch case comprising an outer case for accommodating the inner case, wherein the inner case and the outer case are connected only by a buffer interposed therebetween. 2. An inner case for storing a movement,
It consists of an outer case that houses the inner case, and includes a buffer disposed between the inner case and the outer case. Except for the portion where the buffer is disposed, a gap is formed between the inner case and the outer case. A watch case characterized by being formed. 3. The wristwatch case according to claim 1, wherein the outer case comprises a supporting portion for supporting the inner case from below, and an eave covering the upper part of the inner case. 4. An outer case comprising: a lower body having a support;
The wristwatch case according to claim 3, wherein the wristwatch case is divided into an upper body having an eave, and an engagement means for the lower body and the upper body. 5. The wristwatch case according to claim 4, wherein the engagement means is an engagement via a fixing packing compressed between the upper body and the lower body. 6. The wristwatch case according to claim 4, wherein the engagement means is a screw engagement between a screw portion formed on the upper body and a screw portion formed on the lower body. 7. The wristwatch case according to claim 4, wherein the engagement means is engagement by a fixing screw. 8. The watch case according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning material includes an upper cushioning material in contact with an upper surface of the inner case and a lower cushioning material in contact with the lower surface of the inner case. 9. The wristwatch case according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is disposed on a step of the inner case. 10. The watch case according to claim 1, wherein the outer case is made of metal. 11. A watch case provided with a pair of crown guards protruding adjacent to the crown, wherein a notch is formed in the crown guard so that the outer periphery of the crown is exposed. 12. The watch case according to claim 11, wherein the notch is formed on a lower surface of the crown guard. 13. The wristwatch case according to claim 11, wherein the notch is formed so as not to cut off the tip of the crown guard.