JP2003294875A - Switch structure of electronic timepiece - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To thin the thickness of shell side of a push button. <P>SOLUTION: When a push button 12 is not in pushed state, a switch spring 11e is in contact with the push button 12 but not with a ground plate 6 and a circuit board 14. In the state the push button 12 is pushed in, the tip end surface 12a of the push button 12 touches and pushes the switch spring 11e, and so an arm bends and the step 11f touches the ground plate 6. When the push button 12 is pushed in further, the step 11f comes to the dead end at the ground plate 6 and so the touching part 6a becomes a fulcrum, the tip end surface 12a pushes the touching part 11g of the step 11f as a site of force and the couple of forces shown with arrows A and B work on the switch spring 11e. By this, the switch spring 11e rotates as shown with an arrow C and touches the switch pattern 14a of the circuit board 14, which completes switching operation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a switch structure for an electronic timepiece.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a plan view of a pointer type electronic wristwatch showing a switch structure of a conventional electronic timepiece as seen from the back cover side, showing a part of the side body of a timepiece case including a push button together with a movement. ing. In FIG. 5, 6 is a base plate which is the base of the movement, and 14 is a circuit board. Reference numeral 15 is an IC chip in which a clock circuit mounted on the circuit board 14 is incorporated, 16 is a crystal oscillator connected to the clock circuit, and 17 is a coil. Circuit board 14
Wiring pattern 1 to be a switch contact part on a part of the side surface of
4a is provided. Reference numeral 21 is a train wheel bridge that supports each train wheel together with the main plate 6, and 10 is a battery that is a power source of a clock circuit arranged on the train wheel bridge 21.

The wheel train bridge 21 made of metal has contact springs for holding the positive electrode of the battery 10 from four sides, and three hooks 21a, 21b, 21 for engaging with the cutouts of the main plate 6.
c is integrally formed, and the train wheel bridge 21 is fixed to the main plate 6 by hook portions 21a, 21b, and 21c. The tip of the arm 21d extending from the hook portion 21a in parallel with the base plate 6 is a switch spring 21e. 1
Reference numeral 8 is a side body, 19 is a push button which is an external operation member of a switch slidably installed in a pipe hole inserted and joined to a side surface of the side body 18, and 20 is a waterproof O-ring. . By operating the push button 19, the switch operation is performed by an electrical connection that pushes the switch spring 21e to bring it into contact with the wiring pattern 14a of the circuit board 14. The push button 19 is a hidden button that does not come out from the surface of the side body 18 so as not to be pushed carelessly.

In such a conventional electronic timepiece switch structure, the stroke of the switch spring 21e and the stroke of the push button 19 are substantially the same, and the timepiece side body 1
When the push button 19 is to be held by making the button 8 waterproof, the wall thickness required for the cross section of the side body 18 around the push button 19 is the thickness dimension of the O-ring 20 arranged on the push button 19. + The stroke of the push button 19 was + α.

[0005]

However, in the conventional switch structure of such an electronic timepiece, the stroke of the push button is relatively long, and unless the length is shortened, the thickness of the cross section of the side body of the timepiece is increased. Could not be thinned. This is a problem in reducing the size of the timepiece.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a conventional problem, and an object thereof is to shorten the stroke of the push button to reduce the wall thickness of the cross section of the side body around the push button. It is to provide a switch structure of an electronic timepiece that can be realized.

[0007]

The means of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is to provide a push button arranged between a ground plane in a cross-sectional direction and a circuit board, the ground plane in the plane direction, and the circuit board. In a switch structure of an electronic timepiece having a switch spring arranged between the switch spring and the push button, a distance between the switch spring and the main plate in a plane direction is shorter than a distance between the switch spring and the circuit board. , The push button is pressed to push the switch spring to bring the switch spring into contact with the main plate first, and the push button is further pushed to contact the switch spring with the main plate and the switch spring. By pivoting the switch spring with a couple acting on the contact part with the push button, And performing the electrical connection between the switch spring and the circuit board.

Further, a step portion having a step-shaped cross section is formed on the switch spring, and the step force acts on the couple.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, a switch structure of an electronic timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a switch structure of an electronic timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the movement of the electronic timepiece of FIG. 1 as seen from the case back side, and FIG. 3 is a view of the electronic timepiece of FIG. It is a left side view. FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view illustrating the operation of the switch spring.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a pointer type electronic wrist watch. Since the configuration of the timepiece other than the switch structure is almost the same as that described in the conventional example, the same reference numerals and names are given to the same components as in the conventional example, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. Two
Is a case back fitted to the side body 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a waterproof packing compressed and stored in the groove of the back cover 2. Reference numeral 5 is a windshield fitted into the side body 3. The base plate 6 is fitted to the side body 3 and
It is fixed by the back cover 2 via the inner frame. Reference numeral 7 is a dial fixed to the base plate 6.

Reference numeral 8 is a pointer shaft for fixing and driving a pointer (not shown), and 9 is an insulating sheet for insulating the battery 10 and the wheel train bridge of 11 from each other. The push button 12 is arranged between the circuit board 14 and the base plate 6 in the cross-sectional direction. The push button 12 is prevented from coming off by a part 13a of an inner frame 13 described later.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ground plate 6 is attached to the tip of an arm portion 11d extending parallel to the ground plate 6 along the outer periphery of the ground plate 6 from a hook portion 11a formed integrally with the train wheel bridge 11. A switch spring 11e having a height reaching the circuit board 14 is integrally formed. The switch spring 11e on the main plate 6 side is provided with a step portion 11f having a step shape whose cross section is bent toward the main plate 6 side. Switch spring 11e
Is disposed between the push button 12 and the main plate 6 and the circuit board 14 in the plane direction when not operating, and the switch spring 1 is provided by providing the step portion 11f.
The distance between 1e and the base plate 6 is shorter than the distance between the switch spring 11e and the circuit board 14.

Next, regarding the operation of this switch structure,
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A shows a push button 1
2 shows the state where it is not pressed. At this time, the switch spring 11e is in contact with the front end surface 12a of the push button 12, and is locked to the convex portion 13a which is a part of the middle frame 13 protruding in the groove portion of the push button 12, and the push button 12 is It is prevented from being pushed out of the side body 3. The switch spring 11e includes the base plate 6 and the circuit board 1.
4 is not in contact therewith, and is not electrically connected to the wiring pattern 14a. FIG. 4B shows the push button 12
Shows the state of being pushed in the direction of the arrow, and the tip portion 12a of the push button 12 pushes the switch spring 11e, whereby the arm portion 11d bends and the step portion 11 first
The f comes into contact with the contact portion 6a of the base plate 6.

When the push button 12 is further pushed, the stepped base portion, which is the contact portion 11g between the tip end surface 12a of the push button 12 and the step portion 11f of the switch spring 11e, serves as a force point, and the switch spring 11e has a contact point. The force of the arrow B, which is the pushing force of the push button 12, is applied. On the other hand, the step portion 11f of the switch spring 11e has a contact portion 6a of the main plate 6 on
Since a force indicated by arrow A, which is a reaction force from, is applied to the switch spring 11e, a couple force indicated by the opposing arrows A and B acts on the switch spring 11e. Switch spring 1
1e turns around the contact portion 6a as a fulcrum as shown by an arrow C, and comes into contact with the wiring pattern 14a of the circuit board 14, thereby electrically connecting and completing the switch operation. At this time, the arm portion 11d is twisted by the turning of the switch spring 11e, and when the external force to the push button 12 is removed, the switch spring 11e and the push button 1 are removed.
2 returns to the state of FIG.

Next, the effect of the switch structure according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. Due to the twisting of the switch spring 11e, the moving distance between the circuit board 14 and the switch spring 11e with respect to the stroke of the push button 12 is increased by the lever ratio, so that a reliable switch operation can be performed even if the stroke of the push button 12 is small. It is possible to reduce the thickness of the side body around the push button. The switch spring 11e can be arranged in a narrow area in a plane, and the module can be downsized. Since the side surface of the circuit board 14 opposite to the wiring pattern 14a is in contact with the side surface of the train wheel bridge 11, the switch spring 11e is provided.
The circuit board 14 is not displaced even when the wiring pattern 14a comes into contact with the wiring pattern 14a, and a reliable switch operation can be performed. In addition, even if the positions of the push button 12 and the switch spring 11e in the cross-sectional direction of the timepiece deviate to some extent, the contact point 11g remains in the front end surface 12a of the push button 12 in the cross-sectional direction and the contact point on the main plate 6 side. Because 6a stays in a nearly constant position,
The positional relationship between the contact point 11g, which is the force point, and the contact point 6a, which is the fulcrum, is almost unchanged during the switch operation, and since a certain couple acts on the switch spring 11e, there is no adverse effect on the switch operation.

In the embodiment described above, the switch spring 11e is formed integrally with the train wheel bridge 11, but the switch spring may be formed separately from the train wheel bridge 11. Therefore, the electronic timepiece is not limited to the pointer-type electronic wristwatch 1. Further, the stepped portion is provided on the switch spring 11e, but if the distance between the switch spring 11e and the base plate 6 is shorter than the distance between the switch spring 11e and the circuit board 14, the stepped portion 11f does not necessarily have the shape. Not limited to this shape,
Further, substantially the same effect can be obtained even if the step portion is not formed. In addition, in order to increase the stroke of the push button 12 and to give extra pressure to the pushing force, the push button 12
When is not pressed, the switch spring 11e may be bent in advance to the side opposite to the rotation direction during the switch operation. Further, when the push button 12 is not working, the switch spring 11e and the push button 12 may be separated from each other, and the switch spring 11e and the main plate 6 may be separated from each other.
The distance between them may be zero.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention,
In a switch structure of an electronic timepiece having a push button arranged between a ground plane and a circuit board in the cross-sectional direction, and a switch spring arranged between the ground plane and the circuit board and the push button in the plane direction, The distance between the switch spring and the main plate in the plane direction is made shorter than the distance between the switch spring and the circuit board, and the switch spring is pushed by the push-in operation of the push button to first contact the switch spring with the main plate. Let
By further pushing the push button, the switch spring is turned by a couple acting on the contact portion between the switch spring and the base plate and the contact portion between the switch spring and the push button, Since the switch spring is electrically connected to the circuit board, the stroke between the circuit board and the switch spring can be as long as or longer than the stroke of the push button. The stroke of the push button required to secure the distance as usual is short and good. As a result, it was possible to provide a switch structure for an electronic timepiece capable of reducing the wall thickness of the cross section of the side body around the push button.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a switch structure of an electronic timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the electronic timepiece of FIG. 1 viewed from the case back side.

FIG. 3 is a left side view of the electronic timepiece shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged sectional view illustrating a switch operation of the electronic timepiece shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a pointer type electronic wristwatch showing a switch structure of a conventional electronic timepiece as seen from the back cover side.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 electronic clock 6 Main plate 6a contact part 11e Switch spring 11f step 11g contact part 12 push buttons 14 circuit board

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electronic timepiece having a push button arranged between a ground plane in a cross-sectional direction and a circuit board, and a switch spring arranged between the ground plane in the plane direction and the circuit board and the push button. In the switch structure, the distance between the switch spring and the ground plane in the plane direction is made shorter than the distance between the switch spring and the circuit board, and the switch spring is first pushed by pushing the push button. Is contacted with the main plate, and the push button is further pushed, so that the switch spring is turned by a couple acting on the contact portion between the switch spring and the main plate and the contact portion between the switch spring and the push button. Next, the switch spring and the circuit board are electrically connected. Electronic watch switch structure. 2. The switch structure of an electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein a step portion having a step-shaped cross section is formed in the switch spring, and the couple acts by the step portion.