JP2009186279A - Timepiece device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a timepiece device easy in finish division of a bezel by suppressing elastic deformation around the bezel to the minimum. <P>SOLUTION: The timepiece device (1) includes: a case body (2) having a display part (dial 3); a ring-like bezel body (11) arranged on the circumference of the display part; a holding structure (holding ring 12, flange 12A, female screw part 12B, cylindrical part 2A, and male screw part 2B) for holding the bezel body with the case body; and a ring-like cover member (13) for covering the holding structure by being supported on the bezel body. A rotary bezel 10 is composed of two members of the bezel body 11 and the cover member 13. The bezel body 11 is rotatably held with the case body 2 by the holding structure, and avoid influence of elastic deformation like conventional fitting structure. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a timepiece device having a rotating bezel.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a timepiece device such as a wristwatch, a display unit such as a dial is installed on a case body, and an annular bezel is often installed around the display unit. Among the wristwatches, rotating bezels that also serve as exterior designs are used for divers and sports watches.
The rotating bezel is configured by rotatably mounting a bezel around the display unit, and a scale corresponding to the pointer in the display unit is displayed on the surface of the bezel. In such a rotating bezel, by appropriately rotating and setting the relationship between the scale and the pointer, it is possible to obtain a function of easily reading the elapsed time from a certain point in time.

The conventional rotating bezel mounting structure is configured to be fitted by temporarily deforming the rotating bezel and its mounting portion. For this reason, if the rotating bezel and its mounting part, that is, the cover glass fixing ring and watch case body material, are not selected carefully, the bezel cannot be engaged, or the engaging part is damaged or deformed, or chips are generated due to excessive engagement. There was a problem of incurring a rotation failure or the like.
In addition, when a metal material, particularly pure titanium or a titanium alloy, is used for the rotating bezel, the material is sticky, and there is a possibility that the original function may not be obtained due to plastic deformation during mounting. In other words, the rotating bezel is deformed as it is mounted and cannot be held in the case body, the clearance between the rotating bezel and the mounting part cannot be secured, rotation failure occurs, and further, the rotating bezel rotates for repair or cleaning. When trying to remove the bezel, there was a problem that the rotating bezel stuck on the mounting part and it could not be separated

On the other hand, the applicant of the present application can attach and remove without trouble even when a brittle material, a material that is difficult to deform, or a material that is easily deformed is used for the bezel in the structure in which the rotating bezel is attached to the case body. A structure is proposed (Patent Document 1).
In this structure, the bezel holding portion is elastically deformable in the radial direction, and a clearance that allows elastic deformation is formed. With this structure, when the bezel is fitted to the case body, the holding portion can be deformed to engage the bezel and the case body, and after being engaged, the holding portion will return to its original shape due to elasticity. And For this reason, the bezel can be easily attached and detached, and the bezel and the case main body can be hardly damaged or deformed. Accordingly, there are fewer restrictions on the selection of materials such as the bezel and the case body, and the degree of freedom in design and design can be increased.

JP 2000-98060 A

  In the structure of Patent Document 1 described above, the holding portion of the rotating bezel can be elastically deformed, a clearance that allows elastic deformation is formed, and the holding portion is deformed when the bezel is fitted to the case body. It has excellent effects including the solution of the problem. However, this structure has not yet solved the following problems.

That is, in the structure of Patent Document 1 described above, when fitting or removing, considerable stress accompanying elastic deformation is applied to the bezel and the case body, and the deformation may remain. In addition, it is necessary to apply a considerable force for elastic deformation, and there is a problem in workability at the time of attachment / detachment.
Furthermore, in the conventional structure including Patent Document 1 described above, the range of selection of the material of the bezel is expanded, but the selected material covers the entire bezel, for example, finishing classification in which the material of the surface is changed in consideration of the appearance texture. Difficult to do. In particular, in the structure of Patent Document 1 described above, the finishing classification is restricted in relation to elastic deformation. For example, if a metal that can be elastically deformed is used for the main body of the bezel and a finishing material using a highly brittle material is applied to the surface side thereof, the finishing material may break along with the deformation of the bezel. Thus, the conventional structure has a problem that it is difficult to apply finishing classification.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a timepiece device that can suppress elastic deformation around the bezel to a minimum and can easily finish the bezel.

  The timepiece device of the present invention includes a case main body having a display unit, an annular bezel main body disposed around the display unit, a holding structure for holding the bezel main body between the case main body, and the bezel main body. And an annular cover member that conceals the holding structure.

In such this invention, a bezel is comprised by two members, a bezel main body and a cover member. The bezel body is held by the case body by the holding structure, and the cover member is supported by the bezel body and integrated. Thereby, the bezel which consists of two members is rotatably attached with respect to a case main body.
The holding of the bezel main body by the holding structure is a configuration in which the bezel main body is held between the case main body and is different from a conventional fitting structure with elastic deformation. For this reason, the influence of the elastic deformation in the bezel or the case main body can be avoided.

By attaching the cover member, the holding structure is covered and is not exposed to the outside, and in terms of appearance, the combination of the cover member and the bezel body or the cover member alone can be used.
Since the bezel is composed of two members, a bezel main body and a cover member, each material can be different and finishing can be freely performed.
As described above, the elastic deformation around the bezel can be suppressed to the minimum, and the finishing of the bezel can be facilitated.

In the timepiece device of the invention, the holding structure includes a holding ring formed concentrically with the bezel main body, a fixing structure for fixing the holding ring to the case main body, an outer periphery of the holding ring, and the bezel. It is desirable to have a structure having a flange facing the case body with the body interposed therebetween.
In the present invention, the bezel body can be held between the case body and the flange on the outer periphery of the holding ring. At this time, when fixing the holding ring to the case body with a fixing structure, the position of the holding ring along the rotation axis direction of the bezel body is adjusted so that the bezel body is sandwiched between the flange and the case body. It is possible to adjust the bezel rotational torque and the like.
The flange is not limited to the one that is continuous over the entire circumference, but may be one having a notch in a part thereof, a part that is partially formed in a protruding shape, or the like.
As the fixing structure, a male screw portion and a female screw portion, which will be described later, can be used. However, any structure that can fix the retaining ring to the case main body may be used. For example, a screw that penetrates in the rotation axis direction of the bezel and is screwed to the case main body. May be used.

In the timepiece device of the invention, the fixing structure includes a cylindrical portion formed around the display portion of the case main body, a male screw portion formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, and an inner side of the holding ring. It is desirable to have a structure having an internal thread portion formed and screwed into the external thread portion.
In the present invention, the holding ring can be attached to the cylindrical portion by screwing the male screw portion and the female screw portion. At this time, by rotating the holding ring with respect to the cylindrical portion, the position of the holding ring with respect to the cylindrical portion, that is, the position in the rotation axis direction of the bezel in the fixing structure described above can be adjusted.

In the timepiece device of the invention, the cover member has a display surface whose outer periphery is in contact with the bezel body and whose inner periphery faces the display portion, and an engagement structure that is detachably engaged with the bezel body. It is desirable.
In the present invention, since the space between the bezel body and the display unit is covered by the display surface, the above-described holding structure can be reliably hidden. At this time, an appropriate finish that enhances the appearance can be applied to the display surface.
As the engaging structure, a fitting structure with circumferential ribs or the like may be used. In this case, the cover member and the bezel main body are elastically deformed, but the attachment / detachment force can be made small between them, and the influence of deformation can be reduced.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a wristwatch 1 which is a timepiece device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the wristwatch 1. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the bezel portion of the wristwatch 1. FIG. 4 is a view showing an assembled state of parts constituting the bezel portion of the wristwatch 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the wristwatch 1 includes a flat cylindrical case body 2.
On the surface side of the case body 2, a dial plate 3 as a display unit is installed, and a cover glass 4 is installed so as to cover the dial plate 3. The dial 3 is provided with a time hand 5 including a second hand, a minute hand, and an hour hand, and a time display can be visually recognized from the surface side through the cover glass 4.
A movement 6 is installed inside the case body 2 in order to display the time by the time hand 5. The movement 6 includes a step motor for driving the time hand 5 and a gear train, and a control circuit board for controlling them.

A crown 6A for adjusting and setting the movement 6 and the time hand 5 is disposed on the side surface of the case body 2. Buttons may be installed adjacent to the crown 6A.
A back cover 7 is installed on the back side of the case body 2, and the movement 6, dial 3 and time hand 5 are mounted in the case body 2 with the back cover 7 removed.
Both the case body 2 and the back cover 7 are made of a metal material having an excellent texture.
The case body 2 is provided with a rotating bezel 10 around the cover glass 4.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotating bezel 10 includes a bezel body 11, a holding ring 12, and a cover member 13 that are each formed in a concentric annular shape.
The bezel body 11 is an annular member made of the same metal material as that of the case body 2, and an operation portion 11 </ b> A having unevenness arranged in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer periphery. On the inner periphery of the bezel body 11, the back side (lower side in the figure) protrudes inward (closer to the display unit) with respect to the front side (upper side in the figure), and the case body 2 is separated by the portion on the back side. A holding portion 11B for holding the cover member 13 is formed, and an engagement step portion 11D for engaging with the cover member 13 is formed by the surface side portion. A concave portion is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the holding portion 11B, and a packing 11C formed of an elastically deformable member is attached to the concave portion.

The holding ring 12 is a cylindrical member that can be inserted inside the holding portion 11 </ b> B of the bezel body 11. The outer peripheral diameter of the holding ring 12 is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner peripheral diameter of the holding portion 11B and larger than the inner peripheral diameter of the packing 11C. Therefore, when the holding ring 12 is disposed inside the holding portion 11B, the packing 11C of the bezel body 11 is in close contact with the outer periphery of the holding ring 12 over the entire circumference.
A flange 12 </ b> A is formed on the outer periphery of the holding ring 12 along the edge on the surface side. The outer peripheral diameter of the flange 12A is formed larger than the inner peripheral diameter of the holding portion 11B of the bezel main body 11, contacts the surface side surface of the holding portion 11B, and the axial direction of the bezel main body 11 (the rotational axis direction of the rotating bezel 10 is the time). The movement of the needle 5 in the direction of the rotation axis) can be restricted. The flange 12A is not limited to the one that is continuous over the entire circumference, but may be a part that has a notch in a part thereof, a part that is partially formed in a protruding shape, or the like.

A female screw portion 12 </ b> B for fixing the holding ring 12 to the case body 2 is formed on the inner periphery of the holding ring 12.
The case body 2 is formed with a cylindrical portion 2A, and a male screw portion 2B is formed on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 2A. Note that the cylindrical portion 2A has a step 2C at the inner peripheral surface side end, and the cover glass 4 is supported by the step 2C. A seal member 2D is disposed in the step 2C, and the case body 2 and the cover glass 4 are sealed and fixed by the seal member 2D.
The holding ring 12 is disposed above the cylindrical portion 2A, and the inner peripheral female screw portion 12B can be screwed into the male screw portion 2B. By appropriately rotating the holding ring 12, an arbitrary height on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 2A can be obtained. Can be held in.
The cylindrical portion 2A, male screw portion 2B, and female screw portion 12B constitute a fixing structure for fixing the holding ring 12 to the case body 2.

When the holding ring 12 is fixed, if the bezel main body 11 is arranged in advance on the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 2A, the flange 12A descends as the holding ring 12 is screwed, and the bezel main body 11 is held between the case main body 2 and the case 12. The part 11B can be sandwiched.
A holding structure that holds the bezel body 11 between the case body 2 and the holding ring 12, the flange 12 </ b> A, and the fixing structure described above is configured.
The bezel body 11 is held between the flange 12A and the case body 2 and is rotatable in the circumferential direction. Here, by further screwing the holding ring 12, the holding portion 11 </ b> B can be strongly sandwiched by the flange 12 </ b> A, and thereby the rotational torque of the bezel body 11 can be adjusted.

The cover member 13 has a display surface 13A exposed to the outside. The outer peripheral edge 13B of the display surface 13A can contact the bezel body 11 when the cover member 13 is attached to the bezel body 11. The inner peripheral edge 13 </ b> C of the display surface 13 </ b> A is extended to the vicinity of the outer periphery of the cover glass 4. Accordingly, the retaining ring 12, the fixing structure, and the retaining structure described above are all covered with the display surface 13A of the cover member 13, and can be concealed from the outside.
On the lower surface of the cover member 13, an engagement protrusion 13D that can be engaged with the engagement step portion 11D of the bezel body 11 is formed. The engagement protrusion 13D is a rib that is continuous in the circumferential direction, and a packing 13E formed of an elastically deformable member is mounted on the outer peripheral side thereof.

The cover member 13 is supported by the bezel body 11 by engaging the engaging protrusions 13D inside the engaging step portion 11D and engaging each other.
These engagement protrusions 13D, packing 13E, and engagement step portion 11D constitute an engagement structure that detachably engages the cover member 13 with the bezel body 11.
Then, the rotating bezel 10 that is rotatable with respect to the case body 2 is configured by engaging and integrating the cover member 13 and the bezel body 11.

By rotating the rotating bezel 10 with the operation portion 11A of the bezel main body 11, up to the cover member 13 can be rotated integrally.
The case body 2 has a circumferential groove formed on the surface facing the bezel body 11, and a click member 2E using an elastic material is mounted on the bottom surface thereof. In the bezel body 11, a plurality of click grooves 11E are arranged in the circumferential direction. The tip of the click member 2E is brought into contact with the bezel body 11, and the click member 2E is inserted into the click groove 11E at a portion where the click groove 11E is present, and the position is maintained. When the bezel main body 11 is rotated with respect to the case main body 2, the click member 2E is elastically deformed and detached from the click groove 11E, and slides to the next click groove 11E. As a result, the bezel body 11 can have a click feeling during operation and can be held at a position where the click groove 11E is present.

In the present embodiment, the rotating bezel can be assembled by the following procedure.
First, the bezel main body 11 is brought close to the case main body 2 from above and disposed outside the cylindrical portion 2A. Next, the holding ring 12 is approached from above the bezel main body 11, screwed into the cylindrical portion 2A, and further screwed. As a result, the holding ring 12 descends along the cylindrical portion 2 </ b> A and enters the inside of the bezel body 11.
By further lowering the holding ring 12, the holding portion 11 </ b> B is sandwiched between the flange 12 </ b> A and the case main body 2, and the bezel main body 11 is rotatably held with respect to the case main body 2. When the bezel main body 11 can be held, the cover member 13 is put on the bezel main body 11, and the engaging protrusion 13D is fitted inside the engaging step portion 11D. As a result, the cover member 13 is supported by the bezel body 11 and integrated into the rotating bezel 10.

In the present embodiment, the rotating bezel can be disassembled by the following procedure.
First, a part of the cover member 13 is pulled up, the fitting is released from each other, the engagement protrusion 13D is extracted from the engagement step portion 11D, and is peeled off from the bezel body 11. Next, the holding ring 12 is rotated and raised along the cylindrical portion 2A to escape from the inside of the bezel main body 11, and further rotated to release the screwing with the cylindrical portion 2A and remove. In this state, the bezel body 11 is released from the holding state, and can be removed by lifting it upward from the outside of the cylindrical portion 2A.

According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
The rotating bezel 10 includes two members, a bezel body 11 and a cover member 13. Since the bezel body 11 and the cover member 13 are separate members, finishing of the rotating bezel 10 can be easily realized by making each material or surface finish different.
Although the bezel main body 11 and the cover member 13 are fitted together, since the fitting is not used to hold the bezel main body 11 to the case main body 2, elastic deformation around the rotating bezel 10 can be suppressed to a minimum. .

The holding of the bezel main body 11 with respect to the case main body 2 is performed by sandwiching the holding portion 11B of the bezel main body 11 with a holding structure including a holding ring 12, an outer peripheral flange 12A, and a fixing structure. Elastic deformation of the main body 11 can be eliminated.
The fixing structure used for the holding structure is a structure in which the cylindrical body 2A, the male thread 2B on the inner periphery of the retaining ring, and the female thread 12B are screwed together. Can be resolved.
Thus, in this embodiment, since the fitting structure which accompanies elastic deformation is not used for attachment of the bezel main body 11, the influence of the elastic deformation in the bezel main body 11 and the case main body 2 can be avoided.

Since the bezel body 11 is sandwiched between the flange 12A and the case body 2 as the holding structure, the rotational torque of the rotating bezel 10 can be adjusted by changing the height of the flange 12A.
As the fixing structure, the cylindrical portion 2A and a screwed structure (male screw portion 2B and female screw portion 12B) on the outer periphery thereof are used, so that the position relative to the cylindrical portion 2A can be finely adjusted by the rotation of the holding ring 12, and the bezel body 11 can be finely adjusted so that the rotational torque of the rotary bezel 10 described above can be precisely adjusted.

The cylindrical portion 2A can also serve as a structure for holding the cover glass 4 on the inner periphery thereof, and is effective in simplifying the structure.
Since the sealing member 2D is disposed between the cylindrical portion 2A and the cover glass 4, the operation of the sealing member 2D can be facilitated by using the elasticity of the sealing member 2D at the time of mounting, and a sealing property such as waterproof or dustproofing can be applied to the portion. Can be secured.

Since the packing 11C is disposed between the holding ring 12 and the bezel main body 11, even if there is a gap between the outer peripheral surface of the holding ring 12 and the inner peripheral surface of the bezel main body 11, no rattling occurs. Further, by pressing the packing 11 </ b> C, an appropriate rotational resistance can be given between the holding ring 12 and the bezel body 11.
Further, since the protrusion 11E and the click member 2E are provided between the bezel body 11 and the case body 2, an appropriate click feeling can be obtained when the bezel body 11 is rotated with respect to the case body 2, and a concave shape is obtained. Can be held at a position corresponding to.

Since the cover member 13 has a display surface 13A that covers from the bezel main body 11 (before the operation unit 11A) to the vicinity of the outer periphery of the cover glass 4, all of the above-described holding ring 12, fixing structure, and holding structure can be concealed. . Here, the appearance of the cover member 13 can be arbitrarily formed by appropriately finishing the display surface 13A or forming a marker, and the appearance can be improved in combination with the finishing division with the bezel body 11 described above. Can do.
All indications necessary for the rotating bezel 10 may be formed on the cover member 13. If it is desired to change the display, only the cover member 13 needs to be changed, and the bezel body 11 can be shared.

The attachment of the cover member 13 to the bezel body 11 is an engagement structure using an engagement protrusion 13D that engages with the engagement step portion 11D, and is accompanied by elastic deformation. Compared with the conventional case body 2 fitting, it can be made sufficiently small, and the influence of deformation can also be reduced.
In the present embodiment, the packing 13E is interposed between the engaging protrusion 13D and the engaging step portion 11D, so that the fitting can be performed with a smaller force than the fitting between the metal materials.
Furthermore, since the elastic deformation accompanying the fitting can be almost secured by the packing 13E, the deformation in the cover member 13 and the bezel body 11 can be avoided.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes the following modifications.
The timepiece device of the present invention is not limited to the wristwatch 1 as in the embodiment described above, but can also be applied to a stationary timepiece device, a wall-mounted timepiece device, or a timepiece device incorporated in other equipment or furniture. For example, in a watch having a so-called world time function, representative city names in the world time zone may be displayed around a dial such as a bezel, and the rotating bezel of the present invention may be applied to this display.

The fixing structure is not limited to the combination of the male screw portion 2B of the cylindrical portion 2A and the female screw portion 12B of the holding ring 12 described above. The fixing structure may be any structure that can fix the holding ring 12 to the case body 2.
As such a structure, for example, a plurality of screws in the rotating shaft direction of the rotating bezel 10 (the rotating shaft direction of the time hand 5) are used, and each of the screws penetrates the holding ring 12, and the tip is screwed into the case body 2. Thus, the case body 2 can be fixed. Even in such a structure, the rotational torque of the rotating bezel 10 can be adjusted by adjusting the screwing height of each screw.
Alternatively, without using the holding ring 12 having the flange 12A, a ring member corresponding to the flange 12A is used alone and penetrated by the plurality of screws in the rotation axis direction of the rotary bezel 10 described above, and the tip is formed in the cylindrical portion 2A. It may be screwed into the top portion of the.

The holding structure is not limited to a structure in which the holding portion 11B of the bezel body 11 is sandwiched and held in the rotation axis direction of the rotating bezel 10 using the holding ring 12, and the bezel body 11 is rotatable around the rotation axis. Any structure that can restrict movement in the rotation axis direction can be used as a holding structure.
As such a structure, for example, a structure in which a pin is penetrated from the inside of the cylindrical portion 2A and protruded into a groove on the inner peripheral surface of the bezel body 11 (in which the packing 11C is mounted in the above embodiment) is adopted. it can. Alternatively, in place of the holding ring 12, a plurality of screws in the rotational axis direction are arranged along the inside of the bezel body 11, each screwed into the case body 2, and the head of each screw is engaged with the holding portion 11B. The flange 12A may be used instead. By adjusting the screwing height of each screw with respect to the case body 2, the contact state of each head with the holding portion 11B can be adjusted, and the rotational torque of the rotating bezel 10 can also be adjusted.

The engagement structure for engaging the cover member 13 with the bezel body 11 is not limited to the engagement protrusion 13D and the engagement step portion 11D as in the above-described embodiment, and a configuration that can be securely fixed with as little force as possible. It is desirable to select appropriately.
For example, a structure in which a plurality of tapered pins on the back surface of the cover member 13 are formed, holes that are slightly smaller in diameter than the respective pins are formed in the opposing bezel body 11, and these are fitted to each other as appropriate. Can be adopted.
In the said embodiment, what is necessary is just to form the protrusion 11E provided in each part, the click member 2E, the sealing member 2D, packing 11C, 13E, respectively by the existing technique, The arrangement | positioning, the number, etc. can be changed suitably. These may be omitted as appropriate when they are not necessary in terms of function.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be used as a timepiece device having a rotating bezel, and can be suitably used as a wristwatch such as a divers watch or a sports watch.

It is a top view which shows the wristwatch 1 which is the timepiece apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of the wristwatch 1 of the said embodiment. It is an expanded sectional view of the bezel part of wristwatch 1 of the embodiment. It is a figure which shows the assembly state of the components which comprise the bezel part of the wristwatch 1 of the said embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Wristwatch which is a clock device, 2 ... Case main body, 2A ... Cylindrical part, 2B ... Male screw part, 3 ... Dial which is a display surface, 4 ... Cover glass, 10 ... Rotating bezel, 11 ... Bezel main body, 12 ... Retaining ring, 12A ... flange, 12B ... female thread part, 13 ... cover member, 13A ... display surface, 13D, 11D ... engaging protrusion and engaging step part which are engaging structures

Claims (4)

  A case main body having a display unit; an annular bezel main body disposed around the display unit; a holding structure for holding the bezel main body between the case main body; and the holding structure supported by the bezel main body. A timepiece device comprising an annular cover member for concealing the watch. The timepiece device according to claim 1,
The holding structure includes a holding ring formed concentrically with the bezel main body, a fixing structure for fixing the holding ring to the case main body, and an outer periphery of the holding ring and sandwiching the bezel main body with the case main body. And a flange facing the timepiece device. The timepiece device according to claim 2,
The fixing structure includes a cylindrical portion formed around the display portion of the case body, a male screw portion formed on an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, and an inner screw portion formed on the inner side of the holding ring. A timepiece device having a female screw portion to be screwed together. The timepiece device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The cover member has a display surface whose outer periphery is in contact with the bezel body and whose inner periphery faces the display portion, and an engagement structure that is detachably engaged with the bezel body. .

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