JP2013040805A - Impact buffer structure of electronic apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an impact buffer structure of an electronic apparatus, capable of surely protecting a push-button switch and reducing restriction on design.SOLUTION: In an electronic apparatus provided by connecting the inner and outer parts of an outer packaging part 1 accommodating an apparatus module 4 and equipped with an operation part 11 for transmitting an external operation to the apparatus module 4, an external buffer member 21 is provided on an outer side end of the outer packaging part 1 in the operation part 11. A viscoelastic body is used for the external buffer member 21. The viscoelastic body reduces an impact transmitted to the operation part 11 and the apparatus module 4 by converting kinetic energy to thermal energy accompanying shape change corresponding to the magnitude of the impact when the impact is applied to the operation part 11 from the outside, and reduces rapidly elastic force against the operation part 11 and the apparatus module 4 by reducing the conversion of kinetic energy to elastic energy accompanying the shape change.

Description

  The present invention relates to an impact buffering structure for an electronic device used for an electronic device such as a wristwatch to buffer an impact received from the outside.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a portable electronic device such as a wristwatch has an impact buffering structure for buffering an impact applied to the portable electronic device when dropped. As this shock-absorbing structure, there are one provided inside the electronic device and one provided on the outer surface. Conventionally, an elastic body such as urethane resin is used for the shock absorbing structure provided on the outer surface, and it is attached to the back side or the side part of the watch case in the wristwatch or attached in accordance with the position of the wristwatch band (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-46964 A

  However, hitherto, it has been difficult to provide the same impact resistance function to the push button switch used for the operation. Furthermore, there is a problem that not only the push button switch is damaged by applying a large impact to the push button switch, but also a large force is applied to the internal watch module via the push button switch, leading to a failure of the watch module. Therefore, there is a structural restriction that the pushbutton switch needs to be disposed in the depression of the watch case or provided at the convex portion of the bezel so that the pushbutton switch does not directly contact the drop surface.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an impact buffering structure for an electronic device capable of reliably protecting an operation unit from damage or destruction and reducing design constraints even when an impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside. Is to provide.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention
An equipment module;
An exterior part for storing the device module;
An operation unit that is provided by connecting the inside and outside of the exterior unit, and transmits an external operation to the device module;
A closing member for sealing the opening of the exterior part in which the device module is stored;
An external cushioning member provided at an outer end of the exterior part in the operation part,
In the external buffer member,
When an impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside, the impact transmitted to the operation unit and the device module by converting kinetic energy into thermal energy in accordance with a shape change corresponding to the magnitude of the impact. And a viscoelastic body that reduces the conversion from the kinetic energy to the elastic energy accompanying the shape change and quickly reduces the elastic force on the operation unit and the device module is used. This is an impact buffer structure for electronic equipment.

  According to the present invention, when an impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside, not only can the impact transmitted to the operation unit and the device module be greatly reduced, but also the elastic force on the operation unit and the device module. Can be quickly reduced. As a result, it is possible to reliably protect, for example, a push button switch as an operation unit from damage or destruction, and to reduce design constraints.

It is a front view showing the whole wristwatch of an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the wristwatch in the arrow AA of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the wristwatch in the arrow BB of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the wristwatch in the arrow CC of FIG.1 and FIG.2. It is a perspective view of a timepiece module and an internal buffer member. It is a schematic diagram which shows the characteristic with respect to the external force of an alpha gel and a urethane resin. It is sectional drawing of the pushbutton switch of this embodiment. It is a figure explaining the positional relationship of a pushbutton switch and a wristwatch case. It is a figure explaining the shape of the external buffer member in the pushbutton switch of the modification 1. It is sectional drawing of the crown of the modification 2. FIG. It is sectional drawing of the pushbutton switch of the modification 3. It is sectional drawing in CC of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of the wristwatch containing the pushbutton switch of the modification 4. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, the structure of a wristwatch according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a front view of a wristwatch 100 of the present embodiment. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

  The wristwatch 100 includes a wristwatch case 1 (exterior portion). A watch glass 2 is attached to the upper opening of the watch case 1 via a packing 2a, and a back cover 3 is attached to the lower portion of the watch case 1 via a waterproof ring 3a. The watch glass 2 and the back cover 3 constitute a closing member. A watch module 4 (equipment module) whose outer periphery is covered with a housing 12 is disposed inside the watch case 1. An internal buffer member 5 and a cushion material 6 are provided between the timepiece module 4 and the housing 12 and the watch case 1.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the watch case 1 includes a case body 7 made of a hard synthetic resin, and a bezel 8 having a two-layer structure provided on the outer peripheral surface on the upper side of the case body 7. . The case main body 7 is provided with a metal reinforcing member 7a by insert molding in a state where the metal reinforcing member 7a protrudes inward from the inner upper part. The bezel 8 includes an inner bezel 8a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the case body 7 and an outer bezel 8b provided on the outer surface of the inner bezel 8a.
Here, the inner bezel 8a is formed of Alpha Gel (registered trademark), and the outer bezel 8b is formed of a hard elastic body, for example, urethane resin. The alpha gel will be described in detail later.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a band attaching portion 10 for attaching the watch band 9 is provided on each side of the wristwatch case 1 on the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side. Furthermore, two push button switches 11 (operation units) for receiving an external operation from the user are provided on each side of the wristwatch case 1 at the 3 o'clock side and the 9 o'clock side. The push button switch 11 is made of, for example, SUS (stainless steel). Each push button switch 11 is provided with an external buffer member 21 at the tip thereof. The external buffer member 21 is a viscoelastic body, and preferably an alpha gel is used. The external buffer member 21 will be described in detail later. The external buffer member 21 is bonded to the push button switch 11 using an adhesive.

  The housing 12 is made of a hard synthetic resin. A display panel 13 for displaying information such as time in an electro-optical manner is provided on the upper portion of the housing 12. The display panel 13 includes a flat display element such as a liquid crystal display element or an EL (electroluminescence) display element.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIGS. 1 and 2.
The timepiece module 4 incorporates an electronic circuit portion 4a for driving the display panel 13 and various electronic components 4b necessary for the timepiece function. Further, two terminal members 11 c that connect the timepiece module 4 and the outside are provided on the side surface of the housing 12. One terminal member 11c is connected to a terminal plate 11b that is pressed by two push button switches 11 respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the timepiece module 4 includes an inner buffer member 5 that covers an outer peripheral surface of a housing 12 that covers the outer periphery of the timepiece module 4 via a presser member 15 that will be described later. It is stored in. Further, on the lower surface of the timepiece module 4, the cushion material 6 is pressed by the press plate 14, and the cushion material 6 and the press plate 14 are further put inside the watch case 1 by the back cover 3. Pressed and placed.

The cushion material 6 is made of an elastic material such as rubber and is formed in a flat plate shape.
The holding member 15 is made of a hard synthetic resin or metal such as polyacetal (POM), and is arranged on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 12 and a ring-shaped portion 15 a arranged on the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the housing 12 of the timepiece module 4. And a cylindrical portion 15b, which are integrally formed.

  The presser member 15 has a relaxation function for receiving the impact as a whole when the watch case 1 receives an impact from the outside and relaxing the impact force from being concentrated on a part of the timepiece module 4. The presser member 15 is provided with a protrusion or a recess (not shown) for positioning with respect to a predetermined position of the watch case 1 on its inner peripheral surface. The presser member 15 is provided with a positioning function for preventing the timepiece module 4 from rotating in the wristwatch case 1 in the horizontal direction and positioning the timepiece module 4 with respect to the wristwatch case 1 by the protrusions or the recesses.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the timepiece module 4 and the internal buffer member 5.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the cylindrical portion 15 b of the presser member 15 has notches that are escaped when the shaft portions 11 a of the plurality of pushbutton switches 11 are inserted, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5. A portion 15c is provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a display opening 15 d is provided corresponding to the display panel 13 at the center of the ring-shaped portion 15 a located on the upper surface of the pressing member 15. The display panel 13 is arranged such that the upper surface thereof is flush with the upper surface of the pressing member 15 and is exposed upward from the opening 15d.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the internal buffer member 5 is disposed between the presser member 15 disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the housing 12 of the timepiece module 4 and the inner peripheral surface of the watch case 1. The internal buffer member 5 is formed of a viscoelastic body, and preferably an alpha gel is used.

Here, the alpha gel will be described.
The alpha gel used for the inner bezel 8a, the outer cushioning member 21, and the inner cushioning member 5 is a gel-like resin material mainly composed of silicone. For example, a filler that is a filler is blended in the silicone gel. It is a sheet-like thing. In this case, a filler consists of a micro hollow body which has the outer shell of 1-3 weight part synthetic resin with respect to 100 weight part of silicone gel, and 10-30 weight part silica, for example. The gel material has an Asker C hardness of 15 to 60, and a thickness of about 0.5 to 2.0 mm, for example. The impact buffering rate indicating the reduction rate of the impact acceleration when the gel material is used as the impact buffering material is 70% or more with respect to the impact acceleration when this gel material is not used as the impact buffering material.

  FIG. 6 shows the characteristics of acceleration applied to the wristwatch 100 when an external force is applied to the alpha gel (viscoelastic body) and urethane resin (elastic body) adhered to the wristwatch 100 (approximately regarded as a rigid body). It is a schematic diagram shown. FIG. 6A shows an impact acceleration (applying to the wristwatch 100 to which the alpha gel or the urethane resin is bonded when an impact force (here, a drop impact on the horizontal surface) is applied to the alpha gel or the urethane resin as an external force. It is a schematic diagram which shows the time change of an external force. FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram showing the frequency characteristics of the transmission rate of acceleration transmitted to the wristwatch 100 adhered when harmonic vibration is applied to the alpha gel or urethane resin.

  Usually, the impact force when a rigid object falls directly on a rigid surface changes from a falling speed to 0 or an upward speed in a very short time, and becomes a very large value like a delta function. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6A, when an elastic body such as a urethane resin comes into contact with the dropping surface, as shown by a broken line U, the deformation amount of the urethane resin in the vertical direction, that is, A repulsive force corresponding to the contraction distance is generated, the upward acceleration is gradually increased, and the wristwatch 100 is decelerated. The stainless steel plate and the urethane resin are bounced back when the speed changes from downward to upward. Accordingly, in this case, the impact acceleration applied to the wristwatch 100 has a waveform distributed from the time when the urethane resin comes into contact with the dropping surface to the time when the urethane resin contracts and repels and again leaves the falling surface, and the peak value of the impact acceleration is obtained. Is greatly reduced as compared with the case where the wristwatch 100 is directly dropped.

On the other hand, when a viscoelastic body such as alpha gel comes into contact with the falling surface, as shown by a solid line F in FIG. The increase is delayed and its peak value is low. That is, the elastic constant of alpha gel is lower than that of the urethane resin elastic body. In general, a gel-like viscoelastic body such as alpha gel has a much smaller elastic constant (about 2 to 4 digits in Young's modulus) than an elastic body. When an elastic body having a low elastic constant is used, a thickness corresponding to the elastic constant is required so that a large strain generated upon impact does not exceed the elastic limit. In contrast, when alpha gel receives an upward force from the drop surface, it is compressed and deformed from both sides by the impact force from the drop surface and the inertial force of the wristwatch 100, but at this time, it receives from the drop surface. The work energy and kinetic energy received from the stainless steel plate are rapidly and efficiently converted into thermal energy and released. That is, the alpha gel first attenuates its kinetic energy rapidly by decelerating the wristwatch 100 with viscous resistance. Further, the increase in the elastic force accompanying the compression deformation of the alpha gel is slowed by the decrease in the deformation speed due to the deceleration of the wristwatch 100 and the passage of the relaxation time. As a result, the conversion from kinetic energy to elastic energy is limited to a small amount, and the watch 100 stops quickly without bouncing vertically upward. Due to such a change, the peak value of the upward acceleration transmitted to the wristwatch 100 through the thin alpha gel layer upon the impact of the drop is reduced, and the kinetic energy of the wristwatch 100 quickly becomes zero.
In such a series of processes, in order to set an optimum acceleration peak value, the thickness of the alpha gel, the adhesion range of the alpha gel, and the material of the alpha gel can be appropriately adjusted based on a known technique. I can do it.

  Next, in FIG. 6 (b), the horizontal axis indicates the vibration frequency when harmonic vibrations of various frequencies are applied to the urethane resin (elastic rubber) and the alpha gel viscoelastic body bonded to the wristwatch 100. The vertical axis represents the response magnification (vibration transmissibility) representing the ratio of the vibration acceleration applied to the wristwatch 100 to the vibration acceleration applied to the resin and alpha gel. When the vibration frequency is 0, the response magnification is 0 dB, that is, 1 time (vibration transmission rate is 1). When acceleration is directly applied to the wristwatch 100, acceleration is applied via urethane resin and alpha gel. In some cases, the acceleration applied to the wristwatch 100 is equal. The response magnification gradually increases as the vibration frequency increases in both cases of urethane resin (dashed line U) and alpha gel (solid line F), and eventually shows a peak value. The frequency indicating the peak value is a natural frequency (resonance frequency) determined by the elastic constant of the urethane resin or alpha gel and the mass of the wristwatch 100. When the vibration frequency further increases, the response magnification decreases this time, and when the vibration frequency becomes larger than a predetermined value (√2 times the natural frequency), the response magnification becomes smaller than 0 dB. That is, the acceleration applied to the urethane resin and alpha gel is more efficiently absorbed by the urethane resin and alpha gel and converted into heat as the vibration frequency deviates from the natural frequency. And the acceleration concerning the wristwatch 100 becomes smaller than the acceleration added to urethane resin and alpha gel.

Here, as shown in FIG. 6B, the natural frequency when alpha gel is used is lower than the natural frequency when urethane resin is used, based on the difference in elastic constant described above. Therefore, the anti-vibration effect region in which the response magnification is smaller than 0 dB also appears from a smaller frequency when alpha gel is used. Specifically, the anti-vibration effect region of the alpha gel of the present embodiment that can be used for the wristwatch 100 is about 140 Hz or more (the natural frequency is 100 Hz). Here, the electronic components and the components of the driving circuit according to the timepiece module 4 are liable to cause failure, noise, and electromagnetic noise due to high-frequency vibration above the frequency. Therefore, by using a viscoelastic body such as alpha gel, it is possible to more efficiently remove these high frequency vibrations that induce failure, noise and electromagnetic noise of electronic components and driving circuit components related to the watch module 4. Can do.
The anti-vibration effect area, that is, the natural frequency is set higher than the above set value when the number of electronic parts included in the timepiece module 4 is small or when there are few problematic parts. Is possible.

  Next, the internal buffer member 5 and the external buffer member 21 using alpha gel will be described in detail.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the internal buffer member 5 of the present embodiment includes a first alpha gel portion 16 disposed at a predetermined location on the outer peripheral surface of the presser member 15, and the first alpha. The peripheral edge of the upper surface of the display panel 13 exposed from the second alpha gel portion 17 disposed at another predetermined location on the outer peripheral surface of the pressing member 15 and the opening 15d of the pressing member 15 except for the location of the gel portion 16 And a third alpha gel portion 18 arranged in the portion, and these are integrally formed.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the first alpha gel portion 16 is provided on the upper surface portion 16 a disposed on the upper surface of the ring-shaped portion 15 a of the pressing member 15 and the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion 15 b of the pressing member 15. And a plurality of side surface portions 16b arranged at predetermined positions. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, wavy auxiliary buffer portions 16c are radially provided on both sides of the upper surface portion 16a in the circumferential direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the auxiliary buffering portion 16c is formed in a wave shape with a thickness smaller than the thickness of the upper surface portion 16a, and its height is substantially equal to the thickness of the upper surface portion 16a of the first alpha gel portion 16. They are identical. Thereby, the auxiliary buffering part 16c is sandwiched between the upper surface of the pressing member 15 and the lower surface of the reinforcing member 7a of the wristwatch case 1, and when pressed by the reinforcing member 7a in this state, the first alpha gel part 16 In accordance with the deformation of the upper surface portion 16a, first, the wave shape is elastically deformed so as to be elastically crushed, and then further compressed and deformed.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, auxiliary buffer protrusions 16 d are provided on the side surface 16 b of the first alpha gel portion 16 in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the auxiliary buffer protrusions 16 d are provided at locations corresponding to the vicinity of 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 11 o'clock, which are predetermined locations on the outer peripheral surface of the tubular portion 15 b of the pressing member 15. Is provided. As shown in FIG. 4, the auxiliary buffer protrusion 16 d has a tip end surface that is in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the watch case 1, so that the side surface portion 16 b of the first alpha gel portion 16 is connected to the inner peripheral surface of the watch case 1. It is configured to be elastically separated from the surface.

  Further, the auxiliary buffering protrusion 16d is formed so that the tip surface is located on the substantially same circumference as the outer surface of the second alpha gel portion 17 described later. As a result, the side surface portion 16b of the first alpha gel portion 16 changes its shape together with the second alpha gel portion 17 when the auxiliary buffer projection 16d is pressed by the inner peripheral surface of the watch case 1, and the wristwatch case. It is comprised so that it may elastically contact with the internal peripheral surface of 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the second alpha gel portion 17 is disposed at each position of the presser member 15 at 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the second alpha gel portion 17 includes an upper piece portion 17 a disposed on the upper surface of the ring-shaped portion 15 a of the pressing member 15 and an outer surface of the cylindrical portion 15 b of the pressing member 15. It has the structure which has the side piece part 17b arrange | positioned in this.

  The upper piece 17a of the second alpha gel portion 17 is formed with substantially the same thickness as the upper surface portion 16a of the first alpha gel portion 16, as shown in FIGS. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the side piece 17 b of the second alpha gel portion 17 is formed thicker than the thickness of the side surface portion 16 b in the first alpha gel portion 16.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the third alpha gel portion 18 is formed in a substantially rectangular frame shape corresponding to the display panel 13 of the timepiece module 4, and as shown in FIGS. 1 is connected to the inner peripheral portion of the upper surface portion 16 a of the alpha gel portion 16. As a result, the third alpha gel portion 18 is exposed from the peripheral edge portion of the upper surface of the display opening 15 d provided in the ring-shaped portion 15 a of the pressing member 15 and the display panel 13 exposed from the opening 15 d of the pressing member 15. It arrange | positions in the state straddling both the peripheral part in the upper surface of.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the third alpha gel portion 18 is formed in a parting portion 18 a whose peripheral portion presses the peripheral edge on the upper surface of the display panel 13. The third alpha gel portion 18 is formed to be thicker than the thickness of the upper surface portion 16a of the first alpha gel portion 16 by the thickness of the reinforcing member 7a of the watch case 1. The third alpha gel portion 18 is arranged on the inner side of the inner peripheral surface of the case body 7 of the watch case 1 and is configured to be visible from the outside through the watch glass 2 in this state.

  With such a configuration, when the impact is applied to the watch case 1 from the outside, the first to third alpha gel portions 16 to 18 first change in shape according to the impact force, and at the time of the shape change. The repulsive force transmitted to the timepiece module 4 is reduced by converting kinetic energy into heat energy. Then, thereafter, the first to third alpha gel portions 16 to 18 gradually return to the original shape. Accordingly, it is possible to suppress the damped vibration due to the elastic force.

  Next, the arrangement of the external buffer member 21 of the present embodiment will be described in detail.

  FIG. 7 is a side view showing the shape of the pushbutton switch 11 of the present embodiment.

The push button switch 11 has a disk shape, and a thin cylindrical shaft portion 11a extends from the center of the disk. The shaft portion 11a has a spring around it. This spring is for returning the push button switch 11 to the original position when the push button switch 11 is depressed. When the push button switch 11 is depressed, the spring 11 is pushed back and the inside of the wristwatch 100 is However, the same force is applied in the center direction. On the pressing surface of the pushbutton switch 11, an external buffer member 21 is further provided in a spherical crown shape. The external buffer member 21 is bonded to the push button switch 11 using an adhesive. The thickness of the external buffer member 21 of the present embodiment is set to 0.5 mm or more and 2.0 mm or less from the top of the spherical crown to the pressing surface of the push button switch 11, and is, for example, 1.0 mm.
The pressing surface of the push button switch 11 may be a flat surface or may include some unevenness.

  The values of 0.5 mm and 2.0 mm are values set in consideration of user operability and the like based on the mass of the wristwatch 100 and the elastic constant value of the alpha gel used for the external buffer member 21. In the wristwatch 100 of the present embodiment, the shortest thickness necessary for exhibiting the buffer function is 0.5 mm, and the thickness that does not hinder the operation function is 2.0 mm. If the external buffer member 21 is too thin, a necessary buffer function cannot be obtained, and an excessive load is applied to the timepiece module 4 when dropped. On the other hand, if the external cushioning member 21 is too thick, it becomes a resistance when the user presses the push button switch 11, which hinders comfortable and reliable operation. Therefore, for example, in a simple wristwatch that emphasizes functionality, the external cushioning member 21 may be set to the thinnest 0.5 mm, and in a wristwatch that favors designability, the outer cushioning member 21 may be set to a thickness of 1.5 mm or the like. it can. Alpha gels are transparent and can be colored in various colors.

  FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a portion of one push button switch 11 in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG.

  The pressing surface of the push button switch 11 is provided at a position 0.5 mm lower than the outer peripheral surface of the watch case 1. Therefore, the external buffer member 21 having a thickness of 1.0 mm provided on the pressing surface of the pushbutton switch 11 is provided from a position 0.5 mm lower than the outer peripheral surface of the watch case 1 to a position 0.5 mm higher. Yes.

  By arranging the external buffer member 21 on the pressing surface of the push button switch 11 in this way, even if a large force is momentarily applied to the external buffer member 21 due to a collision or the like, the external buffer member 21 has kinetic energy. Can be absorbed sufficiently. Accordingly, an excessive load is not applied to the push button switch 11 itself, and damage to the push button switch 11 and failure of the timepiece module 4 can be prevented.

  Further, even when vibration is applied to the external cushioning material 21, it is possible to prevent the vibration from being transmitted to the inside by reducing the natural frequency of the external cushioning material 21, and to suppress the occurrence of breakage or failure of electronic components or drive circuits. Can do.

  Further, by using alpha gel obtained by adding a filler to silicone resin as the external cushioning material 21, the impact buffering rate can be set to 70%, so that the impact acceleration received from the outside is greatly reduced, and the elastic force is also applied. Bounce can be suppressed.

  Further, by disposing the pressing surface of the push button switch 11 inside the outer surface of the watch case 1 and disposing the upper part of the external buffer member 21 provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch 11 outside the outer surface of the watch case 1, The operability can be improved while preventing failure due to the impact of the push button switch 11 as before.

[Modification 1]
Next, a modified example 1 of the arrangement of the external buffer member 21 provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch 11 in the wristwatch 100 of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9 is a plan view of a pressing surface and a side view of the push button switch 11 in the push button switch 11 of the first modification.

  The push button switch 11 of the first modification is the same as the push button switch 11 of the above embodiment, and only the arrangement of the external buffer member 21a provided on the pressing surface is different.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the external cushioning member 21a provided on the pressing surface of the pushbutton switch 11 of Modification 1 is arranged so as to form individual protrusions at a plurality of locations. Specifically, four of these protrusions related to the external buffer member 21a are provided every 90 degrees so as to be inscribed in the circumference forming the edge of the pressing surface. These four protrusions in the external buffer member 21a are each formed to a thickness of 0.55 mm, as shown in FIG. 9B.

As described above, the push button switch 11 having the arrangement of the external buffer member 21 according to the first modification is not provided with the external buffer member 21a at the center of the press surface. Can be comfortably operated without requiring extra force, while sufficient impact is provided by the external cushioning member 21a having a thickness of 0.5 mm or more provided at the peripheral portion of the pressing surface. Since a buffering effect can be obtained, the wristwatch 100 can be protected from damage to the push button switch 11 due to impact and failure of the timepiece module 4.
In the first modification, the four external cushioning members 21a provided individually are given as an example. However, the number of protrusions may be other numbers, and a hole is provided in the center. The external buffer member 21a may be formed in an annular shape.

[Modification 2]
Although the push button switch has been described in the above embodiment, an external cushioning member can be similarly provided for a crown used in an analog timepiece.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the crown 40 provided in the wristwatch 100 of the second modification.

  The crown 40 has a shape in which a substantially cylindrical end portion 40b thicker than the shaft portion 40a is connected to a thin cylindrical shaft portion 40a. The user pulls the end portion 40b further outward from the outer periphery of the watch case 1, and then rotates the crown 40 to correct time data and the like. On the side surface of the end portion 40b, a not-shown groove or unevenness is provided so that the user can easily operate the user by picking the crown 40.

  In the crown 40 provided in the wristwatch 100 according to the second modification, external buffer members 21b are individually provided on the upper and side surfaces of the end portion 40b. Each of these external buffer members 21b is formed in a spherical crown shape having a height of 0.5 mm or more. In addition, for example, an annular external shock-absorbing member 21b may be provided at a corner portion forming the upper surface and the side surface of the end portion 40b.

  As described above, in the wristwatch 100 according to the second modification, by attaching the external buffer member 21b to the end portion 40b of the crown 40, the crown 40 used for the operation is broken or bent similarly to the push button switch, and The internal timepiece module 4 connected to the crown 40 can be protected from an impact such as dropping. Moreover, the external buffer member 21b provided on the side surface of the end portion 40b also has an effect of preventing slipping when the user rotates the crown 40.

[Modification 3]
Next, a third modification of the arrangement of the external cushioning member provided on the pressing surface of the pushbutton switch 11 in the wristwatch 100 of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 11 is a side view of the pushbutton switch 11 of the third modification.

  The push button switch 11 of the modification 3 is the same as the push button switch 11 of the above-described embodiment, and only the shape arrangement of the external buffer member 21c provided on the pressing surface is different.

  The external shock-absorbing member 21c provided at the end of the push button switch 11 of Modification 3 covers substantially the entire pressing surface in the form of a thin film and has protrusions discretely arranged at a plurality of locations. The arrangement of these protrusions is the same as the arrangement of the protrusions in Modification 1, for example. In the external buffer member 21c, for example, the thickness of the thin film and the height of the protrusion on the thin film are each 0.5 mm.

  In this way, by arranging the external buffer member 21c by combining the thin film and the protruding portion, the push button switch 11 can be obtained in consideration of diversity such as design and tactile sensation while ensuring the shock buffering function.

[Modification 4]
Next, a fourth modification of the arrangement of the external cushioning member provided at the end of the push button switch 11 in the wristwatch 100 of the present embodiment will be described.
FIG. 12 is a view showing a cross section taken along the line CC of FIGS. 1 and 2 in the wristwatch 100 including the push button switch 11 of the fourth modification.

  In the wristwatch 100 of this modification 4, only two push button switches 11 in the 3 o'clock direction are provided. In the wristwatch 100 according to the modified example 4, the 3 o'clock forward push button switch 11 is used, for example, to switch modes related to switching display contents on the display screen of the wristwatch 100. On the other hand, the pushbutton switch 11 in the direction past 3 o'clock is used, for example, for measurement start and end operations in the stopwatch function.

Here, the push button switch 11 in the direction before 3 o'clock is provided with the same external shock-absorbing member 21 as the above embodiment on the pressing surface, whereas the push button switch 11 in the direction after 3 o'clock is The external shock-absorbing member 21a of the first modification is provided on the pressing surface.
Furthermore, the external buffer member 21a provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch 11 in the direction past 3 o'clock has a higher elastic constant than the external buffer member 21 provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch 11 in the forward direction at 3 o'clock. That is, it may be formed hard.

  As described above, according to the wristwatch 100 having the arrangement of the external buffer member of the modified example 4, the external buffer member 21 is adapted to the use of the pushbutton switch 11 while protecting the pushbutton switch 11 and the internal clock module 4 from impact. Is provided in an appropriate shape. Specifically, for the pushbutton switch 11 that does not require timing accuracy such as function switching and is pressed slowly and surely, an external buffer member 21 that covers the entire pressing surface of the pushbutton switch 11 is provided. Thus, a uniform operation feeling is given to the user. Further, the operability can be further improved by using the external buffer member 21 having a low elastic constant. On the other hand, for the pushbutton switch 11 in which the operation timing is important, by providing a portion where the external buffer member 21 is not provided in the center of the pressing surface of the pushbutton switch 11, the user can respond without resistance of the external buffer member 21. The push button switch 11 can be operated. Further, by using the external buffer member 21 having a high elastic constant, the operation response can be further improved.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made.
For example, in the above embodiment, the digital electronic timepiece has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, an analog electronic timepiece having a pointer and a pointer driving mechanism may be used. By applying the present invention to an analog electronic timepiece, it is possible to prevent the jumping of hands and the damage of hands as well as the failure of electronic components and drive circuits.
Further, the present invention is not limited to a wristwatch, and can be similarly used for other arm-mounted electronic devices such as a sphygmomanometer and a pedometer, and a portable device provided with a push button.

  In the description of the above embodiment, the configuration in which the push button switch is provided on the side surface portion of the wristwatch 100 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can be applied to a push button switch of an electronic device in which a push button switch is provided at the lower part of the front display panel.

In the description of the above embodiment, urethane resin is given as an example of the elastic body, and alpha gel is given as an example of the viscoelastic body. However, many polymer plastic materials include viscoelastic properties. . As the viscoelastic body according to the present invention, those having a viscous property stronger than the elastic property can be used. That is, for example, a material having an impact buffering rate of 50% or more can be used.
In addition, the specific structure, arrangement, control order, and the like shown in the above embodiment can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.
The invention described in the scope of claims attached to the application of this application will be added below. The item numbers of the claims described in the appendix are as set forth in the claims attached to the application of this application.

[Appendix]
<Claim 1>
An equipment module;
An exterior part for storing the device module;
An operation unit that is provided by connecting the inside and outside of the exterior unit, and transmits an external operation to the device module;
A closing member for sealing the opening of the exterior part in which the device module is stored;
An external cushioning member provided at an outer end of the exterior part in the operation part,
In the external buffer member,
When an impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside, the impact transmitted to the operation unit and the device module by converting kinetic energy into thermal energy in accordance with a shape change corresponding to the magnitude of the impact. And a viscoelastic body that reduces the conversion from the kinetic energy to the elastic energy accompanying the shape change and quickly reduces the elastic force on the operation unit and the device module is used. Shock absorbing structure for electronic equipment.
<Claim 2>
The impact acceleration applied to the operation unit when an impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside via the external buffer member is the operation unit when the impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside without the external buffer member. 30% or less compared to the impact acceleration applied to the
2. The electron according to claim 1, wherein the external buffer member converts a part of the impact into heat to absorb and diverge, and transmits the remainder of the impact to the operation unit with delay and dispersion. Equipment shock absorbing structure.
<Claim 3>
The material of the viscoelastic body used for the external cushioning member is selected based on the weight of the electronic device so that the natural frequency is lower than a preset vibration frequency related to breakage of the electronic components constituting the device module. The shock-absorbing structure for an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein
<Claim 4>
The impact buffering structure for an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the external buffer member is a resin material mainly composed of a silicone resin.
<Claim 5>
The shock absorber for an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation unit is a pushbutton switch, and the external buffer member is provided on a pressing surface of the pushbutton switch. Construction.
<Claim 6>
6. The shock absorbing structure for an electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the external buffer member provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch is provided on a peripheral portion of the pressing surface.
<Claim 7>
The shock absorbing structure for an electronic device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the external buffer member provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch has a shape including one or a plurality of protrusions.
<Claim 8>
The push button switch has a pressing surface located inside the outer surface of the exterior portion, and an upper portion of the external buffer member provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch is located outside the outer surface of the exterior portion. The shock-absorbing structure for an electronic device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the shock-absorbing structure for an electronic device is disposed as described above.
<Claim 9>
The impact buffering of an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the external cushioning member is discretely provided at a plurality of locations and is formed in a different shape at each of the plurality of locations. Construction.
<Claim 10>
The impact buffering of an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the external cushioning member is discretely provided at a plurality of locations and is formed with different hardness at each of the plurality of locations. Construction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Watch case 2 Watch glass 2a Packing 3 Back cover 3a Waterproof ring 4 Watch module 4a Electronic circuit part 4b Electronic component 5 Internal buffer member 6 Cushion material 7 Case main body 7a Reinforcement member 8 Bezel 8a Inner bezel 8b Outer bezel 9 Watch band 10 Band Mounting portion 11 Push button switch 11a Shaft portion 11b Terminal plate 11c Terminal member 12 Housing 13 Display panel 14 Press plate 15 Holding member 15a Ring-shaped portion 15b Cylindrical portion 15c Notch portion 15d Opening portion 16 First alpha gel portion 16a Upper surface portion 16b Side surface portion 16c Auxiliary buffer portion 16d Auxiliary buffer projection portion 17 Second alpha gel portion 17a Upper piece portion 17b Side piece portion 18 Third alpha gel portion 18a Parting portion 21, 21a to 21c External buffer member 40 Crown 40a Shaft portion 40b Edge 100 watch

Claims (10)

An equipment module;
An exterior part for storing the device module;
An operation unit that is provided by connecting the inside and outside of the exterior unit, and transmits an external operation to the device module;
A closing member for sealing the opening of the exterior part in which the device module is stored;
An external cushioning member provided at an outer end of the exterior part in the operation part,
In the external buffer member,
When an impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside, the impact transmitted to the operation unit and the device module by converting kinetic energy into thermal energy in accordance with a shape change corresponding to the magnitude of the impact. And a viscoelastic body that reduces the conversion from the kinetic energy to the elastic energy accompanying the shape change and quickly reduces the elastic force on the operation unit and the device module is used. Shock absorbing structure for electronic equipment. The impact acceleration applied to the operation unit when an impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside via the external buffer member is the operation unit when the impact is applied to the operation unit from the outside without the external buffer member. 30% or less compared to the impact acceleration applied to the
2. The electron according to claim 1, wherein the external buffer member converts a part of the impact into heat to absorb and diverge, and transmits the remainder of the impact to the operation unit with delay and dispersion. Equipment shock absorbing structure.   The material of the viscoelastic body used for the external cushioning member is selected based on the weight of the electronic device so that the natural frequency is lower than a preset vibration frequency related to breakage of the electronic components constituting the device module. The shock-absorbing structure for an electronic device according to claim 1, wherein   The impact buffering structure for an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the external buffer member is a resin material mainly composed of a silicone resin.   The shock absorber for an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation unit is a pushbutton switch, and the external buffer member is provided on a pressing surface of the pushbutton switch. Construction.   6. The shock absorbing structure for an electronic device according to claim 5, wherein the external buffer member provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch is provided on a peripheral portion of the pressing surface.   The shock absorbing structure for an electronic device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the external buffer member provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch has a shape including one or a plurality of protrusions.   The push button switch has a pressing surface located inside the outer surface of the exterior portion, and an upper portion of the external buffer member provided on the pressing surface of the push button switch is located outside the outer surface of the exterior portion. The shock-absorbing structure for an electronic device according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the shock-absorbing structure for an electronic device is disposed as described above.   The impact buffering of an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the external cushioning member is discretely provided at a plurality of locations and is formed in a different shape at each of the plurality of locations. Construction.   The impact buffering of an electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the external cushioning member is discretely provided at a plurality of locations and is formed with different hardness at each of the plurality of locations. Construction.

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