JP2020098145A - Switch device and timepiece - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a switch device with which it is possible to slim down, secure shock resistance and improve designability, and a timepiece provided with the same.SOLUTION: The switch device comprises: a case body 8 in which an open hole 10 is provided; a protective member 12 attached to the outer surface of this case body 8, in which a shaft insertion hole 12a is provided in the center part so as to correspond to the same axis as the open hole 10, and an accommodation recess 18 is provided; and an operation member 13 provided with an operation shaft 22 slidably inserted into the open hole 10 and shaft insertion hole 12a and an operation head 23 provided to the outer end of the operation shaft 22 and slidably accommodated inside of the accommodation recess 18. Therefore, the inner diameter of the open hole 10 of the case body 8 can be reduced and, hence, the vertical thickness of the case body 8 can be thinned down and further the operation head 23 is protected by the protective member 12, so that it is possible to secure shock resistance, and to improve designability as no protective projections need to be provided on the outer circumference of a wrist watch case 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

The present invention relates to a switch device used in an electronic device such as a wristwatch and a timepiece including the switch device.

For example, in a switch device for a wristwatch, as described in Patent Document 1, a pipe is fitted in a through hole of a wristwatch case, and a tubular protective member is screwed and attached to the outer periphery of the pipe. There is known a structure in which an operating member is slidably inserted inside a pipe to which the head is attached and the head of the operating member is housed in a protective member for protection.

JP, 2000-329867, A

In this type of switch device, a male thread portion is provided on the outer peripheral surface of a pipe fitted in a through hole of a wristwatch case, a female thread portion is provided on the inner peripheral surface of a small-diameter tubular portion of a protective member, and the female thread portion of the protective member is piped. The protective member is attached to the outer circumference of the pipe by screwing it into the male screw part of, and in this state the shaft of the operating member is inserted into the pipe, and the head of the operating member is housed in the large-diameter cylindrical portion of the protective member. It is configured to protect.

However, in such a wristwatch switch device, since the pipe is fitted in the through hole of the wristwatch case and the shaft portion of the operating member is inserted into this pipe, the diameter of the through hole of the wristwatch case is increased by the pipe, Along with this, the thickness of the wristwatch case in the up-down direction becomes thicker, which causes a problem that the wristwatch case cannot be made thinner.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a switch device which can be made thin and can secure impact resistance and improve designability, and a timepiece including the switch device.

According to the present invention, a case having a through hole is provided, the insertion hole is attached to the outer surface of the case, the insertion hole is provided in the center portion corresponding to the through hole, and the storage portion is opened to the outside of the case. A protection member provided, an operation shaft slidably inserted into the through hole of the case and the insertion hole of the protection member, and the storage of the protection member provided at an outer end portion of the operation shaft. An operation member having a head that is slidably accommodated in the unit, and a switch device.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the thickness, ensure the impact resistance, and improve the design.

It is an enlarged front view showing one embodiment of a wrist watch to which this invention is applied. FIG. 3 is an enlarged side view showing the 3 o'clock side of the wristwatch shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a switch device on the 3 o'clock side of the wristwatch shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device shown in FIG. 3 viewed from the wristwatch case side. It is an expanded sectional view which showed the principal part in the AA arrow view of the wristwatch shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the wristwatch shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing a cushioning member and a protection member as seen from the arrow CC of the switch device shown in FIG. 6.

An embodiment of a wrist watch to which the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to FIGS.
This wristwatch includes a wristwatch case 1, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. A band mounting portion 2 to which a watch band (not shown) is mounted is provided on each of the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side of the wristwatch case 1.

Push-button switches 3 are provided on the 2 o'clock side, 4 o'clock side, 8 o'clock side, and 10 o'clock side of the wristwatch case 1, respectively, as shown in FIGS. A switch device 4 is provided on the time side. As shown in FIG. 5, a watch glass 5 is provided in the upper opening of the wristwatch case 1 via a packing 5a. A back cover 6 is attached to the lower portion of the wristwatch case 1 via a waterproof ring 6a.

As shown in FIG. 5, a watch module 7 is provided inside the wristwatch case 1. Although not shown, the timepiece module 7 includes a timepiece movement for indicating the time by moving a pointer, a display section for electro-optically displaying information such as the time, a switch element 25 which will be described later, and the like, which electrically controls these. It is equipped with various parts necessary for the clock function, such as the driving circuit.

By the way, the wristwatch case 1 includes a case body 8 and an exterior member 9, as shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5. The case body 8 is made of polyamide resin having high rigidity and containing carbon fiber or glass fiber, and is lightweight and has high strength. The exterior member 9 is made of metal such as stainless steel or titanium. The exterior member 9 is attached to the outer periphery of the upper portion of the case body 8 with a plurality of attachment screws 9b (see FIG. 1) via waterproof packing 9a.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the switch device 4 includes a protective member 12 attached by a plurality of screw members 11 to the outer surface on the 3 o'clock side of the case body 8 in which the through hole 10 is provided, and the protection member 12. An operation member 13 slidably and rotatably inserted into a shaft insertion hole 12a provided in a central portion of the member 12 and a through hole 10 of the case body 8, and the operation member 13 is attached to the outside of the case body 8. And a spring member 14 for urging.

In this case, on the 3 o'clock side of the case body 8, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a through hole 10 is provided so as to penetrate from the inside of the case body 8 to the outside. The outer surface of the case body 8 on the 3 o'clock side is formed into a substantially circular flat surface 8a. That is, the flat surface 8a is formed in a shape in which a circular upper portion is cut out. A ring-shaped first protrusion 8b is provided at the edge of the through hole 10 on the flat surface 8a.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a rectangular second protrusion 8c is provided on the flat surface 8a on the upper side of the ring-shaped first protrusion 8b. Further, the screw holes 15 do not penetrate into the case body 8 on both sides of the ring-shaped first protrusion portion 8b on the flat surface 8a, that is, on both sides of the first protrusion portion 8b in the circumferential direction of the case body 8. It is provided in a non-penetrating state.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the protection member 12 is for accommodating and protecting an operation head 23 of the operation member 13, which will be described later, and has a higher strength than a metal such as stainless steel or the case body 8. It is made of synthetic resin. The protective member 12 has a structure in which a bottom portion 17 is provided at an end portion of the cylindrical body portion 16 on the case body 8 side, and the outer diameter is formed to be larger than the vertical length (thickness) of the case body 8. ing.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 5, the protective member 12 has an upper portion of the outer diameter protruding above the upper portion of the case body 8 and a lower portion of the outer diameter than the lower portion of the case body 8. It is formed in such a size that it projects downward and does not project below the lower surface of the back cover 6. For this reason, even if the case member 8 is formed to have a small thickness in the up-down direction, the protective member 12 has a large outer diameter, so that the protective member 12 can have a large size.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, a circular storage recess 18 is provided inside the protective member 12 so as to be open to the outside of the case body 8. A shaft insertion hole 12a corresponding to the same axis as the through hole 10 of the case body 8 is provided at the center of the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the shaft insertion hole 12a has an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 10 of the case body 8. Further, on both sides of the shaft insertion hole 12a in the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12, a plurality of screw insertion holes 20 into which the plurality of screw members 11 are inserted are provided respectively corresponding to the screw holes 15 of the case body 8. There is.

As a result, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the protective member 12 has a plurality of screw members 11 inserted into the screw insertion holes 20 from the storage recess 18 and screwed into the screw holes 15 of the case body 8. As a result, they are attached to the outer flat surface 8a of the case body 8. In this case, each of the plurality of screw members 11 includes a screw portion 11a and a screw head portion 11b, the screw portion 11a is screwed into each screw hole 15 of the case body 8, and the screw head portion 11b is a screw of the protective member 12. The structure is arranged in the insertion hole 20.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the screw insertion hole 20 of the protection member 12 is provided with a large diameter counterbore 20a in which the screw head 11b is arranged. As a result, the screw head portion 11b is arranged in the counterbore portion 20a of the screw insertion hole 20 so as not to project from the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 into the storage recess portion 18. Therefore, the bottom portion 17 is formed so that the axial thickness thereof is substantially the same as the axial length of the screw head portion 11b or slightly thicker than that. The outer peripheral wall of the storage recess 18 is formed so that its wall thickness is smaller than that of the bottom portion 17.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the operation member 13 includes an operation shaft 22 that is slidably and rotatably inserted into the through hole 10 of the case body 8 from the shaft insertion hole 12 a of the protection member 12, and the operation shaft 22. The operation head 23 is provided at the outer end portion and is slidably and rotatably arranged in the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the operation shaft 22 is formed into a round bar shape having an outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the through hole 10 of the case body 8. Therefore, the case body 8 has a short vertical length (thickness) (thinness) because the inner diameter of the through hole 10 is formed to the minimum size into which the operation shaft 22 can be inserted. ) Is formed. In this case, even if the thickness of the protective member 12 in the vertical direction is small, the outer diameter of the protective member 12 is formed to be larger than the thickness of the protective member 12 in the vertical direction. The size is secured.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the axial length of the operating shaft 22 is longer than the axial lengths of the through hole 10 of the case body 8 and the shaft insertion hole 12a of the protective member 12. It is long and shorter than the axial length of the case body 8 and the protective member 12. Thus, when the operation shaft 22 is inserted into the through hole 10 of the case body 8 and the shaft insertion hole 12a of the protection member 12, the inner end portion of the operation shaft 22 projects into the case body 8 and the outer end portion of the operation shaft 22 is the protection member. It is configured so as to project into the storage recess 18 of twelve.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the operation shaft 22 has an inner end portion protruding into the case body 8, and a retaining member 24 such as an E ring is attached to the protruding inner end portion. The stop member 24 is configured to prevent the operation shaft 22 from coming out of the case body 8. Further, the operation shaft 22 is configured to switch the switch element 25 of the timepiece module 7 when the inner end is pushed into the case body 8.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a plurality of waterproof rings 22a are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the operation shaft 22. The plurality of waterproof rings 22a are configured to slide while being in pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 10 of the case body 8. As a result, the operation member 13 is waterproofed between the outer peripheral surface of the operation shaft 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 10 by the plurality of waterproof rings 22a.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the operation head 23 is formed in a disc shape having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12, and the center portion thereof is the outer end portion of the operation shaft 22. It is provided integrally with. Thereby, the operation head 23 is configured to slide in the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12 in the axial direction in a rotatable state.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the spring member 14 is a coil spring, and is arranged between the bottom portion 17 and the operation head 23 in the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12. That is, one end of the spring member 14 is pressed against the bottom 17 and the other end is pressed against the operation head 23, and in this state, the operation head 23 is pushed toward the outside of the case body 8. It is configured to bias.

By the way, between the protective member 12 and the flat surface 8a which is the outer surface of the case main body 8, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, a cushioning member 26 for cushioning an external impact of the protective member 12 is provided. It is arranged. The cushioning member 26 is formed in an annular shape, that is, a C-shape, in which a part of the cushioning member 26 having an outer diameter equal to or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the protective member 12 is cut out.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the cushioning member 26 has a shape in which, when the cushioning member 26 is disposed on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8, a portion projecting upward from the flat surface 8a is cut out. Thus, the first cutout portion 26a is provided at a location corresponding to the rectangular second projection portion 8c provided on the flat surface 8a. In this case, the edge portion of the first cutout portion 26a is formed to have a large outer peripheral side so that the contact area that contacts the flat surface 8a is wide, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. It is desirable to improve the buffering effect when receiving.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the circular first recess 27 into which the ring-shaped first protrusion 8b provided on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 is inserted is inserted into the bottom 17 of the protection member 12. Is provided. On the outer periphery of the first recess 27 in the bottom 17 of the protection member 12, a third protrusion 28 having an outer diameter equal to the inner diameter of the buffer member 26 is formed in a partially cut-out annular shape, that is, a C-shape. Has been done.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, when the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 is disposed on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8, the third protrusion 28 has a flat surface 8 a like the cushioning member 26. The second notch portion 28a is provided at a location corresponding to the rectangular second protrusion portion 8c provided on the.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the third protrusion 28 is provided with a plurality of screw insertion holes 20 corresponding to the plurality of screw holes 15 of the case main body 8, respectively. Therefore, the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 may be formed so that the axial thickness thereof is substantially the same as the axial length of the screw head portion 11b of the screw member 11. In addition, a part of each of the counterbore portions 20 a of the plurality of screw insertion holes 20 is opened in the first recess 27 provided in the bottom portion 17.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the protective member 12 is configured to be positioned on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 by the first positioning portion 30. The first positioning portion 30 is a shaft positioning portion that positions the shaft center of the protective member 12 with respect to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8, and a rotational positioning that determines the position of the protective member 12 in the rotational direction with respect to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8. And a section.

That is, in the shaft positioning portion of the first positioning portion 30, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the ring-shaped first protrusion 8 b provided on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 is the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12. It is configured such that the through hole 10 of the case body 8 and the shaft insertion hole 12a of the protection member 12 are aligned and aligned on the same axis by being inserted into the circular first concave portion 27 provided in the. ..

Further, in the rotational positioning portion of the first positioning portion 30, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the rectangular second protrusion portion 8 c provided on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 has the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12. It is configured to determine the position of the protective member 12 around the through hole 10 of the case body 8 in the rotational direction by inserting the second protrusion 28 provided in the second notch portion 28a.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7, the cushioning member 26 is configured to be positioned on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 by the second positioning portion 31. That is, the second positioning portion 31 has a pair of pin projections 31a provided on the cushioning member 26, a pair of pin holes 31b provided on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 and into which the pair of pin projections 31a are inserted. Is equipped with.

As a result, the second positioning portion 31 is buffered by inserting the pair of pin projections 31a of the cushioning member 26 into the pair of pin holes 31b of the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 as shown in FIGS. 3 to 7. The member 26 is configured to be positioned on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8. In this case, the cushioning member 26 is arranged on the flat surface 8a of the case main body 8 also by disposing the rectangular second protrusion 8c in the first cutout portion 26a provided on the upper portion thereof. Are configured to be positioned.

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the protective member 12 is configured to be positioned with respect to the cushioning member 26 by the third positioning portion 32. In the third positioning portion 32, the third protrusion 28 provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 is fitted into the inner peripheral surface of the cushioning member 26, so that the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 is positioned with respect to the cushioning member 26. It has a structure for positioning.

That is, in the third positioning portion 32, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the outer periphery of the third protrusion 28 provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 corresponds to the inner periphery of the cushioning member 26, and The bottom portion 17 of the protective member 12 is positioned with respect to the cushioning member 26 by fitting the outer periphery of the three protrusions 28 into the cushioning member 26.

Next, the operation of the switch device 4 of such a wristwatch will be described.
When the switch device 4 is assembled to the wristwatch case 1, first, the cushioning member 26 is positioned by the second positioning portion 31 on the 3 o'clock side flat surface 8 a of the case body 8. At this time, first, the first cutout portion 26a of the cushioning member 26 is made to correspond to the rectangular second protrusion portion 8c provided on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8.

In this state, the pair of pin protrusions 31a of the cushioning member 26 are inserted into the pair of pin holes 31b provided on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8. As a result, the cushioning member 26 does not project above the case body 8 and has the rectangular second protrusion 8c of the flat surface 8a disposed between the first cutout portions 26a. It is positioned and attached to. In this state, the ring-shaped first protrusion 8b and the plurality of screw holes 15 provided on the flat surface 8a are arranged inside the cushioning member 26.

Then, the protective member 12 is attached to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 by the plurality of screw members 11. At this time, first, the protection member 12 is positioned by the first positioning portion 30 and the third positioning portion 32 with respect to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 and the cushioning member 26. That is, the first positioning unit 30 positions the axial center of the protection member 12 with respect to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 by the shaft positioning unit, and rotates the protection member 12 with respect to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 by the rotation positioning unit. Determine the position of.

In this case, the shaft positioning portion of the first positioning portion 30 has a circular first concave portion in which the ring-shaped first protrusion portion 8 b provided on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 is provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12. Insert corresponding to 27. As a result, the shaft positioning portion of the first positioning portion 30 causes the through hole 10 of the case body 8 and the shaft insertion hole 12a of the protection member 12 to be aligned on the same axis.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in the rotational positioning portion of the first positioning portion 30, the rectangular second protrusion 8c provided on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 is provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12. It is inserted corresponding to the second cutout portion 28a of the third protruding portion 28. As a result, the rotational positioning portion of the first positioning portion 30 determines the position of the protective member 12 around the through hole 10 of the case body 8 in the rotational direction.

Further, the third positioning portion 32 positions the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 with respect to the cushioning member 26 by the third protrusion portion 28 provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12. That is, in the third positioning portion 32, the outer periphery of the third protrusion 28 provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 corresponds to the inner periphery of the cushioning member 26, and the outer periphery of the third protrusion 28 is the cushioning member 26. Is fitted on the inner circumference of. Thereby, the third positioning portion 32 positions the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 with respect to the cushioning member 26.

In this way, when the protective member 12 is positioned on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8, the through hole 10 of the case body 8 and the shaft insertion hole 12a of the protective member 12 are aligned on the same axis. Then, the plurality of screw insertion holes 20 provided in the bottom portion 17 of the protective member 12 correspond to the plurality of screw holes 15 provided in the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8. As a result, the protection member 12 can be attached to the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 by the plurality of screw members 11.

In this state, the respective screw portions 11a of the plurality of screw members 11 are inserted into the plurality of screw insertion holes 20 provided in the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 from the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12 to flatten the case body 8. It is screwed into a plurality of screw holes 15 provided on the surface 8a. When the screw heads 11b of the plurality of screw members 11 are tightened in this state, the screw heads 11b are arranged in the counterbore portions 20a of the screw insertion holes 20, and the screw heads 11b are protected. It does not project into the storage recess 18 of 12.

As a result, the protection member 12 is attached to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 via the cushioning member 26 with the cushioning member 26 sandwiched between the protection member 12 and the flat surface 8a of the case body 8. In this state, the spring member 14 is arranged in the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12. Then, the operation shaft 22 of the operation member 13 is inserted into the spring member 14 from the outside of the protection member 12, and the inserted operation shaft 22 is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 12 a of the protection member 12. The inserted operation shaft 22 is further inserted into the through hole 10 of the case body 8, and the operation head 23 is pushed into the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12.

At this time, the spring member 14 arranged in the storage recess 18 of the protective member 12 is elastically sandwiched between the operating head 23 and the bottom portion 17 of the protective member 12. In this state, the operating head 23 is pushed against the spring force of the spring member 14 so that the inner end portion of the operating shaft 22 projects into the case body 8. In this state, the retaining member 24 is attached to the inner end portion of the operation shaft 22 protruding inside the case body 8.

As a result, even if the operation head 23 is pushed out of the case body 8 by the spring force of the spring member 14, the retaining member 24 contacts the inner peripheral surface of the case body 8 so that the operation member 13 is moved. It does not get out of the outside of 8. Further, at this time, the operation head 23 is arranged in the storage recess 18 and does not protrude from the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12 to the outside.

Then, the timepiece module 7 is incorporated in the case main body 8, and the switch element 25 provided in the timepiece module 7 is made to correspond to the inner end portion of the operation shaft 22 of the operation member 13 so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from it. As a result, the switch device 4 is assembled to the case body 8 and the switch operation of the switch device 4 is enabled.

In this case, the outer diameter of the operation shaft 22 is formed into a round bar shape having substantially the same size as the inner diameter of the through hole 10 of the case body 8. Therefore, the case body 8 can be formed so that the inner diameter of the through hole 10 has a minimum size into which the operation shaft 22 can be inserted, and the vertical length (thickness) of the case body 8 is shortened ( Can be formed). In this case, since the outer diameter of the protective member 12 is larger than the length of the case body 8 in the vertical direction, the size of the protective member 12 is small even if the thickness of the case body 8 in the vertical direction is thin. Largely secured.

Next, a case where such a switch device 4 is operated will be described.
In the switch device 4, in the normal state, the operation head 23 of the operation member 13 is pushed out of the case body 8 by the spring force of the spring member 14, and the retaining member 24 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the case body 8. Is in contact with.

In this state, the inner end of the operation shaft 22 of the operation member 13 is separated from the switch element 25 of the timepiece module 7, and the switch element 25 is in the off state. Further, at this time, the operation head 23 is arranged in the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12 and does not project outside from the storage recess 18.

In this state, when operating the switch device 4, the operation head 23 arranged in the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12 is pushed against the spring force of the spring member 14. Then, the operation shaft 22 slides in the shaft insertion hole 12a of the protection member 12 and the through hole 10 of the case body 8, and the inner end portion of the operation shaft 22 is pushed out into the case body 8. The pushed inner end of the operating shaft 22 presses the switch element 25 of the timepiece module 7, so that the switch element 25 performs a switch operation.

By the way, when the wristwatch case 1 receives an impact from the outside while the switch device 4 is in the normal state, the impact can be received by the protective member 12. That is, even if the protective member 12 receives an impact, the operating head 23 is arranged in the storage recess 18 of the protective member 12, so the operating head 23 is reliably and favorably protected from being impacted. It For this reason, since the operating head 23 is not pushed in by the impact, the switch element 25 of the timepiece module 7 is not destroyed by the operating shaft 22 of the operating member 13.

Further, when the protective member 12 receives an impact, the impact is damped by the cushioning member 26 provided between the case body 8 and the protective member 12, so that the impact received by the protective member 12 remains unchanged. It is not transmitted to the case body 8 of the wristwatch case 1. For this reason, the case body 8 is not damaged by impact, so that impact resistance is secured.

In this case, since the operation head 23 is disposed and protected in the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12, it is not necessary to provide the wristwatch case 1 with a protection protrusion for protecting the operation head 23. Therefore, the outer shape of the wristwatch case 1 can be reduced, and the wristwatch case 1 can be downsized. Further, since the outer appearance of the wristwatch case 1 is not restricted by the protective protrusion, the degree of freedom in designing the wristwatch case 1 is increased, and the designability can be improved.

Further, the cushioning member 26 is formed in an annular shape, that is, a C-shape, in which a part of the outer diameter that is the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the protection member 12 is cut out by the first cutout portion 26a. By this, the shock received by the protection member 12 can be satisfactorily damped.

That is, when the cushioning member 26 is arranged on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8, the portion protruding from the flat surface 8a to the upper side of the case body 8 is cut away, so that Even if the thickness is formed thin, the cushioning member 26 can be surely arranged so as to correspond to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8, so that the shock received by the protection member 12 can be reliably and favorably cushioned. ..

In this case, if the cushioning member 26 is formed large so that the edge portion of the first cutout portion 26a widens the contact area with the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. Even if the first cutout portion 26a is provided at a location corresponding to the rectangular second protrusion portion 8c provided on the flat surface 8a, it is possible to reliably and satisfactorily absorb the shock received by the protection member 12. it can.

As described above, according to the switch device 4 of the wristwatch, the case body 8 provided with the through hole 10 and the shaft insertion hole 12a attached to the outer surface of the case body 8 and having the same axis as the through hole 10 in the center portion. A protection member 12 provided correspondingly to the above and having a storage recess 18 opened to the outside of the case body 8, and an operation shaft 22 slidably inserted into the through hole 10 and the shaft insertion hole 12a. And an operating member 13 provided with an outer end portion of the operating shaft 22 and provided with an operating head 23 slidably accommodated in the accommodating recess 18 of the protective member 12, thereby reducing the thickness. In addition, impact resistance can be secured and designability can be improved.

That is, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, the inner diameter of the through hole 10 of the case body 8 can be formed as small as the minimum size into which the operation shaft 22 of the operation member 13 can be inserted. Since the thickness in the direction can be formed thin, the case main body 8 can be made thin, and the entire wristwatch can be made thin.

Further, in the switch device 4, since the operating head 23 is housed and protected in the housing recess 18 of the protective member 12, it is necessary to provide the wristwatch case 1 with a protective protrusion for protecting the operating head 23. Absent. Therefore, since the outer shape of the wristwatch case 1 can be made small, the wristwatch case 1 can be downsized, and the design of the wristwatch case 1 is not restricted by the protection protrusions of the wristwatch case 1. The degree of freedom can be increased and the design can be improved.

In this case, in this embodiment, even if the outer shape of the protection member 12 of the switch device 4 is formed in a circular shape, the designability can be improved, but the outer shape of the protection member 12 is a polygon such as a quadrangle or a pentagon. Alternatively, the designability can be further improved by forming the shape into an elliptical shape or the like.

Further, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, since the operation head 23 of the operation member 13 is slidably accommodated in the accommodation recess 18 of the protection member 12 attached to the outer surface of the case body 8, the wristwatch case 1 is Even if an impact is received from the outside, the impact can be reliably received by the protection member 12, and thus the operation head 23 arranged in the storage recess 18 of the protection member 12 is not impacted. The part 23 can be reliably and satisfactorily protected.

Therefore, in the switch device 4, the operation head 23 does not receive an impact from the outside of the wristwatch case 1, so that the operation shaft 22 is not pushed into the case body 8 due to the impact, and the operation head 22 is not inserted into the case body 8. It is possible to reliably prevent the provided timepiece module 7, its switch element 25, and the like from being damaged by the operation shaft 22, and thus to secure impact resistance.

Further, in this switch device 4, since the protective member 12 is attached to the case body 8 by the plurality of screw members 11, the protective member 12 can be firmly attached to the outer surface of the case body 8. That is, the plurality of screw members 11 are screwed into the plurality of screw holes 15 provided in the case body 8 through the plurality of screw insertion holes 20 provided in the protection member 12, respectively, so that the protection member 12 can be secured in the case body 8. Can be securely and firmly fixed to the outer surface of the.

In this case, the screw member 11 includes a screw portion 11a and a screw head portion 11b, the screw portion 11a is screwed into the screw hole 15 of the case body 8, and the screw head portion 11b is provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12. Since the screw head 11b does not project into the storage recess 18 of the protective member 12 by being disposed in the counterbore 20a of the screw insertion hole 20 thus arranged, the screw head 11b is disposed in the storage recess 18. It is possible not to disturb the sliding operation and the rotating operation of the operated operation head 23.

Further, in the switch device 4, since the cushioning member 26 is arranged between the case body 8 and the protection member 12, when the protection member 12 receives an impact, the impact is buffered by the cushioning member 26. be able to. As a result, the shock received by the protective member 12 can be prevented from being transmitted to the case body 8 of the wristwatch case 1 as it is, so that the case body 8 can be reliably and satisfactorily prevented from being damaged by the shock. This can further improve the impact resistance.

In this case, the buffer member 26 is formed in an annular shape, that is, a C-shape, in which a part of the outer diameter that is the same as or slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the protection member 12 is cut by the first cutout portion 26a. By doing so, the outer diameter of the cushioning member 26 can be formed to be substantially the same as the outer diameter of the protective member 12, and the shock received by the protective member 12 can be well cushioned.

That is, the cushioning member 26 has a notch in a portion projecting upward from the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8. Therefore, when the cushioning member 26 is arranged on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8, the cushioning member 26 of the case body 8 is not formed. It is possible not to project upward, which also makes it possible to make the device thinner, and it is possible to satisfactorily absorb the shock received by the protection member 12.

In this case, the cushioning member 26 is provided with a first cutout portion 26a at a position corresponding to the rectangular second projection portion 8c provided on the flat surface 8a, and the edge portion of the first cutout portion 26a is flat. If it is formed so as to have a large contact area with respect to the surface 8a, the shock received by the protection member 12 can be reliably and satisfactorily buffered even if the buffer member 26 is provided with the first cutout portion 26a. The impact resistance can also be improved by this.

Further, since the switch device 4 includes the first positioning portion 30 that positions the case body 8 and the protection member 12, the axial center of the protection member 12 with respect to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 can be positioned. In addition, the position of the protective member 12 in the rotational direction with respect to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 can be determined.

That is, in the switch device 4, the first positioning portion 30 positions the shaft centering portion for positioning the shaft center of the protection member 12 with respect to the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 and the rotation of the protection member 12 with respect to the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8. By providing the rotational positioning portion that determines the position in the direction, the axial center of the protective member 12 and the position in the rotational direction with respect to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8 can be reliably and satisfactorily positioned.

In this case, the shaft positioning portion of the first positioning portion 30 has a circular first concave portion in which the ring-shaped first protrusion portion 8 b provided on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 is provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12. By being inserted into 27, the through hole 10 of the case body 8 and the shaft insertion hole 12a of the protection member 12 can be made to correspond on the same axis and can be accurately matched.

In addition, in the rotational positioning portion of the first positioning portion 30, the rectangular second projection portion 8 c provided on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 is the third projection portion 28 of the third projection portion 28 provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12. By being inserted between the two notches 28a, the position of the protective member 12 around the through hole 10 of the case body 8 in the rotational direction can be reliably and accurately determined.

Further, since the switch device 4 includes the second positioning portion 31 that positions the case body 8 and the cushioning member 26, the cushioning member 26 can be accurately positioned on the flat surface 8a of the case body 8. .. That is, the second positioning portion 31 makes the first cutout portion 26 a of the cushioning member 26 correspond to the rectangular second protrusion 8 c provided on the flat surface 8 a of the case body 8 and the cushioning member 26. By inserting the pair of pin protrusions 31a into the pair of pin holes 31b provided in the flat surface 8a of the case body 8, the cushioning member 26 can be accurately positioned and attached to the flat surface 8a of the case body 8.

Furthermore, since the switch device 4 includes the third positioning portion 32 that positions the protective member 12 and the cushioning member 26, the bottom portion 17 of the protective member 12 can be accurately positioned with respect to the cushioning member 26. it can. That is, when positioning the bottom 17 of the protection member 12 with respect to the cushioning member 26, the third positioning portion 32 makes the outer periphery of the third protrusion 28 provided on the bottom 17 of the protection member 12 the cushioning member 26. By fitting the outer circumference of the third protrusion 28 into the inner circumference of the cushioning member 26 so as to correspond to the inner circumference, the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 can be accurately positioned with respect to the cushioning member 26.

In this case, in this switch device 4, the third protrusion 28 provided on the bottom portion 17 of the protection member 12 is provided with the screw insertion hole 20 into which the screw portion 11a of the screw member 11 is inserted. Even if the counterbore 20a in which the screw head 11b of the screw member 11 is arranged is provided, the axial thickness of the bottom 17 can be formed to be substantially the same as the axial length of the screw head 11b.

Therefore, in this switch device 4, since the axial thickness of the bottom portion 17 of the protective member 12 can be reduced, the protruding length of the protective member 12 protruding to the outside of the case body 8 can be reduced. As a result, the size of the entire wristwatch in the radial direction can be reduced, so that the wristwatch can be downsized.

Although the switch device 4 provided on the 3 o'clock side of the wristwatch case 1 has been described in the above-described embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the 2 o'clock side, the 4 o'clock side, and the 8 o'clock side of the wristwatch case 1. It is also applicable to the push button switch 3 on the side of 10 o'clock and the push button switch on the side of 10 o'clock.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the invention is applied to the wristwatch is described, but the invention is not necessarily a wristwatch, and may be applied to various watches such as a travel watch, an alarm clock, a table clock, and a wall clock. it can. Further, the present invention does not necessarily have to be a watch, and can be applied to electronic devices such as mobile phones and mobile terminals.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and includes the invention described in the claims and the scope equivalent thereto.
The inventions described in the claims of the present application will be additionally described below.

(Appendix)
The invention according to claim 1 is a case provided with a through hole, an outer surface of the case is attached, an insertion hole is provided in a central portion corresponding to the through hole, and a storage portion is provided outside the case. A protective member open to the side, an operating shaft slidably inserted into the through hole of the case and the insertion hole of the protective member, and an operating shaft provided at an outer end portion of the operating shaft. An operating member having an operating head that is slidably accommodated in the accommodating portion of the protection member, and a switch device.

The invention according to claim 2 is the switch device according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is attached to the outer surface of the case by a plurality of screw members.

The invention according to claim 3 is the switch device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cushioning member is arranged between the case and the protection member.

The invention according to claim 4 is the switch device according to claim 3, wherein the buffer member is formed in an annular shape with a part cut away.

The invention according to claim 5 is the switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a first positioning portion for positioning the case and the protection member. It is a device.

The invention according to claim 6 is the switch device according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a second positioning portion for positioning the case and the cushioning member. ..

The invention according to claim 7 is the switch device according to any one of claims 3, 4, and 6, further comprising a third positioning portion for positioning the protection member and the cushioning member. Is a switch device.

The invention according to claim 8 is a timepiece characterized by comprising the switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Watch case 4 Switch device 7 Clock module 8 Case body 8a Flat surface 8b 1st protrusion part 8c 2nd protrusion part 9 Exterior member 10 Through hole 11 Screw member 12 Protective member 12a Shaft insertion hole 13 Operation member 14 Spring member 15 Screw hole 16 Main body 17 Bottom 18 Storage recess 20 Screw insertion hole 20a Counterbore 22 Operation shaft 23 Operation head 25 Switch element 26 Buffer member 26a First cutout 27 First recess 28 Third protrusion 30 First positioning part 31 2nd positioning part 31a pin protrusion 31b pin hole 32 3rd positioning part

Claims (8)

A case with a through hole,
A protective member attached to the outer surface of the case, provided with an insertion hole in the center corresponding to the through hole, and having a storage portion opened to the outside of the case;
An operation shaft slidably inserted into the through hole of the case and the insertion hole of the protection member, and slidably housed in the housing part of the protection member provided at an outer end portion of the operation shaft. An operating member having an operating head that
A switch device comprising: The switch device according to claim 1, wherein the protective member is attached to the outer surface of the case by a plurality of screw members. The switch device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a cushioning member is arranged between the case and the protection member. The switch device according to claim 3, wherein the cushioning member is formed in an annular shape with a part cut away. The switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a first positioning portion that positions the case and the protection member. The switch device according to claim 3 or 4, further comprising a second positioning portion that positions the case and the cushioning member. The switch device according to any one of claims 3, 4, and 6, comprising a third positioning portion that positions the protection member and the cushioning member. A timepiece comprising the switch device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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