JP2023144974A - Crown and watch - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a crown which allows a decorative member to be attached thereto, and to provide a watch having the same.SOLUTION: A crown for a watch is provided, comprising a head portion provided with a recess formed thereon and configured to receive manipulation by a user, and a grip portion formed separately from the head portion and configured to grip a decorative member in such a way that the decorative member is visible from the outside, where the decorative member is attached to the head portion while the crown is attached to the watch by fixing the grip portion to the recess.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a crown and a watch.

Conventionally, various decorations have been applied to the crown of a watch to enhance its design. For example, a service is known in which watches are sold by attaching decorative members such as jewelry to the crown according to the user's wishes.

Patent Document 1 describes a crown in which a decorative stone, which is a decorative member, is fixed to a concave portion. In the crown described in Patent Document 1, an adhesive is placed between the inner surface of the recess and the side surface of the decorative stone to fix the recess and the decorative stone.

Patent No. 6623848

However, since decorative members such as decorative stones are small and require careful handling, special tools or special techniques are required to attach the decorative member to the crown. Therefore, there has been a need to make it possible to easily attach decorative members.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a crown and a timepiece that allow a decorative member to be easily attached to the crown.

The crown according to the present invention is a crown of a watch, and includes a head portion in which a concave portion is formed and receives an operation by a user, and a grip formed separately from the head portion to grip a decorative member so as to be visible from the outside. The decorative member is characterized in that the holding part is fixed to the recessed part, so that the crown can be attached to the head of the watch with the crown attached to the watch.

Further, in the crown according to the present invention, a first groove extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the recess, and a first groove extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the side surface of the gripping portion to face the first groove. Preferably, two grooves are formed, and the gripping part is fixed to the recess by an annular member that fits into the first groove and the second groove.

Furthermore, in the crown according to the present invention, it is preferable that a through hole connected to the lower surface of the head be formed in the bottom surface of the recess.

Further, in the crown according to the present invention, it is preferable that a threaded structure is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the recess and the side surface of the accommodating part, and that the grip part is fixed to the recess by being screwed into the recess by the threaded structure. .

Further, in the crown according to the present invention, a protrusion that protrudes inward is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the recess, and an engaging portion that can be elastically deformed and engaged with the protrusion is formed on the side surface of the grip. It is preferable that the gripping part is fixed to the recessed part by the engaging part engaging the protruding part.

Further, in the crown according to the present invention, it is preferable that a bonding layer is disposed on the inner surface of the recess, and that the gripping portion is fixed to the recess by having its bottom surface joined to the bottom surface of the recess via the bonding layer.

A timepiece according to the present invention is characterized by having a crown according to the present invention.

The crown and timepiece according to the present invention enable a decorative member to be easily attached to the crown.

1 is a perspective view of a timepiece 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the crown 13. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the crown 13. FIG. It is a sectional view of the crown 23. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the crown 33. FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the crown 33. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the crown 43.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but extends to the claimed invention and its equivalents.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a timepiece 1 according to an embodiment. The watch 1 includes a main body 11, a pair of bands 12, a crown 13, and the like. The main body 11 is a mechanical watch, a quartz analog watch, or the like having a timekeeping function. The pair of bands 12 are connected to the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side of the main body part 11, respectively, and are also connected to each other via a middle clasp (not shown), and are formed in an annular shape. A user wears the watch 1 by inserting his or her wrist through the ring-shaped band 12. The crown 13 is arranged on the side surface of the main body 11 and is connected to a movement built in the main body 11. The crown 13 accepts an operation by the user to slide the crown 13 in the axial direction or rotate it in the circumferential direction. The crown 13 transmits rotational force to the movement in accordance with the received operation, causing the pointer of the main body 11 to rotate or winding the mainspring of the movement. Further, a decorative member 14 is attached to the crown 13. The decorative member 14 is a natural stone such as a gemstone. The decorative member 14 may be made of glass, natural resin, or the like.

2 is an exploded perspective view of the crown 13, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the crown 13. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line III--III in FIG. The crown 13 has a shaft portion 15, a head portion 16, and a grip portion 17.

The shaft portion 15 is inserted into a through hole formed in the side surface of the exterior case of the main body portion 11 . A fitting portion 151 that fits into a winding stem (not shown) is formed on the end surface of the shaft portion 15 inside the main body portion 11 . In the example shown in FIG. 3, a threaded structure is formed on the inner periphery of the fitting part 151, and the fitting part 151 can be screwed into the winding stem. The winding stem is connected to a movement built in the main body 11 and transmits the rotational force of the shaft 15 to the movement. Further, a groove 152 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the shaft portion 15 so that a waterproof member can be attached thereto.

The head 16 is connected to the outer end of the main body 11 of the shaft 15 and accepts operations by the user. The head 16 is formed into a substantially octagonal prism shape so that the user can easily grasp the side surface of the head 16 and operate it. A circular recess 161 is formed on the upper surface of the head 16 (referring to the upper surface in FIG. 2 and the right side surface in FIG. 3). A first groove 162 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the recess 161 . A plurality of through holes 163 are formed in the bottom surface of the recess 161, each penetrating to the lower surface of the head 16. The through holes 163 are formed at substantially symmetrical positions with the center of the bottom surface of the recess 161 interposed therebetween. In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, two circular through holes 163 are formed at positions opposite to each other across the center of the bottom surface of the recess 161 and equidistant from the center of the bottom surface.

The grip portion 17 is formed separately from the head 16 and has a substantially cylindrical shape. A housing hole 171 is formed in the grip portion 17 and passes through the upper surface and the lower surface. The decorative member 14 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 171 so as to be visible from the outside. The upper end 172 of the accommodation hole 171 extends inward so that its inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the decorative member 14 and covers the outer circumference of the decorative member 14 . Thereby, the grip part 17 grips the decorative member 14 integrally with the grip part 17 so as to be visible from the outside. The upper end 172 of the accommodation hole 171 is formed, for example, by caulking the upper part of the accommodation hole 171 inward after the decorative member 14 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 171.

A second groove portion 173 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the grip portion 17 . The distance between the bottom of the grip part 17 and the second groove 173 (that is, the height from the bottom of the second groove 173) is the distance between the bottom of the recess 161 of the head 16 and the first groove 162. They are almost the same. That is, the second groove portion 173 is formed so as to face the first groove portion 162 when the grip portion 17 is fully inserted into the recess portion 161 . Further, an inclined surface 174 is formed at the connection portion between the bottom surface and the outer circumferential surface of the gripping portion 17 .

When the decorative member 14 is attached to the crown 13, the annular member 18 formed of an elastic body is fitted into the first groove 162 of the head 16 while the crown 13 is attached to the watch 1. In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the annular member 18 is an O-ring made of rubber and having an oval cross-sectional shape. The annular member 18 is formed so that its width in the radial direction is larger than the depth of the first groove 162, and a portion of the annular member 18 protrudes from the first groove 162 while being fitted into the first groove 162. In this state, the grip portion 17 is inserted into the recess 161. Since the annular member 18 is an elastic body, it comes into contact with the inclined surface 174 and the outer circumferential surface of the gripping part 17 and is elastically deformed so that its inner diameter increases, and the gripping part 17 is at a position where the second groove part 173 faces the first groove part 162. will be inserted until Then, the annular member 18 is further fitted into the second groove portion 173, and the grip portion 17 is fixed. In this way, the grip part 17 is fixed to the recess 161 by the annular member 18 that fits into the first groove 162 and the second groove 173, and the decorative member 14 is attached to the head 16 with the crown 13 attached to the watch 1. can be attached to.

Further, the decorative member 14 can be removed from the crown 13. In this case, the bottom surface of the grip part 17 is pushed up through the through hole 163 formed in the bottom surface of the recess 161. This allows the decorative member 14 to be removed. At this time, the bottom surface of the gripping portion 17 is simultaneously pushed up through a plurality of through holes 163 formed at substantially symmetrical positions across the center of the bottom surface of the recessed portion 161 . As a result, the gripping part 17 is pushed up with the bottom surface of the gripping part 17 being parallel to the bottom surface of the recess 161, so that the decorative member 14 can be easily removed.

As explained above, the crown 13 includes a head 16 in which a concave portion 161 is formed and receives an operation by the user, and a grip that is formed separately from the head 16 and that grips the decorative member 14 so as to be visible from the outside. 17. The decorative member 14 is attached to the head 16 with the crown attached to the watch by fixing the grip 17 to the recess 161. Thereby, the crown 13 allows the decorative member 14 to be easily attached.

When attaching a decorative member directly to the crown as in the past, the decorative member needs to be attached in advance by a special tool or an operator with special skills. Furthermore, when processing the crown to attach a decorative member, the decorative member needs to be attached to the crown before the crown is attached to the watch in order to prevent the watch from being damaged during the processing. In such a case, the seller keeps in stock watches to which decorative members are attached in advance. Therefore, when a plurality of types of decorative members are provided, the seller needs to keep in stock watches to which each type of decorative member is attached in advance.

On the other hand, in the crown 13, the decorative member 14 is held integrally with the grip part 17 in advance, and can be simply inserted by simply inserting the grip part 17 into the recess 161 with the crown 13 attached to the watch 1. Can be installed. Therefore, even if the seller of the watch 1 does not have special tools or special techniques for handling the decorative member 14, after receiving an order from the purchaser, the seller of the watch 1 can handle the decorative member 14 according to the order. It can be sold by being attached to the crown 13 attached to 1. Therefore, the seller does not need to keep in stock watches 1 to which various types of decorative members 14 are attached in advance, and the number of stocks to be managed is reduced.

Further, a first groove 162 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the recess 161, and a second groove 173 extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the side surface of the gripping part 17 so as to face the first groove 162. be done. The grip portion 17 is fixed to the recess 161 by the annular member 18 that fits into the first groove 162 and the second groove 173. Since the grip portion 17 engages with the recess 161 only by being inserted into the recess 161, the decorative member 14 can be attached to the crown 13 more easily.

Furthermore, a plurality of through holes 163 are formed in the bottom surface of the recess 161 at substantially symmetrical positions with the center of the bottom surface interposed therebetween. Thereby, the bottom surface of the grip part 17 can be pushed up in a state parallel to the bottom surface of the recessed part 161, so that the decorative member 14 can be easily removed from the crown 13.

In the above description, it is assumed that the plurality of through holes 163 are formed in the bottom surface of the recess 161 at substantially symmetrical positions with the center of the bottom surface interposed therebetween, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The plurality of through holes 163 may be formed at any position where the bottom surface of the gripping section 17 can be pushed up in a state parallel to the bottom surface of the recessed section 161. Further, only one through hole 163 may be formed in the bottom surface of the recess 161. Also in this case, the decorative member 14 can be easily removed from the crown 13.

In the above description, the head 16 is assumed to be formed in a substantially octagonal prism shape, but the head 16 is not limited to such an example, and may be formed in any shape. Further, a knurled groove may be formed on the side surface of the head 16 so that the user can easily grasp and operate the side surface of the head 16.

In the above description, the annular member 18 is an O-ring, but the present invention is not limited to this example. The annular member 18 may be made of rubber and may be a square ring having a rectangular cross-section, an X-ring having a cross-shaped cross-section, or the like. The annular member 18 may be an annular leaf spring made of metal. Further, the shape of the annular member 18 may be any shape as long as it can fit into the first groove portion 162 and the second groove portion 173, and may be, for example, a polygon.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a crown 23 according to another embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3. FIG. The crown 23 differs from the crown 13 in that it has a head 26 and a grip 27 instead of the head 16 and grip 17 . The rest of the structure of the crown 23 is the same as the structure of the crown 13, so the same reference numerals are given and the explanation will be omitted.

The head 26 is connected to the outer end of the main body 11 of the shaft 15 and accepts operations by the user. The head 26 is formed into a substantially octagonal column shape. Similar to the head 16, a circular recess 261 is formed on the upper surface of the head 26. A threaded structure 262 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the recess 261 .

The grip portion 27 is formed separately from the head 26. A housing hole 271 is formed in the grip portion 27 and passes through the upper surface and the lower surface. The decorative member 14 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 271 so as to be visible from the outside. The upper end 272 of the accommodation hole 271 extends inward so that its inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the decorative member 14 and covers the outer circumference of the decorative member 14 . Thereby, the grip part 27 grips the decorative member 14 integrally with the grip part 27 so as to be visible from the outside. A threaded structure 273 that can be screwed into the threaded structure 262 of the recess 261 is formed on the side surface of the gripping portion 27 .

When the decorative member 14 is attached to the crown 23, the grip 27 is inserted into the recess 261 while being rotated in the circumferential direction so that the screw structure 273 of the grip 27 and the screw structure 262 of the recess 261 are screwed together. In this way, the grip portion 27 is screwed into the recess 261 by the threaded structure 273 and thereby fixed to the recess 261, and the decorative member 14 is attached to the head 26. Furthermore, the gripping portion 27 is removed from the recess 261 by rotating the threaded structure 273 so that it is removed from the threaded structure 262 of the recess 261 .

In this manner, in the crown 23, threaded structures 262 and 273 are formed on the inner circumferential surface of the recess 261 and the side surface of the grip 27. The grip portion 27 is fixed to the recess 261 by being screwed into the recess 261 by the screw structure 273 . Thereby, the crown 23 allows the decorative member 14 to be easily attached.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a crown 33 according to another embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the crown 33. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3. The crown 33 differs from the crown 13 in that it has a head 36 and a grip 37 instead of the head 16 and grip 17 . The rest of the structure of the crown 33 is the same as the structure of the crown 13, so the same reference numerals are given and the explanation will be omitted.

The head 36 is connected to the outer end of the main body 11 of the shaft 15 and accepts operations by the user. The head 36 is formed into a substantially octagonal column shape. Similar to the head 16, a circular recess 361 is formed on the upper surface of the head 36. A protrusion 362 is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the recess 361 and protrudes inward so that the inner diameter thereof is partially reduced. The protrusion 362 is formed along the circumferential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the recess 361 .

The grip portion 37 is made of an elastic body such as resin or metal and is formed separately from the head. A housing hole 371 is formed in the grip portion 37 and passes through the upper surface and the lower surface. The decorative member 14 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 371 so as to be visible from the outside. The upper end 372 of the accommodation hole 371 extends inward so that its inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the decorative member 14 and covers the outer circumference of the decorative member 14 . Thereby, the grip part 37 grips the decorative member 14 integrally with the grip part 37 so as to be visible from the outside.

At the lower part of the side surface of the gripping part 37, an engaging part 373 is formed that protrudes so that the outer diameter is partially increased. The outer diameter of the gripping portion 37 in the engaging portion 373 is larger than the inner diameter of the protruding portion 362 of the recess 361, and the engaging portion 373 can be elastically deformed and engaged with the protruding portion 362 of the recess 361. A tapered first inclined surface 374 is formed on the lower side of the engaging portion 373 so that the outer diameter becomes smaller as the distance from the engaging portion 373 increases. A tapered second inclined surface 375 is formed on the upper side of the engaging portion 373 so that the outer diameter becomes smaller as the distance from the engaging portion 373 increases. The slope G1 of the first sloped surface 374 with respect to the side surface of the gripping part 37 is smaller than the slope G2 of the second sloped surface 375 with respect to the outer peripheral side surface of the gripping part 37. Further, the outer diameter of the gripping portion 37 at the lower end of the first inclined surface 374 is smaller than the inner diameter of the protruding portion 362 of the recessed portion 361 . The outer diameter of the gripping part 37 at the upper end of the second inclined surface 375 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the protruding part 362 of the recessed part 361. A notch 376 is formed in a portion of the side surface of the gripping portion 37 in the circumferential direction from the lower end to the height of the engaging portion 373 . As a result, the gripping portion 37 easily deforms elastically so that the engaging portion 373 is compressed in the radial direction.

When the decorative member 14 is attached to the crown 33, the grip portion 37 is inserted into the recess 361. At this time, the first inclined surface 374 of the gripping part 37 contacts the protruding part 362 of the recessed part 361, the first inclined surface 374 is pressed toward the center, and the engaging part 373 of the gripping part 37 is compressed in the radial direction. It is inserted by being elastically deformed so that the When the engaging portion 373 of the gripping portion 37 passes through the position of the protruding portion 362 of the recess 361, the shape of the gripping portion 37 is restored due to elasticity, and the engaging portion 373 engages with the protruding portion 362. In this way, the grip part 37 is fixed to the recess 361 by the engaging part 373 engaging with the protrusion 362 of the recess 361, and the decorative member 14 is attached to the head 36.

When removing the decorative member 14 from the crown 33, the grip portion 37 is pulled out from the recess 361. At this time, the second inclined surface 375 of the gripping part 37 comes into contact with the protruding part 362 of the recessed part 361, and the gripping part 37 is elastically deformed and pulled out so that the side surface is compressed in the radial direction.

The slope G1 of the first inclined surface 374 with respect to the outer circumferential side surface of the gripping part 37 is appropriately determined in consideration of the elasticity of the gripping part 37. The smaller the gradient G1 is, the smaller the force required to insert the grip portion 37 into the recess 361 is. On the other hand, when the gradient G1 is increased, the difference between the outer diameter at the lower end and the upper end of the first inclined surface 374 of the gripping part 37 becomes larger, and the gripping part 37 and the recessed part 361 are more firmly engaged. Therefore, the grip portion 37 is prevented from falling off from the recess 361.

The slope G2 of the second inclined surface 375 with respect to the outer circumferential side surface of the gripping part 37 is appropriately determined in consideration of the elasticity of the gripping part 37, the necessity of removing the decorative member 14, and the like. As the gradient G2 becomes smaller, the gripping part 37 can be removed with a smaller force, but the possibility that the gripping part 37 will fall off increases. Note that if there is no need to remove the decorative member 14 attached to the crown 33, the slope G2 may be set to 90 degrees or more.

In this way, in the crown 33, a protrusion 362 that protrudes inward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the recess 361. An engaging portion that can be elastically deformed and engaged with the protruding portion 362 is formed on the side surface of the grip portion 37 . The grip portion 37 is fixed to the recess 361 by the engagement portion 373 engaging the protrusion 362 . Thereby, the crown 33 allows the decorative member 14 to be easily attached and removed.

Note that, similarly to the crown 13, a plurality of through holes may be formed in the bottom surface of the recess 361 at substantially symmetrical positions across the center of the bottom surface. Thereby, the decorative member 14 can be easily removed from the crown 13.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a crown 43 according to another embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a section similar to FIG. 3. The crown 43 differs from the crown 13 in that it has a head 46 and a grip 47 instead of the head 16 and grip 17 . The rest of the structure of the crown 43 is the same as the structure of the crown 13, so the same reference numerals are given and the explanation will be omitted.

The head 46 is connected to the outer end of the main body 11 of the shaft 15 and accepts operations by the user. The head 46 is formed into a substantially octagonal column shape. Similar to the head 16, a circular recess 461 is formed on the upper surface of the head 46. A bonding layer 462 made of adhesive or adhesive tape is disposed on the bottom surface of the recess 461 .

The grip portion 47 is formed separately from the head 46 and has a cylindrical shape. A housing hole 471 is formed in the grip portion 47 and passes through the upper surface and the lower surface. The decorative member 14 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 471 so as to be visible from the outside. The upper end 472 of the accommodation hole 471 extends inward so that its inner diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the decorative member 14 and covers the outer circumference of the decorative member 14 . Thereby, the grip part 47 grips the decorative member 14 integrally with the grip part 47 so as to be visible from the outside. The bottom surface of the grip portion 47 is formed flat. The grip portion 47 is fixed to the recess 261 by having its bottom surface joined to the bottom surface of the recess 461 via the bonding layer 462 .

In this way, in the crown 43, the bonding layer 462 is formed on the bottom surface of the recess 461. The grip portion 47 is held in the recess 461 by having its lower surface joined to the bottom surface of the recess 461 via the bonding layer 462 . Thereby, the crown 43 allows the decorative member 14 to be easily attached.

In the above description, the accommodation hole 471 of the crown 43 passes through the upper surface and the lower surface of the grip part 47, but the present invention is not limited to such an example. The accommodation hole 471 may be formed on the upper surface of the grip part 47 and may not reach the lower surface. This increases the contact area between the lower surface of the gripping part 47 and the bonding layer 462, and the gripping part 47 is firmly held by the recessed part 461.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, substitutions and modifications can be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the embodiments and modifications described above may be implemented in appropriate combinations within the scope of the present invention.

1 Watch 13 Crown 14 Decorative member 16 Head 161 Recess 162 First groove 17 Grip 173 Second groove 18 Annular member

Claims (7)

The crown of a watch,
A head having a recess formed therein and receiving operations from the user;
a gripping part formed separately from the head and gripping the decorative member so as to be visible from the outside;
The decorative member is attached to the head with the crown attached to the watch by fixing the grip to the recess.
A crown characterized by this. A first groove extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the recess,
A second groove extending in the circumferential direction so as to face the first groove is formed on a side surface of the gripping part,
The gripping portion is fixed to the recess by an annular member that fits into the first groove and the second groove.
The crown according to claim 1. A through hole connected to the lower surface of the head is formed in the bottom surface of the recess.
The crown according to claim 2. A threaded structure is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the recess and the side surface of the gripping portion,
The gripping portion is fixed to the recess by being screwed into the recess by the threaded structure.
The crown according to claim 1. A protrusion that protrudes inward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the recess,
An engaging portion that can be elastically deformed and engaged with the protrusion is formed on a side surface of the gripping portion,
The gripping portion is fixed to the recess by the engaging portion engaging with the protrusion.
The crown according to claim 1. A bonding layer is arranged on the bottom surface of the recess,
The gripping portion is fixed to the recess by having a bottom surface joined to a bottom surface of the recess via the bonding layer.
The crown according to claim 1. A timepiece comprising the crown according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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