JP4687530B2 - Equipment case and radio clock - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a device case and a radio timepiece.

For example, a timepiece is known that has an antenna that receives a standard time radio wave and corrects the time based on the standard time radio wave received by the antenna.
In such a radio timepiece, if there is a metal member in the vicinity of the antenna, there is a problem that eddy current flows due to the magnetic field generated by the antenna passing through the metal member, thereby reducing the receiving sensitivity of the antenna. For this reason, in the case of a wristwatch-type radio-controlled timepiece, when the antenna is housed in the wristwatch case, which is the case body, if the wristwatch case and the back cover attached to the back side are made of metal, sufficient reception sensitivity is obtained for the reasons described above. I can't get it.

Therefore, in the conventional radio-controlled timepiece, as described in Patent Document 1, at least the back cover of the watch case and the back cover is formed of a non-metal so that the antenna received in the watch case can be received. This prevents a decrease in sensitivity.
JP 2001-33571 A

  However, in such a conventional radio-controlled timepiece, the back cover is made of non-metal, so the appearance, texture, and weight are reduced compared to the case where both the watch case and the back cover are made of metal. There is a problem that the sense of luxury is inferior.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a device case and a radio-controlled timepiece that do not lower the receiving sensitivity of an antenna accommodated therein even if the case main body and the back cover are made of metal.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention includes the following components.
In addition, the reference numerals of the drawings attached to the respective elements described in the section of each embodiment described later are attached to the respective constituent elements together with parentheses.

As shown in FIG. 4, the invention described in claim 1 includes a metal case main body (3) in which an antenna is housed and a lower inner peripheral surface is provided with a notch recess (21), and the case. A protrusion (23) to be inserted into the notch recess of the main body is provided in a cylindrical shape, and a metal back cover (6) attached to the back side of the case main body, the protrusion of the back cover, and the case A synthetic resin ring member (22) provided between the inner peripheral surface of the cutout recess of the main body, and an internal thread (25) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cutout recess, and the outer peripheral surface of the ring member Is formed with a male screw (24) that is screwed onto the female screw on the inner peripheral surface of the notch recess, and the male screw (24) formed on the protrusion of the back cover is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the ring member (22). machine which 13) characterized in that the internal thread (11) is screwed is formed It is the case.

According to a second aspect of the invention, as shown in FIG. 4, the projecting portion (23), in claim 1, wherein a notched portion for separating the this (14) are provided It is a device case of description.

As shown in FIG. 4, the invention described in claim 3 includes an antenna (7) for receiving a standard time radio wave and a timepiece module for correcting the time based on the standard time radio wave received by this antenna ( The device case according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the device case is accommodated and attached to an arm by a band.

As shown in FIG. 4, the invention according to claim 4 is the device case according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , and an antenna for receiving a standard time radio wave provided inside the device case. A radio timepiece comprising (7) and a timepiece module (2) housed inside the device case and correcting the time based on a standard time radio wave received by the antenna.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the electrical resistance between the case main body and the back cover can be increased by the ring member interposed between the case main body and the protrusion of the back cover. Therefore, a current flows through the metal case body and the metal back cover when the magnetic field generated by the antenna in the case body passes, but the electrical resistance between the case body and the back cover increases. As a result, the current flowing back through the case body and the back cover can be suppressed. Thereby, even if a case main body and a back cover are formed with a metal, the fall of the receiving sensitivity of the antenna accommodated in an inside can be prevented.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the protrusion of the back cover is screwed into the metal ring member provided in the case body by providing the protrusion with a notch for dividing the protrusion. When tightened, the projections divided by the notches can suppress the coupling force that couples to the metal ring member, thereby reducing the coupling area between the metal ring member and the projection of the back cover. In addition to being able to reduce, the volume of the entire protrusion can be reduced by the notch, so that the electrical resistance between the case body and the back cover can also be increased.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, an antenna for receiving a standard time radio wave and a clock module for correcting the time based on the standard time radio wave received by the antenna are housed inside and attached to the arm by a band. The device case according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the case body and the back cover are made of metal, and the device case is attached to an arm of a wristwatch case or the like. As in the invention described in claim 1 or 2 , it is possible to prevent a decrease in reception sensitivity of the antenna accommodated therein.

According to the invention described in claim 4, a device case according to any of claims 1 to 3, an antenna for receiving the standard time radio wave that is provided inside the device case, the inside of the device case And a clock module that corrects the time based on a standard time radio wave received by the antenna, even if the device case is made of metal. Similarly to the invention described in any one of 1 to 3 , it is possible to prevent a decrease in reception sensitivity of the antenna accommodated therein, and thereby accurately set the time of the clock module based on the standard time radio wave received by the antenna. And it can correct reliably.

(Embodiment 1)
Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1-3, Embodiment 1 of the radio-controlled timepiece to which this invention is applied will be described.
FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the radio timepiece, and FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a back cover of the radio timepiece of FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, this radio timepiece is a wristwatch and includes a wristwatch case 1. The wristwatch case 1 includes a case body 3 that is opened up and down and accommodates a watch module 2 therein, a watch glass 4 that is attached to the upper central portion of the case body 3 via a packing 4 a, and a case body 3. A back cover 6 attached to the lower surface via a waterproof ring 5 is provided. Note that a band (not shown) for attaching the watch case 1 to the arm is attached to the watch case 1.

  The clock module 2 includes various electronic components necessary for clock functions such as a time display unit and an LSI, and an antenna 7 that receives standard time radio waves. Based on the standard time radio waves received by the antenna 7 It is configured to correct the time. In this case, the time display unit includes an analog movement that moves the hands to indicate the time, a flat display element that electro-optically displays information such as time, or both the analog movement and the display element. Is.

  The antenna 7 is a bar antenna, a rod-shaped core made of a magnetic material having a high relative permeability such as amorphous or ferrite and a low conductivity, and a coil in which a conductor such as copper is wound around the core. When placed in a magnetic field generated by radio waves, the magnetic flux generated by the magnetic field concentrates on the core having a higher relative permeability than the surrounding space and is linked to the coil, causing the coil to generate a magnetic field in a direction that prevents the magnetic flux from changing. Thus, an induced electromotive force is generated.

  The circuit configuration of the timepiece module 2 includes a control unit that controls the entire circuit, a receiving circuit that detects induced electromotive force generated in the coil of the antenna 7 and extracts data of standard time, and clocks the current time based on an oscillator. A timing circuit, and the control unit corrects the time measured by the timing circuit based on the standard time data extracted by the receiving circuit, and controls the time display unit to indicate and display the corrected current time. It is configured.

  By the way, the case body 3 is formed of a high strength metal such as stainless steel or titanium, and a decorative bezel 8 is attached to the upper outer peripheral surface of the case body 3 as shown in FIG. . A parting member 9 is disposed along the inner periphery of the case body 3 below the watch glass 4 inside the case body 3. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a notch recess 10 is provided along the inner periphery of the case body 3 on the lower inner peripheral surface of the case body 3. The female screw 11 is continuously formed in a spiral shape.

  On the other hand, the back cover 6 is formed in a substantially disk shape with a high-strength metal such as stainless steel or titanium, like the case body 3. In this case, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the back cover 6 is provided with a protruding portion 12 that is inserted into a notch recess 10 provided in the lower inner peripheral surface of the case body 3 in a cylindrical shape. . A male screw 13 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the projecting portion 12 to be engaged with the female screw 11 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the notch recess 10 of the case body 3.

  Further, the protrusion 12 is provided with a plurality of notches 14 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of cutout portions 14 divide the cylindrical projection portion 12 into a plurality of portions so that the male screw 13 of the projection portion 12 is screwed into the female screw 11 of the case body 3. The coupling force of the protrusion 12 to the main body 3 is configured to be small.

  In such a watch case 1, a female screw 11 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of a metal case main body 3 in which an antenna 7 is accommodated, and a metal back cover 6 attached to the back side of the case main body 3 is provided with a case. A protrusion 12 that is inserted into the main body 3 and faces the female screw 11 is provided in a cylindrical shape, and a male screw 13 that is screwed into the female screw 11 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 12, and the protrusion 12 is divided. For this reason, when the male screw 13 of the projection 12 of the back cover 6 is screwed into the female screw 11 of the case body 3 and tightened, the plurality of cutouts 14 are divided into a plurality of cuts 14. The coupling force at which the protrusion 12 is coupled to the case body 3 can be suppressed to a small value, thereby reducing the coupling area between the case body 3 and the back cover 6.

  For this reason, since the coupling area between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 is reduced, the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 can be increased, and in particular, by the plurality of notches 14. Since the protrusion 12 is divided into a plurality of parts, the entire volume of the protrusion 14 can be reduced, so that the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 can be increased. . In this case, by changing the number and size of the notches 14, the coupling force of the protrusions 12 to the case body 3 can be minimized, and the entire volume of the protrusions 14 is also reduced to a minimum. be able to.

  Therefore, according to the wristwatch case 1, a current flows through the metal case main body 3 and the metal back cover 6 by passing the magnetic field generated by the antenna 7 in the case main body 3, but the case main body 3 Since the electric resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 is large, the current flowing back through the case body 3 and the back cover 6 can be suppressed. Thereby, even if the case main body 3 and the back cover 6 are formed of metal, it is possible to prevent a decrease in reception sensitivity of the antenna 7 accommodated therein.

  Thus, according to this radio-controlled timepiece, the case body 3 has the antenna 7 for receiving the standard time radio wave, and the clock module 2 for correcting the time based on the standard time radio wave received by the antenna 7 is provided. Since the wristwatch case 1 is housed and provided with the back cover 6 attached to the back side of the case body 3, even if the wristwatch case 1 is made of metal, as described above, the antenna 7 housed therein is Since it is possible to prevent the reception sensitivity from being lowered, the time of the clock module 2 can be accurately and reliably corrected based on the standard time radio wave received by the antenna 7, thereby always knowing the accurate current time. it can.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, Embodiment 2 of the radio timepiece to which the present invention is applied will be described. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and demonstrated to the same part as Embodiment 1 shown by FIGS. 1-3.
The wristwatch case 20 of this radio-controlled timepiece is different from the first embodiment in the attachment structure of the back cover 6 to the case main body 3, and has substantially the same configuration as the first embodiment except for this.

  That is, the watch case 20 is provided with a notch recess 21 along the inner periphery of the case body 3 on the lower inner peripheral surface of the case body 3 that accommodates the antenna 7, and a ring member 22 is provided in the notch recess 21. A female screw 11 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the ring member 22, and a projection 23 is inserted into the case body 3 and opposed to the female screw 11 on the back cover 6. The cylindrical projection 23 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The back cover 6 is attached to the case body 3 by providing the external thread 13 on the outer peripheral surface and screwing the external thread 13 of the projection 23 into the internal thread 11 of the ring member 22.

  In this case, the ring member 22 is formed of synthetic resin, and as shown in FIG. 4, a male screw 24 is provided on the outer peripheral surface thereof, and this male screw 24 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the notch recess 21 of the case body 3. The internal thread 25 is attached to the notch recess 21 of the case body 3 by screwing. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the ring member 22 is formed so that its height is slightly higher than the height of the notch recess 21 of the case body 3, whereby the protrusion of the back cover 6 is formed on the female screw 11 of the ring member 22. When the male screw 13 of the portion 23 is screwed, a gap S is provided between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the case body 3.

  In such a watch case 20, a ring member 22 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of a metal case main body 3 in which the antenna 7 is accommodated, and a female screw 11 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the ring member 22. A protrusion 23 that is inserted into the case body 3 and faces the female screw 11 of the ring member 22 is provided in a cylindrical shape on the metal back cover 6 that is attached to the back side of the ring, and is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical protrusion 23. Since the male screw 13 that is screwed into the female screw 11 is provided, when the male screw 13 of the projection 23 of the back cover 6 is screwed into the female screw 11 of the ring member 22 provided in the case body 3 and tightened, the synthetic resin is used. Since the ring member 22 has a cushioning property, the bonding force of the protrusion 12 of the back cover 6 to the case main body 3 can be suppressed to a low level.

  That is, since the ring member 22 is formed of synthetic resin, when the male screw 13 of the projection 23 of the back cover 6 is screwed into the female screw 11 of the ring member 22 provided in the case body 3 and tightened, When the resin ring member 22 is sandwiched between the case main body 3 and the back cover 6 and deformed, the bonding force of the protrusion 23 to the case main body 3 can be minimized. In this case, since the ring member 22 is made of synthetic resin, it is possible to prevent conduction between the case body 3 and the protrusion 23 of the back cover 6, and the height of the ring member 22 is the height of the case body 3. Since it is formed slightly higher than the height of the cut-out recess 21, a gap S can be provided between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing this.

  For this reason, the electric resistance between the case main body 3 and the back cover 6 can be increased by minimizing the coupling force of the protrusion 23 to the case main body 3 by the synthetic resin ring member 22. In addition, the synthetic resin ring member 22 prevents conduction between the case body 3 and the protrusion 23 of the back cover 6, and a gap S between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the case body 3. Therefore, the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 can be greatly increased.

  Therefore, according to the wristwatch case 20, a current flows through the metal case main body 3 and the metal back cover 6 by passing the magnetic field generated by the antenna 7 in the case main body 3, but the case main body 3 Since the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 is greatly increased, the current flowing back through the case body 3 and the back cover 6 can be significantly suppressed. Thereby, even if the case body 3 and the back cover 6 are made of metal, it is possible to prevent a decrease in reception sensitivity of the antenna 7 accommodated therein, and the timepiece module 2 based on the standard time radio wave received by the antenna 7. The time can be accurately and reliably corrected.

  In addition, although the said Embodiment 2 described the case where the ring member 22 was formed with a synthetic resin, it is not restricted to this, For example, you may form the ring member 22 with metals, such as stainless steel. Also in this case, the ring member 22 is formed so that its height is slightly higher than the depth of the notch recess 21 of the case body 3, whereby the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing it. A gap S is provided between them.

  Even in such a configuration, the metal ring member 22 is interposed between the case body 3 and the protrusion 23 of the back cover 6, thereby increasing the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6. In addition, a gap S can be provided between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the metal ring member 22, so that the case body 3 and the back cover can also be provided. The electrical resistance between the antenna 7 and the antenna 7 accommodated therein can be prevented from being lowered.

  Further, in the modified example of the second embodiment, the case where the protrusion 23 of the back cover 6 is provided in a cylindrical shape has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. You may provide the some notch part 14 which divides this into plurality. If comprised in this way, even if the ring member 22 is formed with the metal, when the male screw 13 of the projection 23 of the back cover 6 is screwed into the female screw 11 of the case body 3 and tightened, the plurality of notches 14 are formed. As a result, it is possible to reduce the coupling force of the projection 23 divided into a plurality of portions by the case body 3 and thereby reduce the coupling area between the case body 3 and the back cover 6. The electrical resistance between the main body 3 and the back cover 6 can be increased, and a decrease in reception sensitivity of the antenna 7 accommodated therein can be prevented.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a third embodiment of a radio timepiece to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIG. Also in this case, the same portions as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS.
The wristwatch case 30 of this radio-controlled timepiece has a configuration in which a buffer spacer member 31 is provided between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the case body. It has become.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, a concave groove 32 is provided in a ring shape along the outer periphery of the case body 3 on the lower surface of the case body 3. As shown in FIG. 5, the spacer member 31 is inserted into a ring-shaped concave groove 32 provided on the lower surface of the case body 3, and the lower end surface corresponds to the back cover 6 in this state. It protrudes slightly from the lower surface of the case body 3, and thereby a gap S is formed between the upper surface of the back cover 6 and the lower surface of the case body 3 corresponding thereto.

  Also in this case, a notch recess 10 is provided along the inner periphery of the case body 3 on the lower inner peripheral surface of the case body 3 that accommodates the antenna 7, as shown in FIG. A female screw 11 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the recess 10. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the back cover 6 is provided with a protrusion 12 that is inserted into the notch recess 10 of the case body 3 and faces the female screw 11 in a cylindrical shape, and this cylindrical protrusion A male screw 13 that is screwed into the female screw 11 of the case body 3 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the case 12.

  In such a watch case 30 of a radio-controlled timepiece, a female case 11 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of a metal case main body 3 in which the antenna 7 is accommodated, and a metal back cover 6 attached to the back side of the case main body 3. Further, a protrusion 12 that is inserted into the notch recess 10 of the case body 3 and faces the female screw 11 is provided in a cylindrical shape, and a male screw 13 that is screwed into the female screw 11 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the protrusion 12. Since the buffer spacer member 31 is provided between the lower surface of 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing this, the male screw 13 of the projection 12 of the back cover 6 is screwed into the female screw 11 of the case body 3. When tightening, the buffer member 31 can reduce the strength against which the lower surface of the case main body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the buffer member 31 abut against each other. It is possible to suppress the force small.

  That is, since the spacer member 31 is made of synthetic resin, when the male screw 13 of the protrusion 12 of the back cover 6 is screwed into the female screw 11 of the spacer member 31 provided in the case body 3 and tightened, The resin spacer member 31 is sandwiched between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 to be deformed, thereby reducing the strength with which the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the case body abut against each other. Thus, the coupling force of the protrusion 12 to the case body 3 can be kept small.

  In this case, since the spacer member 31 is made of synthetic resin, it is possible to prevent conduction between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the back cover 6 opposed thereto, and the height of the spacer member 31 is particularly high. 3 is formed slightly higher than the depth of the concave groove 32 provided on the lower surface of 3, so that a gap S is provided between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the spacer member 31. Can do.

  For this reason, it is possible to increase the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 by suppressing the bonding force of the protrusion 12 to the case body 3 to be small, and in particular, a spacer member made of synthetic resin. 31 prevents conduction between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the back cover 6 facing the case body, and a gap S is provided between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the case body 3. This also increases the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6.

  Therefore, according to the wristwatch case 30, a current flows through the metal case main body 3 and the metal back cover 6 by passing the magnetic field generated by the antenna 7 in the case main body 3, but the case main body 3 Since the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 is greatly increased, the current flowing back through the case body 3 and the back cover 6 can be significantly suppressed. Thereby, even if the case body 3 and the back cover 6 are made of metal, it is possible to prevent a decrease in reception sensitivity of the antenna 7 accommodated therein, and the timepiece module 2 based on the standard time radio wave received by the antenna 7. The time can be accurately and reliably corrected.

  In the third embodiment, the case where the spacer member 31 is formed of a synthetic resin has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the buffer spacer member 31 may be formed of a metal such as stainless steel. In this case, the buffer spacer member 31 has a spring property such as a spring washer, and is configured to provide a gap S between the lower surface of the case body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the case body 3. It is desirable.

  Even in this configuration, the buffer spacer member 31 reduces the strength with which the lower surface of the case body 3 abuts against the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the buffer member 31, thereby reducing the coupling force of the protrusion 12 to the case body 3. The area where the spacer member 31 contacts the back cover 6 is small, and a gap S is provided between the lower surface of the case main body 3 and the upper surface of the back cover 6 facing the case member 3. In addition, since the electrical resistance with the back cover 6 can be increased, there are almost the same effects as in the third embodiment.

  In the third embodiment, the case where the protrusion 12 is provided in the cylindrical shape on the back cover 6 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. You may provide the some notch part 14 to divide | segment. If comprised in this way, like Embodiment 1, when the male screw 13 of the projection part 12 of the back cover 6 was screwed and fastened to the female screw 11 of the case body 3, it was divided into a plurality by the plurality of notches 14 The bonding force of the protrusion 12 to the case body 3 can be suppressed, whereby the bonding area between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 can be reduced, and the volume of the protrusion 12 can be reduced as a whole. Therefore, the electrical resistance between the case body 3 and the back cover 6 can also be increased by this.

  In the first to third embodiments and the modifications thereof, the case where the present invention is applied to a wristwatch has been described. However, the present 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 also be applied to electronic devices such as mobile phones.

It is the expanded sectional view which showed the principal part of the wristwatch to which this invention is applied. (Embodiment 1) FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a back cover of FIG. 1. The cross section of the principal part in the back cover of FIG. 2 is shown, (a) is an expanded sectional view in the AA arrow of FIG. 2, (b) is an expanded sectional view in the BB arrow of FIG. It is the expanded sectional view which showed the principal part of the wristwatch to which this invention is applied. (Embodiment 2) It is the expanded sectional view which showed the principal part of the wristwatch to which this invention is applied. (Embodiment 3)

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 20, 30 Watch case 2 Watch module 3 Case main body 6 Back cover 7 Antenna 10, 21 Notch recessed part 11 Female screw 12, 23 Protrusion part 13 Male screw 14 Notch part 22 Ring member 31 Spacer member

Claims (4)

A metal case body in which an antenna is housed and a notch recess is provided in the lower inner peripheral surface;
A protrusion that is inserted into the notch recess of the case body is provided in a cylindrical shape, and a metal back cover that is attached to the back side of the case body,
A ring member made of synthetic resin provided between the protrusion of the back cover and the inner peripheral surface of the cutout recess of the case body,
A female screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the notch recess,
On the outer peripheral surface of the ring member, a male screw that is screwed to the female screw on the inner peripheral surface of the notch recess is formed .
A device case in which a female screw to which a male screw formed on a projection of the back cover is screwed is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the ring member . The device case according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion is provided with a notch for dividing the protrusion . Inside, an antenna for receiving standard time radio waves and a clock module for correcting the time based on the standard time radio waves received by this antenna are housed,
The device case according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the device case is attached to an arm by a band . The device case according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An antenna for receiving standard time radio waves provided inside the device case;
A clock module that is housed inside the device case and corrects the time based on a standard time radio wave received by the antenna;
A radio timepiece characterized by comprising.

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