JP5045520B2 - Cell phone clock - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a portable timepiece, and more particularly to a structure of a portable timepiece that can be used even under severe temperature environments.

  2. Description of the Related Art Generally, portable watches such as wrist watches, pocket watches, and wall clocks are known that include a main body having a double-structured watch case having an inner trunk and an outer trunk.

  For example, in the timepiece described in Patent Document 1 below, a metal heat-dissipating outer shell having a high thermal conductivity is disposed outside a resin inner shell having a low thermal conductivity and having a built-in thermoelectric generator. The surface of the outer body is covered with a resin-like heat radiation guard film made of resin having low thermal conductivity.

In addition, the timepiece described in Patent Document 2 below has a metal inner case in which the movement is stored, and a metal outer case that covers at least a part of the inner case, and the inner case and the outer case. A wristwatch case having an impact resistant structure in which a shock absorber having elasticity is disposed between the two.
JP-A-11-223679 JP 2000-249775 A

  However, in the above-described double-structure watch case having the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder are in direct contact with each other, and a cushioning material and some Although space may be present, it is not a structure with high heat insulation between the two, and the heat insulation effect is insufficient, so a timekeeping function and accuracy are secured in severe temperature environments such as outer space where temperature changes are severe. There is a problem that can not be.

  Specifically, since the temperature fluctuation range in the outer space is a severe temperature environment of 150 ° C. to −50 ° C., in such an environment, heat from the outside through the watch exterior is radiated by heat radiation from the outside. Since the temperature of the internal mechanism (movement) changes greatly due to conduction, the timing mechanism stops, the timing accuracy deteriorates, and the like.

  Therefore, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to realize a portable timepiece that can satisfy a time measuring function and accuracy even under a severe temperature environment.

  In view of such circumstances, the portable timepiece of the present invention covers an internal mechanism, an inner case that accommodates the internal mechanism, a window member that is attached to the inner case and configured to allow the inside to be seen through, and covers the inner case. In the portable timepiece including the outer case, the outer case is held outside with respect to the inner case via only a linear sealing material, and a sealed space is formed between the outer case, the inner case, and the sealing material. It is characterized by having.

  According to the present invention, the outer case is held only by the linear sealing material with respect to the inner case, and a sealed space is formed between the two cases and the sealing material, thereby improving the heat insulation between the inner and outer cases. Since it is possible to make it difficult for temperature changes received by the outer case to be transmitted to the inner case, it is possible to ensure the timekeeping function and accuracy of the internal mechanism even under severe temperature environments.

  Here, the linear sealing material refers to a member that exhibits a sealing function in a substantially line contact state, such as an O-ring or packing. In particular, a material made of a material having low thermal conductivity such as a resin material (rubber or plastic) is preferable to a metal material. The sealed space is preferably in a reduced pressure (vacuum) state in order to enhance heat insulation, but may be simply filled with atmospheric air or a predetermined gas (thermally conductive). It may be low.) May be filled.

  In this case, it is preferable that the outer case is made of two or more case materials that can be attached to and detached from each other in order to facilitate operations during assembly and repair / disassembly.

  Further, it is desirable that the inner case is made of a material having lower thermal conductivity than the outer case in order to reduce temperature fluctuation in the inner case.

  Furthermore, it is desirable that heat treatment is performed on the inner surface, the outer surface, or both surfaces of at least one of the inner case and the outer case. This heat shielding is a surface treatment for reducing heat radiation and heat conduction from the outside. For example, the inner and outer surfaces of the inner case are heat reflecting surfaces that reflect the heat radiation, and the inner and outer surfaces of the inner case. And forming a film made of a material having low thermal conductivity.

  In one aspect of the present invention, the inner case has an inner cylinder to which the window material is attached, and an openable and closable inner lid attached to the inner cylinder, and the outer case has the inner cylinder. And an outer lid attached to the outer cylinder and covering the inner lid. According to this, it is possible to easily access an internal mechanism or the like in the inner cylinder while making the portion other than the window material a double structure, and it is also possible to easily perform an assembly operation at the time of manufacture.

  In this case, it is preferable to include the first sealing material interposed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and the second sealing material interposed between the inner cylinder and the outer lid. . According to this, both the sealing materials are sufficiently separated from each other by holding the outer cylinder via the first sealing material and holding the outer lid via the second sealing material with respect to the inner cylinder. Since it can be placed in a location, it can secure a sufficient sealed space, and at the same time, the outer case and the outer lid are each held against the same inner case via separate sealing materials, so that the entire outer case can be stably stabilized. It becomes possible to hold on.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further includes a band contact-connected to the outer case, and the outer case and the band are made of a material having better thermal conductivity than the inner case or the sealing material. According to this, since the influence of the temperature environment to which the outer case is exposed can be released to the band side, the temperature fluctuation in the inner case can be further reduced.

  In another aspect of the present invention, the outer case has a vent plug configured to open and close the sealed space with respect to the outside. According to this, by having a vent plug configured to be able to open and close the sealed space with respect to the outside, the sealed space is filled with outside air, a predetermined gas is sealed in the sealed space, or the sealed space in a reduced pressure environment It is possible to reduce the pressure and adjust the heat insulation appropriately. As a structure of such a vent plug, for example, the opening is normally urged outwardly in an opening provided in an outer case and communicating with a sealed space to close the opening, and when the opening is pushed inward, the opening is passed through. What was comprised so that the air permeability which acquired was obtained is mentioned.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[First Embodiment]
First, a portable timepiece according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the main part of the portable timepiece of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of the main body of the present embodiment (cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II ′ of FIG. 3 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view schematically showing the structure of the main body of the present embodiment (cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III ′ of FIG. 1), and FIG. 4 is a connection structure of the main body and the band of the present embodiment. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows this.

  The portable timepiece 10 of this embodiment has a main body 10A and a band 10B. The main body 10A has an inner case 11 that houses an internal mechanism 10X including a movement, a dial, a pointer, and the like, and a front side of the inner case 11. A window material 12 made of glass, quartz or the like attached by press-fitting, bonding or the like, and an inner lid (back lid) 13 detachably attached to the rear portion of the inner barrel 11 by screwing, bolting, press-fitting, or the like Have Here, the inner trunk 11 and the inner lid 13 constitute an inner case 10C.

  Further, an outer cylinder 14 that covers the inner cylinder 11 from the outside, and an outer cover 15 that is detachably attached to the outer cylinder 14 by screwing, bolting, press-fitting, and the like and that covers the inner cover 13 from the outside are provided. Yes. The outer body 14 is provided with side openings 14a and 14b, and external operation members (crowns) 16A and (operation buttons) 16B are inserted into the side openings 14a and 14b. The external operation member 16A passes through the inner cylinder 11 and is connected to the internal mechanism 10X, and the external operation member 16B is connected to the inner cylinder 11. Here, the outer trunk 14 and the outer lid 15 constitute an outer case 10D.

  A sealing material 17 made of elastic resin (rubber or soft resin) is interposed between the inner cylinder 11 and the outer cylinder 14, and a similar sealing material 18 is interposed between the inner cylinder 11 and the outer lid 15. Further, similar sealing materials 19A and 19B are interposed between the outer body 14 and the external operation members 16A and 16B. Each of these sealing materials 17, 18, 19A, 19B is an O-ring shaped elastic member configured in an annular shape. The outer cylinder 14 and the outer lid 15 are held on the inner cylinder 11 through only the sealing materials 17 and 18. Here, the sealing material 17 is sandwiched between the outer surface portion facing the front side (the upper side in the drawing) of the inner cylinder 11 and the inner surface portion of the outer cylinder 14, and the sealing material 18 is the rear side (the lower side in the drawing) of the inner cylinder 11. Between the outer surface portion facing the side) and the inner surface portion of the outer lid 15. The sealing materials 19A and 19B are sandwiched between the outer peripheral portions of the external operation members 16A and 16B and the inner peripheral surfaces of the side openings 14a and 14b of the outer body 14.

  Between the inner cylinder 11 and the inner lid 13 (inner case 10C), and between the outer cylinder 14 and the outer lid 15 (outer case 10D), sealed spaces 10S and 10S closed by the sealing materials 17, 18, 19A and 19B. 'Is provided. Here, the sealed space 10 </ b> S is a space defined by the inner cylinder 11, the outer cylinder 14, the external operation members 16 </ b> A and 16 </ b> B and the sealing materials 17, 18, 19 </ b> A and 19 </ b> B, and covers almost the entire side surface of the inner cylinder 11. Exist. The sealed space 10 </ b> S ′ is a space defined by the inner cylinder 11, the inner lid 13, the outer lid 15, and the sealing material 18, and exists almost over the entire area between the inner lid 13 and the outer lid 15.

  As shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the main body 10A of the present embodiment has connecting portions 10a at both ends of the outer body 14, and a band 10B is connected to the connecting portions 10a. Here, the connecting portion of the connecting portion 10a of the outer cylinder 14 and the connecting portion of the band 10B has a sufficient contact area, and the outer cylinder 14 and the band portion 10B are both thermally conductive in the inner cylinder 11, the inner lid 13, and the sealing material 17. , 18, 19A and 19B.

  In the present embodiment configured as described above, the outer case 10D is held on the outside of the inner case 10C via only the linear sealing materials 17 and 18, and a seal is provided between the inner case 10C and the outer case 10D. By forming the sealed spaces 10S and 10S 'defined by the materials 17, 18, and 19, the heat insulation between the inner case 10C and the outer case 10D can be greatly enhanced as compared with the conventional case. The timekeeping function and accuracy can be ensured even in severe temperature environments where the temperature changes drastically. In particular, in the present embodiment, the outer cylinder 14 and the outer lid 15 are made of a metal or other light-shielding material, so that the inner cylinder 11 and the inner lid 13 are heated by light (including far infrared rays) incident from the outside. Can also be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, the outer case 10D is composed of two or more case members (the outer body 14 and the outer lid 15) configured to be detachable from each other, thereby assembling and disassembling at the time of manufacturing and maintenance. Etc. can be easily performed.

  In the case of the present embodiment, the outer case 10D composed of the outer body 14 and the outer lid 15 has a structure in which the front side is open to expose the window member 12, but the back side is closed. The sealed space can be formed only by the case 10C, the outer case 10D, and the single closed sealing material 17 alone. However, as described above, the outer body 14 and the outer lid 15 are held by the inner case 10C via separate sealing materials 17 and 18, respectively, and in particular, the sealing materials 17 and 18 are arranged on the front side and the back side. Since each can be stably held, workability at the time of manufacturing and maintenance can be improved. In addition, since the outer lid 15 is in contact with the inner cylinder 11 instead of the inner lid 13 via the sealing material 18, the outer cylinder 14 and the outer lid 15 are sealed against a common member. The outer lid 15 attached to the outer body 14 can be reliably positioned through the sealing material 18. Furthermore, in the case of this configuration, the outer lid 15 inevitably has a larger diameter than the inner lid 13, so that the inner lid 13 can be easily removed through the rear side opening of the outer body 14.

  Furthermore, since the outer case 10D made of a material having higher thermal conductivity than the inner case 10C and the band 10B are connected to each other with a sufficient contact area, the heat conduction between the outer case 10D and the band 10B. As a result, the heat dissipation area increases as a whole. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, if the arm W is mounted, the heat can escape from the bottom of the outer case 10D or the back surface of the band 10B to the arm W, thereby The heat conduction to can be further reduced.

  It should be noted that only the atmospheric pressure air can be present in each of the sealed spaces 10S and 10S '. In this case, manufacturing and maintenance become extremely easy. However, a gas having low thermal conductivity such as xenon or nitrogen may be sealed in the sealed space, or the sealed space can be decompressed or evacuated. These methods can further improve the heat insulation.

  Further, the inner case 10C (the inner cylinder 11 and the inner lid 13) is made of a material having lower thermal conductivity than the outer case 10D (the outer cylinder 14 and the outer lid 15), so that the external mechanism affects the internal mechanism 10X. Can be further reduced. For example, the inner case 10C is preferably made of a synthetic resin material, and the outer case 10D is preferably made of a metal material such as titanium, aluminum, or stainless steel.

Furthermore, the effect of the external temperature on the internal mechanism 10X can be further reduced by applying heat-shielding treatment to the outer surface of the inner case 10C (the inner cylinder 11 and the inner lid 13). For example, heat radiation from the outer case 10D side is formed by forming a metal thin film of a single element or an alloy of aluminum, silver, chromium, or the like on the outer surface of the inner case 10C by vapor deposition, sputtering, CVD, plating, or the like. The heat transfer to the internal mechanism 10X can be reduced, and at the same time, the release of heat from the internal mechanism 10X can be prevented. Further, by forming a thin film made of a material having low thermal conductivity such as polyester resin or Teflon (registered trademark) on the outer surface of the inner case 10C, heat transfer to the inner case 10C and heat from the inner mechanism 10X are performed. Can be reduced.
With respect to this, even if the outer surface of the outer case is subjected to a heat-shielding treatment, a further heat reduction effect can be expected due to the heat reflection effect on the external environment.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the vent plug is closed, and FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state where the vent plug is opened. Here, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the present embodiment, a stepped through hole 14c having an outer diameter larger than that of the inner side is formed on the side of the outer body 14 '. A stopper 21 is accommodated. The vent plug 21 has a relatively large diameter on the outer end side and a relatively small diameter on the inner end side, and an elastic member 22 such as a coil spring is disposed between the outer end portion of the large diameter and the internal step surface of the through hole 14c. The elastic member 22 constantly biases the vent plug 21 outward. The inner end portion of the vent plug 21 protrudes from the inside of the through hole 14c to the inside of the outer body 14, and is locked to the inner opening edge of the through hole 14c by a locking member 23 such as a retaining ring. An annular sealing material 24 is disposed between the vent plug 21 and the through hole 14c, and thus the through hole 14c is normally closed.

  In the present embodiment, the sealed space 10 </ b> S is defined by the vent plug 21 and the sealing material 24 in addition to the inner cylinder 11, the outer cylinder 14, the outer lid 15, and the sealing materials 17 and 18.

  Here, when the outer end 21 of the vent plug 21 is pressed from the outside against the elastic force of the elastic member 22, as shown in FIG. 6, the inner end portion of the vent plug 21 further protrudes to the inside of the outer body 14, The closed state of the through-hole 14c by the sealing material 24 is released, and the air-permeable state is obtained. Thereby, the sealed space 10 </ b> S formed inside the outer body 14 can be communicated with the outside.

  In this embodiment, by operating (pressing) the vent plug 21 to allow the sealed space 10S to communicate with the outside via the through hole 14c, for example, the sealed space 10S in a reduced pressure or vacuum environment (in space or chamber). Can be in a reduced pressure state or a vacuum state. It is also possible to fill the sealed space 10S with a predetermined gas from the through hole 14c. Furthermore, by operating the vent plug 21 at room temperature to fill the sealed space 10S with air at room temperature, it is possible to suppress changes in the internal temperature when the environment becomes a high temperature or low temperature environment.

  The portable timepiece according to the present invention is not limited to the illustrated example described above, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the appearance of the portable timepiece according to the first embodiment. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the cross section along the II-II 'line | wire of FIG. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the cross section along the III-III 'line | wire of FIG. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the connection part of the main body and band of 1st Embodiment. The general | schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the normal state of the portable timepiece of 2nd Embodiment. The schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the mode at the time of the vent plug operation of the portable timepiece of 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Portable watch, 10A ... Main body, 10B ... Band, 10X ... Internal mechanism, 10C ... Inner case, 10D ... Outer case, 10S, 10S '... Sealed space, 11 ... Inner trunk, 12 ... Window material, 13 ... Inner lid , 14 ... outer trunk, 15 ... outer lid, 16A, 16B ... external operation member, 17, 18, 19A, 19B, 24 ... sealing material

Claims (8)

In a portable timepiece comprising an internal mechanism, an inner case that accommodates the internal mechanism, a window member that is attached to the inner case and configured to allow the inside to be seen through, and an outer case that covers the inner case,
The portable timepiece is characterized in that the outer case is held outside only with a linear sealing material with respect to the inner case, and has a sealed space between the outer case, the inner case and the sealing material.   The portable timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the outer case is made of two or more case materials that can be attached to and detached from each other.   The portable timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the inner case is made of a material having lower thermal conductivity than the outer case.   4. The portable timepiece according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the inner case and the outer case is subjected to heat shielding on the inner surface, outer surface, or both surfaces thereof.   The inner case includes an inner cylinder to which the window material is attached, and an openable / closable inner lid attached to the inner cylinder. The outer case includes an outer cylinder that covers the inner cylinder, and the outer cylinder. The portable timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising an outer lid that is attached to the inner lid and covers the inner lid.   The first sealing material interposed between the inner cylinder and the outer cylinder, and the second sealing material interposed between the inner cylinder and the outer lid. 5. The portable watch according to 5.   7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a band contact-connected to the outer case, wherein the outer case and the band are made of a material having better thermal conductivity than the inner case or the sealing material. The portable watch according to any one of the above.   The portable timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the outer case has a vent plug configured to open and close the sealed space with respect to the outside.

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