JP5948824B2 - Electronics - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic device such as a timepiece having a switch function using an operator.

  Conventionally, an operation element called a push button is provided on a watch case, a watch module is disposed therein, the watch module includes a housing, and a circuit board on which a first electric contact member is formed at a side end. There is known a timepiece including a hook portion that engages with a housing, and the hook portion is provided with an elastic member in which a second electric contact member is formed at a tip portion (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2007-78504 A

  By the way, in recent years, as a part of functional improvement and multi-functionalization in electronic devices such as watches, there has been a demand for manufacturing products having excellent impact resistance that can be used in harsh environments. On the other hand, measures against “vibration” are also very important in the external environment. Since vibration is applied with a continuous acceleration for a longer time than a drop impact in which acceleration is instantaneously applied, the influence on electronic devices is very large. Examples of the case where the watch receives vibration include a case where the user wears the watch, travels outdoors in a car or motorcycle, or operates a rock drill.

  By applying such continuous vibration, the parts where the metals are in contact with each other are rubbed and scraped, and the electric circuit inside the watch is short-circuited by the metal powder scattered inside, so that it operates normally. There is a possibility that a problem may occur that the metal powder scattered or exposed to the appearance portion such as a dial of the watch is exposed and causes a problem in appearance. Since the watch has many parts where the metals are in contact with each other, and it is made with great sophistication, the generation and scattering of metal powder must naturally be avoided.

  However, for example, in order to pursue impact resistance in a watch, improving the impact resistance through technological development such as making the watch module an independent internal structure from the watch case, which is the outer shell, is the difference between the watch module and the watch case. It means to make a gap actively. In addition, there is a fact that it cannot be assembled without a gap between the watch case and the watch module regardless of the impact resistance. In such a case, there has been a problem that it is an event contrary to preventing the metal powder that is generated inside and may be scattered from being exposed to the appearance part such as a dial of a watch.

  An object of the present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and is to provide an electronic apparatus capable of preventing internal scattering of shaving powder generated by rubbing between metals.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention
An equipment module;
An exterior portion for housing the device module;
An operator provided with a shaft provided in the exterior part;
A first electrical contact member provided on the device module side;
A conductive elastic member in which a base end is fixed to the device module, and a second electrical contact member that can contact and separate from the first electrical contact member is provided on a free end side;
Among the conductive elastic members, an adhesive that is disposed between the second electrical contact member and the shaft of the operation element and captures scraping powder generated by rubbing between the shaft and the conductive elastic member. A capture layer;
Equipped with a,
The capture layer may be an electronic device having an opening that enables contact between the shaft and the conductive elastic member .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an electronic device capable of preventing the scattering of scraped powder generated by rubbing between the shaft of the operating element and the electric contact member.

It is a front view of the electronic timepiece concerning the embodiment of the present invention. It is a bottom view which expands and shows the principal part of the state which removed the back cover of the electronic timepiece of FIG. It is the figure which showed the circuit holding member of the electronic timepiece of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a circuit pressing member of the electronic timepiece of FIG. 3. It is a principal part perspective view which shows the front-end | tip part of the capture layer provided in the circuit holding member of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which inserted the shaft of the operation element in the opening part in a capture layer. (A)-(H) are sectional drawings which show the various shapes of the opening part in a capture layer. (A)-(C) are figures which show the other example of a capture layer.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of the electronic timepiece 100. The electronic timepiece 100 includes a timepiece case 1. The watch case 1 is formed in a substantially circular shape as a whole, and a watch glass 2 is attached to the upper surface portion. Band attachment portions 3 and 3 are provided at the 12 o'clock side position and the 6 o'clock side position of the side wall portion of the watch case 1, respectively. Further, operating elements 4 and 5 are provided at the 3 o'clock position of the side wall of the watch case 1, and operating elements 6 and 7 are provided at the 9 o'clock side position. These operators 4, 5, 6, and 7 are operators used for various switches such as a mode change switch and a time correction switch.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged bottom view showing the main part of the electronic timepiece 100 of FIG. 1 with the back cover removed.
The inside of the watch case 1 is formed in a circular space, and the watch module 8 is accommodated in the internal space as shown in FIG. The timepiece module 8 includes a circuit pressing member 9, a housing 10, and a circuit board 11. The operating element 5 is provided so as to be freely inserted into and out of the timepiece case 1, and the tip of the shaft 5 a of the operating element 5 is disposed close to the timepiece module 8. And it has a role which transmits external operation to a timepiece module. Similarly to the operation element 5, the operation elements 4, 6 and 7 are also provided so as to be freely inserted into and out of the timepiece case 1, and the tips of their shafts are arranged close to the timepiece module 8. Reference numeral 20 denotes a leg portion of the dial.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the circuit pressing member 9 of the electronic timepiece 100 of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the circuit pressing member 9 of FIG.
The circuit pressing member 9 is made of metal (for example, stainless steel) and is connected to the GND of the circuit board 11. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the circuit pressing member 9 includes hook portions 9 a that are bent upward and rise at four positions corresponding to the four operating elements 4 to 7. A locking hole 9c is formed in the hook portion 9a. The circuit holding member 9 is attached to the housing 10 by engaging the hook portion 9a with a claw 10d protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the housing 10 as will be described later.

These hook portions 9 a are provided with conductive elastic members 9 b that extend in the circumferential direction of the housing 10. The conductive elastic member 9b is a metal (for example, stainless steel) as described above, and has conductivity. These elastic members 9b are configured to be elastically deformed by being pushed toward the circuit board 11 by the shaft 5a when any one of the operators 4 to 7, for example, the operator 5 is pushed.
That is, the conductive elastic member 9b has a base end fixed to a hook portion of a circuit board which is a component of the timepiece module, and the other end is a free end. Each elastic member 9b has an electrical contact member 9d on the free end side. Each electrical contact member 9 d includes a bent portion 9 </ b> A that is concave toward the corresponding operator and convex toward the circuit board 11.

  Returning to FIG. 2, the housing 10 is formed with a claw 10 d that engages with the locking hole 9 c of the hook portion 9 a. The circuit holding member 9 is attached to the housing 10 by engaging the claw 10d of the housing 10 with the locking hole 9c of the hook portion 9a. The housing 10 sandwiches the circuit board 9.

  Various circuits and conductive patterns are provided on the circuit board 11. An electrical contact member 11a made of, for example, gold plating is formed on the side end of the circuit board 11 so as to correspond to the operators 4-7. The electrical contact member 11a of the circuit board 11 corresponds to the electrical contact member 9d of the elastic member 9b as shown in FIG. When the user presses the operating element (for example, the push button 5), the elastic member 9b is elastically deformed by the pressing of the shaft 5a, and the electric contact member 9d of the bent portion 9A is the electric contact of the circuit board 11. It is configured to be electrically connected to the member 11a. That is, the electrical contact member 9d of the elastic member 9b is configured to be able to contact the electrical contact member 11a.

  In addition, a trapping layer 21 having adhesiveness is provided on the side surface of each elastic member 9b on the watch case 1 side, that is, on the surface of the elastic member opposite to the electrical contact member 9d. The thickness of the capture layer 21 is selected in the range of 0.1 to 1 mm, for example, with respect to the thickness 0.4 to 0.5 mm of the elastic member 9b. The size of the capture layer 21 in the short direction is substantially the same as the width of the corresponding elastic member 9b, and the longitudinal direction of the capture layer 21 covers from the root of the elastic member 9b to the tip of the bent portion 9A. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a region having no capture layer is formed. This region is almost a circular hole, and is a circular cutout in which a part of the end surface of the trapping layer 21 on the bent portion 9A side is open. Here, the region having no capture layer is referred to as an opening 21a. The shape and dimensions of the opening 21a are set such that, for example, when the operating element 5 is pushed and the shaft 5a is displaced, the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b can come into contact with each other and do not come into contact with the capturing layer 21. Has been.

  FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an essential part showing a tip portion of a capture layer provided in the circuit holding member of FIG. The capture layer 21 has a three-layer structure (a three-layer structure in which an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the base layer) including an adhesive layer, a base layer, and an adhesive layer. The shape of the opening 21a is a circular cutout, and a part of the end surface of the trapping layer 21 on the bent portion 9A side is open.

  Next, a method for forming the capture layer 21 will be described. The capture layer 21 is formed using, for example, a double-sided tape. A double-sided tape is one in which a pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to both sides of a belt-like base material, and a double-sided release paper is attached to the side that is outside when the belt is wound. As for the method of using the double-sided tape, first, the outer release paper and the inner double-sided tape are pulled together from the scroll-like tape and cut out to an appropriate length. After firmly sticking the adhesive surface of this to the adherend, the release paper is peeled off. As a result, a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a three-layer structure, a base layer, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer 21 are formed. Moreover, the opening part 21a can be provided by forming the notch corresponding to the opening part 21a in the double-sided tape before affixing on the elastic member 9b.

  As the base material of the double-sided tape, acrylic foam (in which a gas is finely dispersed in an acrylic synthetic resin and formed into a foamed form), a foamed polyolefin, a PET film, or the like can be used. Moreover, adhesives, such as an acrylic adhesive and a rubber adhesive, can be used for an adhesion layer.

  Next, the operation of the electronic timepiece 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the operation element 5 and its shaft 5a will be described as representatives of the four operation elements and their shafts.

  When the user pushes in the operation member 5 of the electronic timepiece 100 for the purpose of mode switching or time adjustment, the shaft 5a of the pushed operation member 5 pushes in the elastic member 9b, and the elastic member 9b is elastically moved toward the circuit board 11 side. Deform. The elastic member 9b directly receives the pressure of the shaft of the operation element 5a. The electrical contact member 9d of the elastic member 9b having the GND potential is electrically connected to the electrical contact member 11a of the circuit board 11. As such, the operator 5 has a role of transmitting an external operation to the timepiece module.

  In addition to such normal use, there are cases where the user wears the electronic timepiece 100, travels outdoors in a car or motorcycle, or operates a rock drill. At that time, the operation element 5 vibrates due to continuous vibration, and the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b rub against each other. As a result, shaving powder generated by rubbing the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b is generated. If the axis of the shaft 5a of the operation element 5 and the surface of the elastic member 9b are arranged at right angles, the tip of the shaft 5a is shaved in parallel, and the axis of the shaft 5a of the operation element 5 and the surface of the elastic member 9b are If the shaft 5a is disposed obliquely, the shaft 5a hits the elastic member 9b while being displaced, so that a phenomenon occurs that the tip of the shaft 5a is scraped obliquely.

  In the present embodiment, the metal powder, which is scraped and scraped, is captured by the adhesive capturing layer 21 having adhesiveness provided near the portion where the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b rub. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the shaft of the operation element is inserted into the opening in the trapping layer. In FIG. 6, the axis of the shaft 5a and the surface of the elastic member 9b are arranged at right angles, the shape of the opening 21a is a circular notch, and a part of the end surface on the bent portion 9A side of the capture layer 21 is formed. is open.

  First, when the tip of the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b come into contact with each other and rub against each other, metal powder is generated from that portion. Although the generated metal powder scatters, the direction of the shaft 5a on one side and the elastic member 9b on the one side is scattered, so that the metal powder scatters with the highest probability in the direction of the cross section of the capture layer 21 (the side surface of the round hole). Then, the metal powder is almost captured at the cross section of the capture layer 21, and a part of the metal powder beyond the cross section is captured at the surface of the capture layer 21. Thus, the generated metal powder is effectively captured by the capture layer 21.

The reason why the opening 21a is provided is to prevent generation of sticky dust due to scraping of the adhesive which is the trapping layer 21.

  Next, various shapes of the opening 21a can be applied. 7A to 7H are views for explaining the shape of the opening 21a in the trapping layer 21. FIG.

  7, (A), (B), (E), and (F) show the case where the axis of the shaft 5a and the surface of the elastic member 9b are arranged at right angles. In the case of (G) (H), it is assumed that the axis of the shaft 5a and the surface of the elastic member 9b are arranged obliquely.

  7A shows the same thing as the trapping layer 21 shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, and the shape of the opening 21a of the trapping layer 21 is a circular notch. A part of the end surface on the bent portion 9A side is open. In FIG. 7B, the opening 21a of the capture layer 21 is a closed round hole. In these cases, the circular diameter (D) of the opening 21a is preferably set to D = 1.1d to 1.5d, for example, where d is the diameter of the shaft 5a. When D is too small, the capture region 21 and the shaft 5a come into contact with each other, and when D is too large, the capture ability is reduced.

  In FIG. 7C, the opening 21a of the capture layer 21 is an oval cutout, and a part of the end surface of the capture layer 21 on the bent portion 9A side is open. In FIG. 7D, the opening 21a of the capture layer 21 is an oval hole. In FIG. 7E, the opening 21a of the capture layer 21 is a square cutout with four rounded corners, and a part of the end surface on the bent portion 9A side of the capture layer 21 is open. In FIG. 7F, the opening 21a of the trapping layer 21 is a square hole having four rounded corners. In FIG. 7G, the opening 21a of the trapping layer 21 is a rectangular cutout with four rounded corners, and a part of the end surface on the bent portion 9A side of the trapping layer 21 is open. In FIG. 7H, the opening 21a of the trapping layer 21 is a rectangular hole with four rounded corners. In these cases, as shown in the figure, the width (W) of the opening 21a corresponding to the width direction of the elastic member 9b is, for example, D = 1.1d to 1.5d, where d is the diameter of the shaft 5a. It is desirable to be set to.

[Modification]
The structure of the capture layer 21 in the electronic timepiece 100 of the embodiment described above is an adhesive layer, a base layer, and an adhesive layer having a three-layer structure, and the opening 21a is provided, but is not limited thereto. Other structures of the trap layer 21 will be described below as modified examples.

  8A to 8C are diagrams showing other examples of the trapping layer 21. FIG. FIG. 8A is a diagram showing an example in which a capture layer 21 made of a single-layer adhesive layer is provided on the side surface of the elastic member 9b of the circuit pressing member 9 on the shaft 5a side. The thickness of the capture layer 21 having a single layer structure can be selected within a range of 0.1 to 1 mm. An opening 21a is formed in a portion of the capture layer 2 that faces the shaft 5a. The size and thickness of the opening 21a are the same as those of the capture layer 21 having the three-layer structure according to the embodiment.

  The capture layer 21 having a single-layer structure can be produced by using a double-sided tape (base-less double-sided tape) having no base material as a core and having only a pressure-sensitive adhesive placed on a double-sided release paper. The capture layer 21 having a charcoal layer structure can also be formed by a manufacturing method in which a predetermined mask is provided on the elastic member 9b, a film is formed by spraying an adhesive, and then the mask is peeled off.

  FIG. 8B shows that the elastic layer 9b of the circuit pressing member 9 is provided with a trapping layer comprising a three-layer adhesive layer, a base layer, and an adhesive layer on the side surface on the shaft 4a, 5a side, and an opening 21a is provided. There is no example. Items (dimensions and thickness) other than the point of not providing the opening 21a are the same as those of the capture layer 21 according to the embodiment.

  FIG. 8C is an example in which a capture layer made of a single adhesive layer is provided on the side surface of the elastic member 9b of the circuit pressing member 9 on the side of the shafts 4a and 5a, and the opening 21a is not provided. Items (dimensions and thickness) other than the point where the opening 21a is not provided are the same as those in the case of FIG.

  Next, operations of the operation element 5 and the elastic member 9b in the modification will be described. First, the example in which the capture layer 21 made of a single adhesive layer described in FIG. 8A is provided is the same as the capture layer 21 according to the embodiment.

  Next, the operation in the case of FIGS. 8B and 8C, that is, the operation in the case where the capture layer 21 has no opening 21a will be described. Since there is no opening part 21a of the capture layer 21, the elastic member 9b receives the pressure of the shaft 5a through the capture layer 21, and there is no contact between metals. Therefore, for example, the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b do not generate metal powder due to rubbing. After the portion of the capture layer 21 in the vicinity of the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b is worn out, the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b are rubbed to generate metal powder, but the generated metal powder is effectively captured by the capture layer 21. Is done.

As described above, the electronic timepiece according to the present embodiment and the modifications thereof have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments and modifications, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. It goes without saying that it is possible.
In this embodiment, the metal powder generated when the metal powder is generated by the friction between the shaft 5a and the elastic member 9b is captured by the capture layer 21, but the non-metallic shaft and the elastic member are rubbed. The shaving powder when the shaving powder is generated may be captured by the capture layer.
In this embodiment, the electronic timepiece 100 is applied. However, the electronic timepiece 100 can be applied to various electronic devices such as a cellular phone and an electronic dictionary.

  As described above, in an electronic device such as the electronic timepiece 100, the device module such as the timepiece module 8 and the like, the exterior portion such as the watch case 1 that houses the device module, and the inside and outside of the exterior portion are provided so as to be freely inserted. The shaft-equipped operating element 5 that transmits to the equipment module, the first electrical contact member 11a provided in the equipment module, and the base end is fixed to the equipment module, while the second electrical contact member 9d is disposed on the free end side. Is provided, and the second electrical contact member 9d is configured to be able to come into contact with the first electrical contact member 11a, and a second end of the conductive elastic member 9b on the free end side is provided. The surface opposite to the electrical contact member 9d is opposed to the shaft 5a of the operation element 5 and is elastically deformed by the pressing of the shaft, so that the second electrical contact member 9d of the conductive elastic member 9b is The shaft 5a and the conductive elastic member 9b are arranged on the surface of the conductive elastic member 9b opposite to the second electric contact member 9d. By providing the adhesive capture layer 21 that captures the metal powder generated by rubbing, the capture layer 21 may cause metal powder that may be generated by contact or rubbing between metal parts due to vibration or the like. There is an effect that it is not captured and scattered in the exterior part of the watch case 1 or the like. Therefore, metal powder does not scatter in the inside of the watch case 1, for example, and it is possible to prevent a contact failure or short circuit of the device. By suppressing the scattering of the metal powder, for example, in the electronic timepiece 100, it is possible to prevent a time shift, a needle shift, and a gear stop.

  Further, in the above configuration, the capture layer 21 has an opening 21a for allowing the shaft 5a and the conductive elastic member 9b to contact each other, and the conductive elastic member 9b presses the shaft 5a of the operation element 5. In the case of receiving directly, there is no generation of sticky dust due to scraping of the adhesive layer which is the trapping layer 21.

  In the above configuration, the capture layer 21 covers at least a portion of the conductive elastic member 9b that can come into contact with the shaft 5a, and the conductive elastic member 9b presses the shaft 5a of the operating element 5 against the capture layer 21. Since the mass productivity is higher than the case where the opening 21a is provided, metal scattering can be prevented at a low cost.

  Further, in the above-described configuration and both cases, the capture layer 21 has a three-layer structure in which an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the base layer. Therefore, the capture layer 21 can be reliably provided. it can.

  In the above-described configuration and both cases, the capture layer 21 is formed of a single-layer adhesive layer, so that the capture layer 21 can be reliably provided.

Although the embodiments of the present invention and modifications thereof have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and is included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof. Hereinafter, the invention described in the scope of claims of the present application will be appended.
[Appendix]
<Claim 1>
An equipment module;
An exterior portion for housing the device module;
An operator provided with a shaft provided in the exterior part;
A first electrical contact member provided on the device module side;
A conductive elastic member in which a base end is fixed to the device module, and a second electrical contact member that can contact and separate from the first electrical contact member is provided on a free end side;
Among the conductive elastic members, an adhesive that is disposed between the second electrical contact member and the shaft of the operation element and captures scraping powder generated by rubbing between the shaft and the conductive elastic member. A capture layer;
An electronic device characterized by comprising.
<Claim 2>
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the capture layer has an opening that allows the shaft and the conductive elastic member to contact each other.
<Claim 3>
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the capture layer covers a portion of the conductive elastic member that faces the shaft.
<Claim 4>
The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the capture layer has a three-layer structure in which an adhesive layer is provided on both sides of the base layer.
<Claim 5>
The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the capture layer is formed of an adhesive layer having a single layer structure.

1 Watch case (exterior)
2 Watch glass 3 Band mounting part 4, 5, 6, 7 Controller 5a Shaft 8 Watch module (equipment module)
9 Circuit holding member 9A Bending part 9a Hook part 9b Conductive elastic member 9d Second electric contact member 10 Housing 10d Claw 11 Circuit board 11a First electric contact member 20 Leg part 21 Capturing layer 21a Opening part 100 Electronic timepiece (electronic machine)

Claims (4)

An equipment module;
An exterior portion for housing the device module;
An operator provided with a shaft provided in the exterior part;
A first electrical contact member provided on the device module side;
A conductive elastic member in which a base end is fixed to the device module, and a second electrical contact member that can contact and separate from the first electrical contact member is provided on a free end side;
Among the conductive elastic members, an adhesive that is disposed between the second electrical contact member and the shaft of the operation element and captures scraping powder generated by rubbing between the shaft and the conductive elastic member. A capture layer;
Equipped with a,
The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the capture layer has an opening that allows the shaft and the conductive elastic member to contact each other .   The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the capture layer covers a portion of the conductive elastic member that faces the shaft. The trapping layer, the electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the adhesive layer comprises a three-layer structure provided on both sides of the base layer. The trapping layer, the electronic device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it consists of a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer having a single layer structure.

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