JPH11239506A - Watch - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a watch provided with a band with excellent features capable of facilitating attachment and detachment, eliminating the need of length adjustment, being in contact with the skin by an appropriate pressure, improving air permeability and performing free appearance expression. SOLUTION: This watch is constituted of a watch main body 1 provided with a display part and the band 2, and in the band 2 composed of leather, synthetic resin, elastomer or textile or the like, the core material 4 of a shape memory alloy whose shape is fixed to an almost C shape beforehand is buried. By a super-elastic effect that the shape memory alloy has, since it is naturally held to the wrist, a mechanism for tightening the band and adjusting a length is omitted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a small information device having a function of being carried on a wristwatch and similar wrists.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A wristwatch is provided with a band for being carried on a wrist or the like. Conventionally used bands include cows and crocodile tanned leather cut into strips, two or more pieces of leather made of different materials are sewn together to provide strength, or a metal piece is used with a rod. What is processed into a belt shape that is connected and freely bent is used. These are called leather bands and metal bands, respectively.
In recent years, a band made of a synthetic resin such as urethane called a resin band has also been used as a wristwatch band.
These bands are composed of two band-shaped members, one end of each of which is connected to a main body including a display portion of a watch, and the other end of which is generally attached with a fastener so that the bands can be connected to each other. is there. After the wristwatch is placed on the upper surface of the wrist, the band is connected to each other with a stopper, so that the watch can be prevented from falling off from the wrist. A buckle called a buckle is mainly used for a leather band or a resin band, and a connecting part called a middle clasp is often used for a metal band.

On the other hand, since the thickness of the wrist to which the wristwatch is worn, particularly the wrist, varies from person to person, a band having a mechanism capable of adjusting the band length within a certain range is generally used. To do this, open multiple small holes in the band continuously in the longitudinal direction, insert the pin of the buckle and change the position to fix it, or adjust the length by increasing or decreasing the band piece There are things to do.

The structure of a conventional wristwatch, in particular, a band fastening mechanism and a band length adjusting mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 shows an example of a wristwatch provided with a leather band.
The wristwatch includes a watch body 1 including a display unit and a pair of bands 32.
Consists of The band 32 further includes a first strap 43 called a buckle side to which the buckle 14 and the hook bar 13 are attached, and a second strap 45 called a sword tip side having a plurality of small holes 15 opened.

[0005] To attach the first strap 43 and the second strap 45 to the arm, the second strap 45 is passed through the buckle 14 and the hook bar 13 is inserted into an appropriate one of the small holes 15 formed. Is connected.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a wristwatch having a metal band. The wristwatch includes a watch main body 1 including a display unit and a pair of bands 52. The band 52 further includes a first breath 53 in which pieces 51 such as metal are connected by a rod (not shown), and a second breath 55 having a similar configuration. A connection component called a clasp 12 is attached.

The wrist of the wristwatch is mounted by passing the clasp 12 through the opening at the end of the first breath and then fitting the clasp 12 and the second breath 55 together. The length of the band 52 is adjusted by the pieces 51 of the breaths 53 to 55.
Is performed by increasing or decreasing a part of.

However, in any case, when attaching and detaching the wristwatch, the operation of the buckle and the clasp must be performed with one hand, and it is difficult to perform the work, and at the same time, the wristwatch, which is a precision machine, is dropped and damaged. There was a danger of getting lost. In addition, it was extremely rare for some of the clasps to hurt their toes and the like. Furthermore, many of the length adjustments are difficult to adjust so that they can be worn without discomfort, and in combination with the fact that the band material is made of a material with poor elasticity, it feels loose and unstable In some cases, they made me feel tight and tight.

In order to compensate for the disadvantages of the conventional band, it has been proposed to use a shape memory alloy as the breath of the band. For example, 63-1615
No. 15, JP-A-1-236004, JP-A-2-102
No. 602 is characterized in that it can be easily attached and detached by using the shape memory property of the shape memory alloy to omit the middle clasp, and can be held in a size corresponding to the thickness of each individual arm. .

However, several problems have been found in the metal band in which these shape memory alloys are directly breathed. First, since the shape memory alloy comes into close contact with each other, there is a possibility that the breathability of the skin may be impaired together with the feeling of pressure. As described above, the conventional metal band has a structure in which the pieces are connected to ensure air permeability and reduce the true contact surface. However, in the above three examples, the metal band is a metal integrated band. Had not been.

Second, there is a problem that the pressing force itself is too strong. Since the transverse elastic modulus of a generally used NiTi-based shape memory alloy is at least about 20,000 MPa, the thickness of the band must be extremely large in order to obtain an appropriate pressing force on the arm. It turned out that it had to be thinner or thinner. Actually, in a case where a plate material having a width of 15 mm and a thickness of 2 mmt, which is a general band shape made of a NiTi alloy, is processed into a C-shaped ring having a diameter of 50 mm,
When attaching to the arm, about 4.5 kg of force was required as the force required to open the cut of the C-shaped ring. Even if the thickness of the C-shaped ring is 1 mm, the force for opening the cut is 2.3.
Since it is estimated to be kg, it is not practical considering that the wristwatch must be worn with one hand.

In the experiments of the inventors, it was obtained that the force for opening the C-shaped ring was 200 g or less as a comprehensive judgment including that for women and the like. The thickness of the alloy was calculated to be 0.1 mm, an unrealistic figure.

It is known that a shape memory alloy can be easily deformed by a martensite phase at a low temperature. In the above-mentioned public information of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-102602, especially, this point is utilized, and the transformation point to the austenite phase is set at around body temperature, and the body can be freely deformed until it is worn on the arm. It is characterized by fitting. However, removal still requires excessive force.

As described above, in order to use a shape memory alloy as a breath of a metal band, the development of an alloy having a low elastic modulus has to be waited for, and it has not been put to practical use.

[0015]

As described above, the conventional wristwatch has the above-mentioned problems relating to the band, and a wristwatch equipped with a band that is easy to attach and detach and adjust the length and has a comfortable wearing property is desired. I have.

The present invention solves these problems, is easy to attach / detach, does not require length adjustment, comes into contact with the skin with an appropriate pressure, has air permeability, and can freely express appearance according to the use of the watch. The present invention provides a wristwatch provided with a band having excellent characteristics such as the ability to perform a watch.

[0017]

A wristwatch provided with a band composed of at least one or more sets of a core material made of a shape memory alloy and a member surrounding the core material, wherein the shape of the band in the longitudinal direction of the band is held substantially in a C shape. Is a wristwatch. The members constituting the band are made of leather, synthetic leather, synthetic resin, elastomer, and the like. Alternatively, the member constituting the band is a small piece made of metal or ceramics.

The core made of a shape memory alloy wire or band is machined into a substantially C-shape in the longitudinal direction, and is held in such a shape that the entire band is wound around the wrist. The main body of the wristwatch including the display unit for the time and the like can be attached to an arbitrary position on the band held in a substantially C-shape. The band is attached to the watch main body by a tubular member provided on the watch main body.

The shape memory alloy used for the core of the band has a shape recovery temperature adjusted to a body temperature or lower, and exhibits superelasticity when worn on an arm. The core material of the shape memory alloy has a cross-sectional area of 3 mm ² or less, and when a plurality of core materials are used at the same time, the total of the cross-sectional areas is 3 mm ² or less.

The wristwatch described above can be easily attached and detached and has a comfortable wearing feeling. In addition, since various materials can be used for the member surrounding the core of the shape memory alloy, not only can the expression of the design be diverse, it can also provide a soft feel and ensure ventilation that prevents stuffiness etc. Become.

(Operation) The operation of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a wristwatch according to the present invention. The wristwatch has a watch body 1 including a display unit and a band 2
Consists of The band 2 is composed of a core member 4 made of a 0.8φ NiTi shape memory alloy wire, which is fixed in a substantially C shape in advance, and a member 3 made of leather surrounding the core member and constituting an integral strap. Here, the strap, which has conventionally been divided into two bodies, is integrated to form the band 2, and the core member 4 has a substantially C-shape so that the entire band 2 matches the cross-sectional shape of the wrist. In FIG. 1, a part of the member 3 is cut and drawn so that the inside of the leather can be seen.
The band 2 and the watch main body 1 are connected by a cylindrical fixing metal member 5 provided on the back of the watch main body 1.

When the watch is worn on the wrist, the band 2
If the opening 6 is pressed against the wrist, the opening 6
Is widened, and the band 2 is attached so as to wind around the arm. In this wristwatch, the band 2 can be opened with a force of about 150 g until the opening 6 is separated by about 5 cm.

The C-shaped inner diameter of the band 2 is defined by the inner core member 4 made of a shape memory alloy. In this case, by setting the width slightly smaller than the thickness of the wrist, a fit can be obtained. This fit is constant regardless of the thickness of the wrist due to the superelastic effect of the shape memory alloy,
The optimum state can be maintained regardless of the user. Further, since the band member in contact with the skin is leather, a soft touch is obtained, and at the same time, the frictional resistance with the skin is increased, so that the band member can be prevented from falling off by an external force.

On the other hand, when removing the wristwatch, it is only necessary to pull the band 2 open with one hand while pulling the band 2 outward from the skin and pull it out of the wrist through the opening 6.

As described above, according to the present invention, a wristwatch that can be easily attached and detached and has a comfortable wearing feeling can be obtained. In addition, since various materials can be used for the member surrounding the core of the shape memory alloy, not only can the expression of the design be diverse, it can also provide a soft feel and ensure ventilation that prevents stuffiness etc. Become.

[0026]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) A first embodiment of a wristwatch according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG.
1 is a schematic view showing a first embodiment of a wristwatch according to the present invention. The wristwatch has a watch body 1 including a display unit and a band 2
Consists of The band 2 is composed of an integral member 3 made of leather, and has a core material 4 made of a 0.8φ NiTi shape memory alloy wire fixed in advance in a substantially C shape embedded therein. Therefore, the band 2 is made of the core material 4
Shows a substantially C-shape similar to that of FIG. The shape recovery temperature of the shape memory alloy used for the core material 4 is set at 25 ° C., and is designed so that superelasticity can be obtained in a normal use state.
In FIG. 1, a part of the member 3 is cut and drawn so that the inside of the leather can be seen. Further, the band 2 and the watch main body 1 are connected by a cylindrical fixing member 5 provided on the back surface of the watch main body 1.

This watch could be easily worn with one hand only by pressing the opening 6 of the band 2 against the wrist. The inner diameter of the C-shaped portion of the band 2 was smaller than the average wrist thickness of a male by about 5 mm, and the shape was similar to the cross section of the wrist, so that a tight fit was obtained. This feeling of fit becomes constant irrespective of the thickness of the wrist due to the superelastic effect of the core material 4 of the shape memory alloy, so that the optimum state can be maintained regardless of the user.

As a result of many monitors, the impression of "forgetting to wear in a few minutes after wearing" could be obtained in combination with the soft touch of the leather. Initially, there was no buckle, etc., so I was concerned that it might fall off by hooking on projections, but since the band member in contact with the skin is leather, friction resistance with the skin is large, except during sports etc. It was also found that the possibility of dropping out in normal life was extremely low. On the other hand, when removing the wristwatch, it is extremely simple because the opening 6 is opened and detached from the wrist by pulling the band 2 outward while pulling it away from the skin with one hand.

An example in which the wristwatch has a structure similar to that of the wristwatch shown in the first embodiment and uses a textile mainly composed of synthetic resin, elastomer, and nylon for the band member 3 will be described. The same shape memory alloy wire as that of the first embodiment was used as the core material 4. As a result, the wearability was almost the same as when leather was used, and there was no functional change. However, it goes without saying that a synthetic resin having an elasticity that does not impair the superelasticity of the shape memory alloy is selected.

(Second Embodiment) A second embodiment of the wristwatch according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a second embodiment of the wristwatch according to the present invention. The wristwatch includes a watch main body 1 including a display unit and a band 22. The band 22 is composed of a plurality of small pieces made of stainless steel, in which small holes are made in advance, that is, the pieces 11, and a core material 24 made of a NiTi shape memory alloy strip penetrated so as to connect them. The cores 24 each have a width of 2 mm × 0.5 t and are fixed in a substantially C-shape in advance, and the plurality of pieces 11 are arranged in a substantially C-shape by the cores 24. The shape memory alloy core material 24 is designed so that the shape recovery temperature is set at 25 ° C. and super elasticity can be obtained in a normal use state. In FIG. 2, by drawing through part of the piece 11,
It is devised so that the inner core material 24 can be seen. The band 22 and the watch main body 1 are connected by a fixture 25 provided on the back of the watch main body 1. As is clear from FIG. 3, the core member 4 also connects the fixing bracket 25 and the piece 11, and the entire band including the fixing bracket 25 becomes substantially C-shaped.

This wristwatch could be easily worn with one hand only by pressing the opening 6 of the substantially C-shaped band 22 against the wrist. The C-shaped inner diameter of the band 22 is about 5 mm smaller than the average wrist thickness of a man,
In addition, the shape resembled the wrist cross-section, so a tight fit was obtained. The effect is the same as that of the first embodiment, but since the metal piece 11 is used, the frictional force with the skin is smaller than that of leather, so that the pressure is slightly increased. This was adjusted by increasing the cross-sectional area of the shape memory alloy.

In the second embodiment, the band piece 11
Even when zirconia ceramics, amber, tortoise, and hard plastic were used, they exhibited almost the same wearability and did not change in any function.

The materials, dimensions and the like used in the first and second embodiments are not limited to those described above. For example, the cross-sectional area of the shape memory alloy should be an optimum one in consideration of the mounting pressure. Needless to say, the members used for the strap member and the breath piece can be basically selected as long as they are flexible in the former and can be molded into the piece in the latter. No. However, it is not preferable that the cross-sectional area of the shape memory alloy exceeds 3 mm 2, because the crimping force usually becomes so strong that a person cannot open it with one hand. In order to obtain superelasticity while touching a human, the shape recovery temperature of the shape memory alloy is set to 35 ° C.
It is preferable to set the following.

[0034]

As described above, according to the present invention, a wristwatch which can be easily attached and detached and has a comfortable wearing feeling can be obtained. In addition, since various materials can be used for the member surrounding the core of the shape memory alloy, not only can the expression of the design be diverse, it can also provide a soft feel and ensure ventilation that prevents stuffiness etc. Become.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a first embodiment of a wristwatch according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a second embodiment of the wristwatch according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view and a side view for supplementary explanation of a second embodiment of the wristwatch according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing an example of a conventional wristwatch.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing another example of a conventional wristwatch.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Watch main body 2 Band 3 Member 4 Core material 5 Fixing bracket 6 Opening

Claims (6)

[Claims] A band comprising at least one set of a core material made of a shape memory alloy and a member surrounding the core material, wherein the band has a shape in the band longitudinal direction substantially formed by the core material made of the shape memory alloy. A wristwatch characterized by being held in a C-shape. 2. The core material made of the shape memory alloy is NiT.
The wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein i is a main component. 3. The total cross-sectional area of the core material made of the shape memory alloy is 3 mm 2 or less.
And the wristwatch according to claim 2. 4. A shape recovery temperature of the shape memory alloy is 35.
4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the temperature is not more than ゜ C.
Wristwatch described. 5. The wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein the member is made of at least one material selected from synthetic resin, elastomer, leather, synthetic leather, and textile. 6. The wristwatch according to claim 1, wherein the member is a small piece made of at least one material selected from metals and ceramics.