JPS6343849B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a changeover switch structure for a timepiece.

In recent years, the number of liquid crystal display watches has increased rapidly, to the point where they now split the market in half with needle-type crystal watches.

As liquid crystal display watches have become more multi-functional, their operation methods have become more complex, and as a reaction to this trend, most switches are operated using push buttons, and the number of buttons is often three or four. However, from the point of view of consumers, it has not been long since LCD watches have been commercialized.
Many people were using it for the first time, and since the operation was completely different from the needle-type watches they had been using, many people felt anxious and confused about how to use it, even with a simple LCD display.

The present invention changes the switch operation of a liquid crystal display watch from a push-button operation to a reuse operation similar to that of a hand-type watch, making it easier for people who are not accustomed to owning a liquid crystal display watch, especially women and the elderly. This is intended to be a compact and simple changeover switch structure that can be attached to small watches such as watches, and will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a drawing showing one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 1-a is a plan view, and Figures 1-b and 1-c are sectional views.

1 is a winding stem and has a cam 1a. 2 is a click lever that connects the switch spring 7 and the click parts 2a, 2.
It has b. Reference numeral 4 denotes a circuit case having projections 4a and 4b formed by a click pin 3, a spring 4c, and a slide.

5 is a switch lever having springs 5a, 5b and an operation part 5c extending in the direction of the winding stem axis and engaging with the cam 1a; 6 is a circuit board having switch pins 8a, 8;
b and electrode patterns 6a, 6b, and 6c.

10 has a protrusion 10a on the panel frame.

The winding stem 1 is provided with a cam 1a connected to a thin shaft portion 1b at its tip end. As is clear from FIG. 1-b, the click lever 2 is provided with a rising portion 2c, which engages with the shaft portion 1b of the winding stem 1. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, which is a front cross-sectional view of the winding stem 1 from the reuse direction, a recess 2d is provided in the rising portion 2c of the click lever, and the rising portion 2c is connected to the cam 1a in a wide range. configured to engage.

Here, the click lever 2 is engaged with the winding stems 1 and 2c, and is positioned two-dimensionally by the click pin 3 of the circuit case 4 and the recess of the click part 2a.

Also, the click lever 2 is connected to the spring 4c of the circuit case.
The click lever 2 is pushed up by the winding stem 1.
The part c is in contact and prevents the winding stem 1 and click lever 2 from rattling. Further, the click lever 2 is pushed up in cross section by a spring 4c of the circuit case and is fixed to the winding stem 1 by a rising portion 2c. The switch lever 5 is connected to the click pin 3 of the circuit case 4.
is engaged with the cam 1a of the winding stem 1c at the protrusion 5c on the swing shaft. Spring parts 5a, 5 of switch lever 5
b engages with two slides 4b of the circuit case 4 provided as engagement step portions, and is positioned together with the click pin.

In addition, the switch lever 5 is cross-sectionally connected to the panel frame 1.
0 and the click lever 2.

The switch spring 7 of the click lever 2 is in contact with the electrode patterns 6a and 6b of the circuit board 6.

Figure 1 shows the watch in its normal carrying state with the winding stem in the first stage, and Figure 2 shows the watch in its corrected state with the winding stem pulled out from Figure 1.
It is exactly the same as the figure. Figure 2-a is a plan view,
Figure 2-b and Figure 2-c.

In the normal carrying state shown in FIG. 1, "hours and minutes" are displayed on the liquid crystal panel 11 as shown in FIG.

Now, when winding stem 1 is rotated clockwise, cam 1a of winding stem 1
The switch lever 5 rotates and engages the cam 1a.
swings around the click pin 3 set up on the circuit case 4, and the spring portion 5a of the switch lever 5 connects to the switch pin 8 as a switch terminal on the circuit board 6.
a, the switch works, and the liquid crystal panel 11
The display changes from the "hour/minute" shown in FIG. 5 to the "month/day" calendar display shown in FIG. When the winding stem 1 is further rotated clockwise, the cam 1a and the switch lever 5 are disengaged. Spring part 5 of switch lever 5
Even if the cams 1a and 5b are swung until the cam 1a and the switch lever 5 are disengaged, the spring portion 5a remains in contact with the switch pin 8a and flexes, so that the switch lever 5 is not destroyed. In addition, in order to absorb variations in the swinging stroke of the switch lever 5, the spring portion 5a of the switch lever 5 is brought into contact with the switch pin 8a, and after contact, the spring portion 5a is deflected to improve the reliability of the switch. . When the cam 1a and the switch lever 5 are disengaged, the spring portion 5b of the switch lever 5, which is engaged with the cover 4b of the circuit case 4, is bent by the amount that the switch lever 5 is swung by the cam 1a. So,
When the cam 1a and the switch lever 5 are disengaged, the switch lever 5 is returned to its home position. As shown in FIG. 4, the cam 1a of the winding stem 1 has two teeth, and when the cam 1a rotates once, the switch blade 5
contacts the switch pin 8a twice, and the liquid crystal panel 1
1 is repeatedly displayed in the "hour/minute" state shown in FIG. 5 and the "month/day" state shown in FIG. 6.

Also, when the winding stem 1 is rotated to the left, the operation is the same as when the winding stem 1 is rotated to the left. Then, the spring portion 5b of the switch lever 5 comes into contact with the switch pin 8b and the switch operates, and the display on the liquid crystal panel 11 changes from the "hours and minutes" shown in FIG. 5 to the "month and day" display shown in FIG. 6. When the winding stem 1 is further rotated to the left, the cam 1a is disengaged from the switch lever 5, and the spring portion 5a of the switch lever 5 returns it to the home position. Furthermore, winding stem 1
When the switch lever 5 is rotated counterclockwise, the switch lever 5 comes into contact with the switch pin 8b again, and the display on the liquid crystal panel 11 returns from the "month/day" display shown in FIG. 6 to the "hour/minute" display shown in FIG. 5, and the winding stem 1 Figures 5 and 6 are obtained by rotating to the left.
The display on the liquid crystal panel 11 shown in the figure is alternately repeated.

Next, when the winding stem 1 is pulled out and brought into the corrected state shown in FIG. It engages with the click pin 3 and the winding stem 1 is positioned at the second stage. At this time, when the click portion of the click lever 2 moves the click pin 3, a click feeling is generated, similar to the conventional hand-type timepiece. The click lever 2 has a switch spring portion 7, and in the first stage state in which the winding stem is pushed in, the switch spring 7 is in contact with the electrode patterns 6a and 6b of the circuit board 6. 6a is a positive terminal. In this state, the switch spring 7 is not in contact with the electrode pattern 6c, so the watch is in the normal portable mode. When the winding stem 1 is pulled out and the click lever 2 moves, the switch spring 7 also moves at the same time, and when the switch spring 7 that contacts the electrode pattern 6c of the circuit board 6 contacts the electrode pattern 6c, the positive terminal of the electrode pattern 6a and the electrode pattern 6c are connected. The connection is made via the switch spring 7 and the watch is put into correction mode. In this state, "Time/
The minute colon 11a changes from flashing to lit, and the seconds are reset and the clock is stopped. This is no different from the phenomenon of a needle-type quartz watch with the winding stem pulled out.

Here, winding stem 1 is pulled out to the second stage, but cam 1
a is always engaged with the switch lever 5.

In this state, rotate the winding stem 1 to correct the hours and minutes. When winding stem 1 is rotated clockwise, cam 1 of winding stem 1
a rotates, the switch lever 5 that engages with the cam 1a is swung around the click pin 3 set up on the circuit case 4, and the spring portion 5a is attached to the switch pin 8a.
When touched, the switch operates and the display on the liquid crystal panel 11 is corrected as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. The correction made by turning the winding stem 1 clockwise is an additive correction that corrects the "minutes" and is linked to the "hours" as shown in FIG. Moreover, when the winding stem 1 is rotated counterclockwise, it is exactly the opposite, and each time the switch operates, the ``minutes'' are subtracted and corrected, and the ``hours'' are also corrected.

The operation at this time is exactly the same as when the winding stem 1 is rotated in the normal state shown in FIG.

Once the correction is complete, push in the winding stem 1,
The click lever 2 is moved to the first stage to remove the contact between the switch spring 7 and the copper foil pattern 6c of the circuit board 6 to return to the normal mode. At this moment, the clock starts moving.

The correction of "month/day" is similar.In the first row, rotate the winding stem 1 to change the display from "hours/minutes" shown in Figure 5 to "month/day" shown in Figure 6, and turn the winding stem 1. Correct the drawer.

The structure of the changeover switch of the present invention is as described above, but as shown in Fig. 1-b, the winding stem 1 is connected to the outer case 9.
Since the cam 1a of the winding stem 1 and the switch lever 5 are guided only by the winding stem 1, there is a risk that the engagement between the cam 1a of the winding stem 1 and the switch lever 5 will vary, and the swing stroke of the switch lever may change. Click lever 2 is activated by spring 4c of case 4.
Push up and apply click lever 2c to winding stem 1.

At this time, when the click lever 2 is pushed up by the spring 4c of the circuit case 4, the switch lever 5 located between the panel frame 10 and the click lever 2 loses its lag and malfunctions. The protrusion 10a is provided with a height equal to or greater than the thickness of the switch lever 5 to ensure that the switch lever 5 is free.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the switch spring 7 of the click lever 2 causes the click lever 2
You can also decide the degree. Furthermore, a structure in which the click lever 2 and the switch lever 5 are arranged differently is also possible.

According to the structure of the present invention, the combination of the switch lever and the click lever performs all the switching functions of the changeover switch operation by the winding stem, so the structure is simple and compact. Furthermore, since the structure is simple, it can be combined with other parts to create a changeover switch structure suitable for each individual watch.

Furthermore, since the engaging parts of the switch lever and the winding stem, and the engagement parts of the click lever and the winding stem are on almost the same plane, and the space is small, the winding stem can also be shortened, so even if it is placed side by side with the liquid crystal panel as shown in Figure 1, the watch body can be easily adjusted. There is no need to increase the display area of the liquid crystal panel or reduce the display area of the liquid crystal panel.

Since the swing shaft of the switch lever also shares the click pin of the click lever, the number of parts is not increased and the spacing is effective.

Furthermore, the circuit case or panel frame can be used as a means to stabilize the engagement between the cam of the winding stem and the switch lever, so the number of parts and costs do not increase.

The number of teeth on the cam of the winding stem is preferably 2 or 4 from the viewpoint of ease of attachment to the reuse, and also from the viewpoint of switch operation.

The present invention is as described above, and the complex button operations of a liquid crystal display watch are made easy to operate, especially for women and the elderly, by pulling out and rotating the crown, similar to the needle-type watch that consumers are accustomed to using. Moreover, it provides a compact changeover switch structure that can be installed in small, thin watches such as women's watches, which is highly effective.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figures 1 and 2 are drawings showing embodiments of the present invention, and Figures 1-a and 2-a are plan views, Figure 1-b,
1-c, 2-b, and 2-c are cross-sectional views. FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a drawing showing the engagement relationship between the winding stem cam and the switch lever of the present invention. FIG. 5, FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8 are drawings showing the display state of the clock according to the present invention. 1... winding stem, 2... click lever, 3... click pin, 4... circuit case, 5... switch lever, 6... circuit board, 7... switch spring,
8...Switch pin, 9...Exterior case, 10...
...Panel frame, 11...LCD panel.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In a watch switch structure in which the display on an electronic display device such as a liquid crystal display is changed or corrected by the rotation of an external operating member, the external operating member is accompanied by a click means in conjunction with the movement in the axial direction. a first switch mechanism that is operated by the rotation of the external operating member; and a second switch mechanism that is operated by the rotation of the external operating member, and the second switch mechanism has a rotating part on the base plate and rotates. It consists of a switch lever and a switch conductive member opposing the switch lever and forming a switch,
The switch lever 5 has an operating portion 5c that extends from the rotating shaft portion substantially in the axial direction of the external operating member, and whose end engages with a cam member coupled to the external operating member.
and two spring parts 5a and 5b extending from the rotating shaft part and extending along both sides of the operating part so as to sandwich the operating part, and each of the two spring parts is elastically engaged with each of the two engaging step portions 4b, 4b arranged to sandwich the external operating member, and the engaging step portion is arranged between the spring portion and the external operating member, The two spring parts are arranged to elastically clamp the engagement step part, and the two switch terminals 8a and 8b are arranged facing each of the two spring parts with a gap between them, When the switch lever is rotated by the external operating member, the spring portion is arranged in a position where it contacts the switch terminal, and the two spring portions of the switch lever are rotated by the external operating member. When one spring part is rotated in the direction of contacting one of the switch terminals, the other spring part cooperates with the engaging part and operates as a return spring for the switch lever, and the external operating member A timepiece switch structure configured to return the switch lever to its initial position by the action of the return spring when the cam member of the switch lever is disengaged from the operating part of the switch lever.