Switching device and timepiece

Abstract

A switching device is provided with: a housing provided with a through-hole; an operation member having a shaft portion inserted into the through hole of the housing and a head portion provided at an outer end portion of the shaft portion; and a buffer member disposed in the head portion of the operation member. The buffer member includes an annular main body portion, a plurality of first protruding portions protruding from one surface of the main body portion toward the head portion, and a plurality of second protruding portions protruding from the other surface of the main body portion opposite to the head portion toward the housing. The plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions are disposed at positions that do not overlap each other in the axial direction of the operation member as viewed from the head side of the operation member.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a switching device used in electronic devices such as watches, and to a clock or watch incorporating the switching device. Background Technology

[0002] For example, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 52-52979 describes the following structure for a watch crown: a tube (wound core tube) is installed through a hole in the watch case (body), and an operating component (crown core and crown body) is rotatably and slidably installed on this tube. Furthermore, to prevent damage to the watch mechanism inside the case from external impact, where the operating component could be pressed into the watch case, the watch crown is equipped with a locking mechanism to lock the operating component into the tube.

[0003] However, in the switching mechanism of such watches, when the operating component is locked in the tube by the locking mechanism, the impact cannot be buffered when the operating component is impacted from the outside. Therefore, there is a problem that the external thread of the tube and the internal thread of the operating head, which are in a state of mutual thread engagement, are damaged due to the impact.

[0004] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a switching device capable of buffering external impacts and a clock having the switching device. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a switching device comprising: a housing having a through hole; an operating member having a shaft portion inserted into the through hole of the housing and a head portion disposed at the outer end of the shaft portion; and a buffer member disposed within the head portion of the operating member, the buffer member comprising a cylindrical main body portion, a plurality of first protrusions protruding from one side of the main body portion toward the head portion, and a plurality of second protrusions protruding from another side of the main body portion located opposite to the head portion toward the housing portion, wherein the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions are disposed in a non-overlapping position along the axial direction of the operating member as viewed from the head portion.

[0006] According to the present invention, it is able to buffer impacts from the outside. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is an enlarged front view showing one embodiment of applying the invention to a watch.

[0008] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 The enlarged sectional view of the main part of the watch shown from angle AA.

[0009] Figure 3 It is shown in Figure 2 An enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the switch device shown, in the state where the locking mechanism has released the locking of the operating component.

[0010] Figure 4 This is observed from the outside of the watch case. Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the switching device shown.

[0011] Figure 5 This was observed from the inside of the watch case. Figure 2 An exploded perspective view of the switching device shown.

[0012] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 4 An enlarged perspective view of the buffer component of the switching device shown. Detailed Implementation

[0013] The following is for reference Figures 1-6 One embodiment of applying the present invention to a watch will be described.

[0014] like Figure 1 As shown, the watch has a watch case 1. A watch strap mounting part 2 for mounting a watch strap (not shown) is provided on the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side of the watch case 1.

[0015] like Figure 1 As shown, push-button switches 3 are respectively provided on the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of the watch case 1. Furthermore, a switch device 4 is provided on the 3 o'clock side of the watch case 1. Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a watch glass 5 is provided at the upper opening of the watch case 1 via a glass seal 5a. A back cover 6 is installed at the lower part of the watch case 1 via a waterproof seal 6a.

[0016] And, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a clock module 7 is provided inside the watch case 1. Although not shown, the clock module 7 includes a clock movement that moves hands to indicate the time, a flat display device that displays the time, date, day of the week, and other information in an electro-optical manner, and various components necessary for the clock function, such as a circuit section for driving and controlling the above components.

[0017] In this case, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, the watch case 1 includes a case body 1a, a first outer component 1b disposed on the outer periphery of the case body 1a, and a second outer component 1c located on the upper part of the first outer component 1b and disposed on the upper outer periphery of the case body 1a. The case body 1a is formed of metal or a synthetic resin with high rigidity. The first outer component 1b is formed of a soft synthetic resin such as urethane resin. The second outer component 1c is formed of metal or synthetic resin.

[0018] Moreover, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the switch device 4 located on the 3 o'clock side of the watch case 1 is a switch for setting and selecting functions such as time correction and mode switching. The switch device 4 includes a cylindrical component 10 installed in a through hole 8 provided in the main body 1a of the watch case 1, an operating component 11 that is slidably and rotatably installed in the cylindrical component 10, and a locking mechanism 27 that locks the operating component 11 to the cylindrical component 10.

[0019] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the cylindrical component 10 is formed in a generally tubular shape from a metal with high rigidity, such as stainless steel. This cylindrical component 10 has a small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 that inserts into the through hole 8 of the main body 1a of the watch case 1, and a large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 that protrudes from the outside of the main body 1a. The outer diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is formed to be approximately the same size as the inner diameter of the through hole 8 of the main body 1a. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through hole 8. Therefore, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is formed into a tubular shape with a relatively thin wall thickness.

[0020] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the axial length of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is slightly longer than the axial length of the through hole 8. Thus, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is configured such that when the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is disposed abutting against the outer surface of the case body 1a of the watch case 1, the inner end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 protrudes into the interior of the case body 1a.

[0021] In this case, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in the cylindrical component 10, the outer periphery of the inner end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 protruding into the interior of the watch case 1 and the edge of the inner end of the through hole 8 of the case body 1a are fixedly installed around the entire circumference of the through hole 8 of the case body 1a by welding such as laser welding, or by brazing and thread sealant. Thus, waterproofing between the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 8 in the case body 1a of the watch case 1 and the outer circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 of the cylindrical component 10 is achieved by welding such as laser welding, or by brazing and thread sealant.

[0022] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the outer diameter of the large-diameter barrel portion 13 is larger than the inner diameter of the through hole 8 of the main body 1a of the watch case 1, and smaller than the length (height) of the watch case 1 in the vertical direction. That is, the outer diameter of the large-diameter barrel portion 13 is, for example, about three times the inner diameter of the through hole 8 and about half the length of the watch case 1 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the large-diameter barrel portion 13 is the same as the inner diameter of the small-diameter barrel portion 12.

[0023] Therefore, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is formed into a tube whose length (wall thickness) between its inner and outer diameters is sufficiently longer (thicker) than the length (wall thickness) between the inner and outer diameters of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12. Furthermore, the axial length of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is formed, for example, approximately the same as the axial length of the through hole 8 in the body 1a of the watch case 1.

[0024] In this case, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the outer diameter of the large-diameter barrel portion 13, which forms the outer side of the watch case 1, is smaller than the outer diameter of the inner side of the watch case 1. That is, the large-diameter barrel portion 13 has a contact barrel portion 13a, which serves as the inner contact portion on the watch case 1 side, and an outer barrel portion on the opposite side, which is smaller. The axial lengths of the outer barrel portion are formed to be sufficiently longer than the axial length of the inner contact barrel portion 13a. An external thread portion 13b, which is the outer periphery of the smaller outer barrel portion of the large-diameter barrel portion 13, is provided with the locking mechanism 27 described below.

[0025] On the other hand, such as Figures 2-5 As shown, the operating member 11 installed on the cylindrical member 10 includes: an operating shaft portion 16 as a shaft portion, which is slidably and rotatably disposed inside the cylindrical member 10 and protrudes to the outside of the cylindrical member 10; and an operating head 17 as a head, which is slidably mounted on the outer end of the operating shaft portion 16 protruding from the cylindrical member 10 along its axial direction and covers the outer end of the operating shaft portion 16 and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10. The operating shaft portion 16 is formed of a metal such as stainless steel or titanium alloy, or a hard synthetic resin.

[0026] like Figures 2-5 As shown, the operating shaft portion 16 includes a shaft body portion 18 that is inserted into the cylindrical member 10 and a shaft operating portion 19 located at the outer end of the shaft body portion 18 and protruding outward from the cylindrical member 10. The outer diameter of the shaft body portion 18 is formed to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of the cylindrical member 10. Furthermore, the axial length of the shaft body portion 18 is formed to be slightly longer than the axial length of the cylindrical member 10. Alternatively, the axial length of the shaft body portion 18 may be shorter than the axial length of the cylindrical member 10.

[0027] Therefore, as Figures 2-5 As shown, when the inner end of the shaft body 18 is located at the inner end of the cylindrical member 10, the outer end is disposed slightly separated from the outer end of the cylindrical member 10, and in this state, it is rotatably and slidably disposed within the cylindrical member 10. Furthermore, a plurality of waterproof rings 20 are provided in a ring shape along the outer periphery of the shaft body 18. These plurality of waterproof rings 20 are configured to achieve waterproofing between the outer peripheral surface of the shaft body 18 and the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical member 10.

[0028] And, as Figures 2-5 As shown, the shaft operating part 19 is integrally provided at the outer end of the shaft body part 18 located at the outer end of the cylindrical member 10, allowing the shaft body part 18 to perform sliding and rotating operations. Specifically, the shaft operating part 19 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape with a bottom 19a located at the outer end of the shaft body part 18. Inside the shaft operating part 19, a circular recessed hole 19b is provided along the axial direction of the operating member 11.

[0029] And, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the shaft operating part 19 includes an inner cylindrical part 21 with a small outer diameter and an outer cylindrical part 22 with a large outer diameter. The outer diameter of the inner cylindrical part 21 with a small diameter is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the external threaded part 13b provided on the outer periphery of the large-diameter cylindrical part 13 of the cylindrical member 10, that is, slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the internal threaded part 28a of the locking mechanism 27 described below.

[0030] In this case, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the smaller diameter is configured such that its inner end, i.e., the bottom 19a of the shaft operating portion 19, is close to the outer end face of the outer end, i.e., the external thread portion 13b, of the outer diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 in a manner that allows for contact and separation. Thus, the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the smaller diameter is configured such that its inner end, i.e., the bottom 19a of the shaft operating portion 19, does not abut against the outer end face of the external thread portion 13b of the outer diameter cylindrical portion 13. In this case, the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the smaller diameter is configured such that when the locking of the operating head 17 relative to the outer diameter cylindrical portion 13 is released, the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 moves towards the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the smaller diameter.

[0031] like Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, a first operating plane portion 23a is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the large diameter, and on the radially opposing portions. The outer diameter of the portion of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the large diameter without the first operating plane portion 23a, i.e., the outer diameter in the long axis direction of the outer end face, is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the external thread portion 13b of the large diameter cylindrical portion 13, and smaller than the outer diameter of the locking member 28 and larger than the inner diameter of the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28. Therefore, the outer end face of the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 can contact and separate against the stepped surfaces of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the small diameter and the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the large diameter. Furthermore, Figure 2 and Figure 3 In the middle, the outer diameter of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 is depicted as a cross section orthogonal to the first operating plane portion 23a, that is, a cross section along the short axis of the outer end face of the outer cylindrical portion 22. Therefore, it is depicted as smaller than the outer diameter of the external thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 and the inner diameter of the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28.

[0032] That is, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, originally, the outer diameter of the outer end face of the larger diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 in the long axis direction was formed to be sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the smaller diameter inner cylindrical portion 21. Therefore, as... Figure 3 As shown, the shaft operating part 19 is configured such that when the locking mechanism 27 releases the locking of the operating head 17, the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 moves to the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the small diameter, and the outer end of the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 abuts against the stepped surfaces of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the small diameter and the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the large diameter in a manner that allows contact and separation.

[0033] In this case, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 is configured to be slidably disposed within the operating head 17 along the axial direction of the operating head 17 and to rotate together with the operating head 17. That is, a first anti-slip portion 23 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the operating head 17 for rotating the outer cylindrical portion 22 via the buffer member 32 and by means of the operating head 17.

[0034] On the other hand, such as Figures 2-5 As shown, the operating head 17 includes: a cover 24 that covers the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 and into which the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16 is inserted; and a spring member 25 as a force-applying member that applies force in a direction that pushes the cover 24 toward the outside of the watch case 1. The cover 24 is formed of a generally cylindrical shape with an outer end sealed by a metal such as titanium alloy.

[0035] like Figures 2-5As shown, the cover portion 24 is formed into a roughly circular shape, with its outer diameter being sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 and approximately 2 / 3 of the length of the watch case 1 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the cover portion 24 includes a small-diameter hole 24a into which the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16 is inserted, a medium-diameter hole 24b into which the buffer member 32 described below is disposed, and a large-diameter hole 24c into which the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 and the locking mechanism 27 are inserted and covered.

[0036] In this case, such as Figures 2-5 As shown, the first anti-idle rotation unit 23 includes a first operating plane portion 23a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the shaft operating unit 19 (see reference). Figure 4 ), and the first small-diameter flat portion 23b on the inner peripheral surface of the small-diameter hole portion 24a in the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 (refer to Figure 5 ), and the first buffer inner peripheral plane portion 23c provided on the inner peripheral surface of the buffer member 32 (refer to Figure 3 ), and the first buffer outer peripheral plane portion 23d provided on the outer peripheral surface of the buffer member 32 (refer to Figure 4 ), and the first intermediate diameter plane portion 23e provided on the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate diameter hole portion 24b of the cover member 24 (see reference) Figure 5 ).

[0037] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the first small-diameter flat portion 23b of the cover portion 24 is respectively pressed against the first operating flat portion 23a of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 and the first buffer inner peripheral flat portion 23c of the buffer member 32. In this case, the first operating flat portion 23a of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 abuts against the first small-diameter flat portion 23b of the cover portion 24 only when the operating head 17 is locked to the cylindrical member 10 by the locking mechanism 27 described below.

[0038] And, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the first inner peripheral planar portion 23c of the buffer member 32 abuts against the first small-diameter planar portion 23b of the cover portion 24, whether in the locked state or the unlocked state of the locking mechanism 27 described below. Furthermore, as... Figure 5 As shown, the first buffer outer peripheral plane portion 23d of the buffer member 32 is correspondingly pressed against the first middle diameter plane portion 23 of the cover member 24.

[0039] Therefore, as Figure 3As shown, the first anti-idle rotation part 23 is configured such that when the locking mechanism 27 described below is released, the first operating plane part 23a of the outer cylinder part 22 abuts against the first buffer inner peripheral plane part 23c of the buffer member 32, and the first buffer outer peripheral plane part 23d of the buffer member 32 abuts against the first middle diameter plane part 23e of the middle diameter hole part 24b. In this state, the operating head 17 and the buffer member 32 can slide relative to each other along the axial direction and rotate as a whole without causing the operating head 17 to idle.

[0040] At the instant of release from the locking mechanism 27, such as Figure 3 As shown, the outer cylinder 22 remains stationary. However, when the lock is released and the cylinder slides outward from its position after being pushed out by the spring member 25 (when the switch of the crown, which serves as the switching device 4, is turned on), the operating head 17, the buffer member 32, and the large-diameter outer cylinder 22 slide together.

[0041] And, as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, a spring guide portion 26 is provided inside the cover portion 24. This spring guide portion 26 is used to guide the spring component 25, and is formed into a round rod shape, and is provided along the axial direction of the cover portion 24 at approximately the center of the inner end face of the small-diameter hole portion 24a of the cover portion 24. That is, the spring guide portion 26 is formed such that, for example, its outer diameter is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the shaft body portion 18.

[0042] And, as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, the axial length of the spring guide 26 is shorter than the axial length of the recessed portion 19b of the shaft operating portion 19. Therefore, when the shaft operating portion 19 is inserted into the small-diameter hole 24a of the cover portion 24, the spring guide 26 is disposed without contacting the recessed portion 19b of the shaft operating portion 19.

[0043] like Figures 2-5 As shown, the spring component 25 is a helical spring, disposed within the recessed portion 19b of the shaft operating portion 19, positioned on the outer periphery of the spring guide portion 26. Specifically, the spring component 25 is configured such that its inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the spring guide portion 26, and its outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the recessed portion 19b of the shaft operating portion 19. Furthermore, one end of the spring component 25 abuts against the inner surface of the bottom 19a within the recessed portion 19b of the shaft operating portion 19, and the other end abuts against the inner end face of the small-diameter hole 24a of the cover portion 24, located on the outer side.

[0044] Therefore, as Figures 2-5As shown, the spring component 25 is configured to apply force in the direction of pushing the cover 24 outward toward the watch case 1. When the cover 24 is locked by the locking mechanism 27, it is compressed in the axial direction and extends in the axial direction when the locking mechanism 27 releases the lock on the cover 24, thus pushing the cover 24 outward toward the watch case 1.

[0045] Furthermore, in the operating shaft section 16, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a square rod-shaped core (not shown) is inserted into and connected to a cylindrical (square, cylindrical, etc.) connecting hole 18a located at the inner end of the shaft body 18. Thus, when the operating shaft 16 slides and rotates due to the operation of the operating head 17, the core slides and rotates together with the operating shaft 16.

[0046] In this case, although not shown, the winding core is configured to rotate freely relative to the clock module 7 when pressed into it. Furthermore, the winding core is configured to connect to the clock module 7 when pulled out to a certain extent after the locking mechanism 27 has been released. In this state, it rotates according to the rotation operation of the operating head 17 to set and select functions such as time correction and mode switching.

[0047] That is, such as Figure 2 As shown, the operating shaft 16 is configured such that when the shaft body 18 is pressed into the inside of the watch case 1 and the winding core (not shown) is pressed into the watch module 7, the connection between the winding core and the watch module 7 is released. Even if the shaft operating part 19 rotates and the winding core rotates in this state, the rotation will not be transmitted to the watch module 7, and functions such as time correction and mode switching will not be set or selected.

[0048] Furthermore, the operating shaft portion 16 is configured such that, from the shaft body portion 18... Figure 3 When the watch case 1 is pulled outwards and the winding core (not shown) slides outwards from the watch module 7, the winding core is connected to the watch module 7. If the shaft operation unit 19 rotates and the winding core rotates in this state, the rotation is transmitted to the watch module 7 to set and select functions such as time correction and mode switching.

[0049] On the other hand, such as Figures 2-5 As shown, the locking mechanism 27 includes a locking member 28 that is locked to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 by rotation, and a rotation transmission member 29 that mounts the locking member 28 so as to be able to slide axially and rotate the locking member 28 according to the rotation operation of the operating member 11. The rotation transmission member 29 is configured to slide axially relative to the locking member 28. The locking member 28 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape and disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the rotation transmission member 29. The locking member 28 is formed in a generally cylindrical shape from a metal such as stainless steel.

[0050] like Figures 2-5 As shown, the axial length of the locking member 28 is approximately the same as the axial length of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13. The locking member 28 has an internal thread portion 28a on its outer end side, which is the inner side of its inner circumference. This internal thread portion 28a is threadedly engaged with an external thread portion 13b located on the outer circumference of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10. Thus, when the internal thread portion 28a and the external thread portion 13b are threadedly engaged, the locking member 28 is configured such that its inner end is pressed against the abutting cylindrical portion 13a of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13, and the outer end face of the locking member 28 protrudes further outward from the outer end face of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 than the outer end face of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13.

[0051] like Figures 2-5 As shown, the locking member 28 is configured such that its outer diameter, excluding the outer diameter of the large-diameter protruding edge 31a described below, is larger than the inner diameter of the small-diameter hole 24a of the operating head 17 and smaller than the inner diameter of the middle-diameter hole 24b of the operating head 17. Therefore, the locking member 28 is configured such that when the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 is released from locking, the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is pushed outwards towards the outer side of the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25.

[0052] Therefore, as Figures 2-5 As shown, the locking member 28 is configured such that when the cover 24 of the operating head 17 is pushed toward the outer side of the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 moves toward the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the small diameter of the shaft operating portion 19, and the inner periphery of the inner side of the locking member 28 moves toward the outer periphery of the external thread portion 13b of the large diameter cylindrical portion 13. In this state, the outer end of the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 abuts against the stepped surfaces of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the small diameter and the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the large diameter.

[0053] like Figures 2-5 As shown, the rotary transmission member 29 is formed in a cylindrical shape from a metal such as stainless steel. The rotary transmission member 29 is formed with an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the locking member 28, and an axial length shorter than the axial length of the locking member 28. Therefore, the rotary transmission member 29 is configured such that when the locking member 28 is locked to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 and the inner end of the locking member 28 is pressed against the abutting cylindrical portion 13a of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13, a gap is provided between the inner end face of the rotary transmission member 29 and the outer end face of the housing body 1a. Furthermore, even if the axial length of the rotary transmission member 29 is the same as or longer than the axial length of the locking member 28, a gap can be provided between the rotary transmission member 29 and the housing body 1a as long as the rotary transmission member 29 side of the housing body 1a is cut, so there is no problem.

[0054] And, as Figures 2-5 As shown, the outer diameter of the rotary transmission member 29 is formed to be the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the large-diameter hole 24c in the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. Thus, the rotary transmission member 29, with the locking member 28 disposed inside, is pressed into and fixed within the large-diameter hole 24c of the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. While pressing allows for disassembly, the fixing method can also be other than pressing. For example, the fixing method could be bonding, welding, riveting, etc. Therefore, the rotary transmission member 29 is configured not to slide relative to the cover portion 24, and rotates integrally with the operating head 17, transmitting its rotation to the locking member 28, thereby causing the locking member 28 to rotate.

[0055] In this case, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a position limiting portion 24d is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter hole 24c of the cover portion 24 to limit the pressing position of the rotation transmission member 29 within the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. Thus, when the rotation transmission member 29 is pressed into the large-diameter hole 24c of the cover portion 24, the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29 on the cover portion 24 side abuts against the position limiting portion 24d and is thus positionally limited. Depending on the requirements of the pressing process, the rotation transmission member 29 is configured such that the inner end face of the watch case 1 side is flush with the inner end face of the watch case 1 side of the cover portion 24.

[0056] And, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the locking member 28 and the rotation transmission member 29 are configured to slide relative to each other and rotate integrally due to the second anti-spinning part 30. That is, the second anti-spinning part 30 includes: a second locking plane part 30a, which is respectively provided on the outer peripheral surface of the small-diameter stepped part 31b of the locking member 28; and a second transmission plane part 30b, which is respectively provided opposite to the inner peripheral surface of the small-diameter cut-out part 31c of the rotation transmission member 29 and is correspondingly pressed against the second locking plane part 30a of the locking member 28.

[0057] Therefore, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the second anti-idle rotation part 30 is configured such that, in a state where the second locking plane part 30a of the locking member 28 and the second transmission plane part 30b of the rotation transmission member 29 are in corresponding contact, the locking member 28 and the rotation transmission member 29 can slide relative to each other along the axial direction, so that the locking member 28 and the rotation transmission member 29 rotate together without idle rotation.

[0058] And, as Figures 2-5As shown, the locking mechanism 27 includes an anti-disengagement portion 31 to prevent the locking member 28 from disengaging from the rotation transmission member 29 toward the watch case 1. This anti-disengagement portion 31 includes a large-diameter protruding edge 31a at the outer end of the locking member 28, a small-diameter stepped portion 31b smaller than the outer diameter of the large-diameter protruding edge 31a, and a small-diameter cutout 31c on the inner circumferential surface of the rotation transmission member 29. The large-diameter protruding edge 31a protrudes from the outer circumference of the outer end of the locking member 28. The small-diameter stepped portion 31b protrudes one level higher from the outer circumferential surface of the outer end of the locking member 28. Furthermore, the small-diameter cutout 31c is one level lower at the outer end of the rotation transmission member 29.

[0059] In this case, such as Figures 2-5 As shown, the large-diameter protruding edge 31a of the locking member 28 is formed with an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the rotation transmission member 29 and a size smaller than the outer diameter of the rotation transmission member 29 and smaller than the inner diameter of the position limiting portion 24d provided on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter hole 24c in the cover portion 24. In the locked state where the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 is threadedly engaged with the external thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13, the axial length of the large-diameter protruding edge 31a is, for example, approximately the same as the length by which the internal thread portion 28a protrudes from the outer end of the cylindrical member 10.

[0060] And, as Figures 2-5 As shown, the small-diameter stepped portion 31b of the locking member 28 is formed such that its outer diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the large-diameter protruding edge portion 31a but larger than the outer diameter of the locking member 28. The axial length of the small-diameter stepped portion 31b is formed to be approximately the same as the axial length of the large-diameter protruding edge portion 31a. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the small-diameter cutout portion 31c of the rotation transmission member 29 is formed to be approximately the same as the outer diameter of the small-diameter stepped portion 31b. The axial length of the small-diameter cutout portion 31c is formed to be approximately the same as the axial length of the small-diameter stepped portion 31b.

[0061] Therefore, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the anti-detachment part 31 is configured such that, regardless of whether the internal thread part 28a and the external thread part 13b are in a locked state of being threadedly engaged, or in a state where the threaded engagement between the internal thread part 28a and the external thread part 13b is released, the inner end face of the large diameter protruding edge 31a of the locking member 28 abuts against the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29, and the small diameter stepped part 31b is inserted into the small diameter cutout 31c of the rotation transmission member 29 and abuts against the inner end face of the small diameter cutout 31c.

[0062] Therefore, the anti-detachment part 31 is configured as follows: Figure 3As shown, when the rotation transmission component 29 moves together with the cover 24 of the operating head 17 toward the outer side of the watch case 1, the inner end face of the large diameter protrusion 31a of the locking component 28 abuts against the outer end face of the rotation transmission component 29, and the inner end face of the small diameter step 31b abuts against the inner end face of the small diameter cut 31c. Therefore, the locking component 28 moves together with the rotation transmission component 29, and the locking component 28 will not disengage from the rotation transmission component 29 toward the watch case 1.

[0063] Moreover, such as Figures 2-6 As shown, a buffer member 32 is provided in the middle diameter hole 24b of the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. In the locked state where the internal thread portion 28a and the external thread portion 13b are threadedly engaged, when the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 is impacted from the outside, the buffer member 32 releases the impact to buffer it. The buffer member 32 is formed of synthetic resin, metal, etc.

[0064] That is, when the cushioning component 32 is made of synthetic resin, it can be inexpensively formed, for example, from a synthetic resin with high rigidity such as polyamide resin, or a synthetic resin with elasticity such as urethane resin. Furthermore, when the cushioning component 32 is made of metal, it can be inexpensively formed, for example, from a soft metal such as aluminum or copper, or a metal with high rigidity such as stainless steel.

[0065] like Figures 4-6 As shown, the buffer member 32 includes: a cylindrical main body 33 disposed within the operating head 17 of the operating member 11; a plurality of first protrusions 34 protruding from the cylindrical main body 33 toward the opposite side of the watch case 1, i.e., the outer side of the watch case 1, in the axial direction of the operating member 11; and a plurality of second protrusions 35 protruding from the cylindrical main body 33 toward the watch case 1 in the axial direction of the operating member 11.

[0066] In this case, such as Figures 2-6 As shown, the inner diameter of the cylindrical main body 33 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 in the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating head 17. Furthermore, the outer diameter of the main body 33 is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the intermediate-diameter hole 24b located inside the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. Additionally, the axial length of the main body 33 is, for example, approximately half the axial length of the intermediate-diameter hole 24b.

[0067] In this case, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a first buffer inner peripheral plane portion 23c corresponding to the first operating plane portion 23a of the first anti-aircraft rotation portion 23 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the main body portion 33 (refer to...). Figure 3Thus, the first buffer inner circumferential plane portion 23c of the main body portion 33 abuts against the first operating plane portion 23a of the first anti-idle rotation portion 23, thereby restricting the rotational position of the main body portion 33 in its circumferential direction, so that it can rotate integrally with the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16 in a state that allows it to slide along the axial direction.

[0068] And, as Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5 As shown, a first buffer outer peripheral plane portion 23d is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 33, which corresponds to the first intermediate diameter plane portion 23e of the first anti-aircraft rotation portion 23 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the intermediate diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24 (see reference). Figure 3 Thus, the first buffer outer peripheral plane 23d of the main body 33 abuts against the first mid-diameter plane 23e of the first anti-slip part 23, thereby restricting the rotational position of the main body 33 in its circumferential direction, so that it can rotate integrally with the cover 24 of the operating head 17 in a state that allows it to slide along the axial direction.

[0069] like Figures 2-6 As shown, the plurality of first protrusions 34 are formed such that their inner diameter is the same as the inner diameter of the main body portion 33, and their outer diameter is the same as the outer diameter of the main body portion 33. In this case, as... Figure 3 As shown, on the inner peripheral surface of the first protrusion 34, a first buffer inner peripheral plane portion 23c corresponding to the first operating plane portion 23a of the first anti-idle rotation portion 23 is provided continuously with the main body portion 33 (see reference). Figure 3 ). And, as Figures 2-6 As shown, the outer end faces of the plurality of first protrusions 34 abut against the stepped surfaces of the small-diameter hole portion 24a and the medium-diameter hole portion 24b inside the cover portion 24, and the plurality of first protrusions 34 are arranged in the medium-diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24 in this state.

[0070] And, as Figures 2-6 As shown, the plurality of second protrusions 35 are formed such that their inner diameter is slightly larger than that of the main body 33, and their outer diameter is the same as that of the main body 33. In this case, the inner end face of each of the plurality of second protrusions 35 abuts against the outer end face of the large-diameter protruding edge 31a of the locking member 28, and the plurality of second protrusions 35 are disposed in the large-diameter hole 24c of the cover 24 in this state.

[0071] like Figure 6As shown, in this buffer member 32, a plurality of first protrusions 34 and a plurality of second protrusions 35 are formed at positions that do not overlap with each other in the axial direction of the main body 33. That is, in this buffer member 32, the plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 are alternately arranged along the circumferential direction of the main body 33. Thus, a first recess 36 is provided in the axial direction of the main body 33, corresponding to a plurality of second protrusions 35, between the plurality of first protrusions 34 of the buffer member 32. And a second recess 37 is provided in the axial direction of the main body 33, corresponding to a plurality of first protrusions 34, between the plurality of second protrusions 35.

[0072] Therefore, in the buffer component 32, such as Figures 2-6 As shown, when the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 is impacted from the outside and the impact is applied to the plurality of first protrusions 34, the impact is dispersed and released to the plurality of second protrusions 35 by the spaces formed by the plurality of second recesses 37 for buffering. That is, the buffer member 32 is configured such that if the plurality of first protrusions 34 are impacted, the impact is directly transmitted to the main body 33, but since the plurality of second recesses 37 correspond to the plurality of first protrusions 34 in the axial direction of the main body 33, the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 is not directly transmitted to the locking member 28 due to the spaces formed by the plurality of second recesses 37.

[0073] That is, such as Figures 2-6 As shown, the buffer member 32 is configured such that when the plurality of first protrusions 34 are subjected to axial impact from the operating member 11, the stress is concentrated on the boundary portions 33a of the plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 in the main body portion 33, respectively. The boundary portions 33a of the main body portion 33 are elastically deformed in a flexural manner, and the elastic deformation of the boundary portions 33a of the main body portion 33 is used to absorb the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 for buffering.

[0074] In this case, the plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 may each be provided in approximately three to nine circumferential directions, but it is desirable to provide approximately six. Similarly, the plurality of first recesses 36 and the plurality of second recesses 37 may each be provided in approximately three to nine circumferential directions, but it is desirable to provide approximately six.

[0075] Therefore, in Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 6 In the case where the buffer member 32 is formed of a synthetic resin with high rigidity such as polyamide or a metal with high rigidity such as stainless steel, it is desirable to reduce the number of the first protrusion 34 and the second protrusion 35 so that the thickness (i.e. the radial length) of the main body 33, the first protrusion 34 and the second protrusion 35 is thinner (shorter), thereby setting the multiple boundary portions 33a to be in an optimal state where they can easily be elastically deformed.

[0076] Furthermore, when the buffer member 32 is formed of an elastic synthetic resin such as urethane resin, or a soft metal such as aluminum or copper, it is desirable to increase the number of the first protrusion 34 and the second protrusion 35 or change their width to make the thickness (i.e., radial length) of the main body 33, the first protrusion 34, and the second protrusion 35 thicker (longer), thereby setting it to an optimal state where the multiple boundary portions 33a are difficult to elastically deform. That is, it is desirable to appropriately set the number and thickness (i.e., radial length) of the main body 33, the first protrusion 34, and the second protrusion 35 according to the rigidity and strength of the raw material.

[0077] Therefore, as Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, when the operating head 17 is locked by the locking mechanism 27, when the cover 24 of the operating head 17 is impacted from the outside, the buffer member 32 is clamped between the large diameter hole 24c of the cover 24 and the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 and is compressed in the axial direction, thereby releasing the impact from the outside and buffering it.

[0078] That is, such as Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, in the buffer member 32, when the internal thread 28a of the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 is threadedly engaged with the external thread 13b of the large diameter cylinder portion 13, when an impact from the outside is applied to the plurality of first protrusions 34, the impact is dispersed by the spaces formed by the plurality of second recesses 37 and released to the second protrusions 35 for buffering.

[0079] In other words, such as Figure 2 and Figure 6 As shown, the buffer member 32 is configured such that if the plurality of first protrusions 34 are impacted, even if the impact is directly transmitted to the main body 33, since the plurality of second recesses 37 correspond to the plurality of first protrusions 34 in the axial direction of the main body 33, the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 will not be directly transmitted to the locking member 28 due to the spaces formed by the plurality of second recesses 37.

[0080] That is, such as Figures 2-6 As shown, in the buffer member 32, when the plurality of first protrusions 34 are subjected to axial impact from the operating member 11, the stress is concentrated on the boundary portions 33a of the plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 of the main body 33. Each boundary portion 33a is elastically deformed in a flexural manner, and the elastic deformation of the boundary portions 33a is used to absorb the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 for buffering.

[0081] like Figure 2As shown, the switching device 4 is configured such that when the operating head 17 is locked to the cylindrical member 10 by the locking mechanism 27, if the operating head 17 is pushed against the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 by overcoming the spring force of the spring member 25, and the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is rotated, the rotation transmission member 29 rotates together with the rotation of the cover portion 24, causing the locking member 28 to rotate, so that the internal thread 28a of the locking member 28 is threadedly engaged with the external thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10.

[0082] That is, such as Figure 2 As shown, the switching device 4 is configured such that when the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 is threadedly engaged with the external thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10, the second locking plane portion 30a of the locking member 28 of the second anti-idling part 30 abuts against the second transmission plane portion 30b of the rotation transmission member 29. The rotation transmission member 29 rotates due to the rotation operation of the operating head 17, causing the locking member 28 to rotate, so that the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 is threadedly engaged with the external thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10.

[0083] And, as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the switching device 4 is configured such that when the operating head 17 is released from the lock relative to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10, if the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is rotated in the opposite direction, the internal thread portion 28a of the unlocking member 28 is threadedly engaged with the external thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10. Then, the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed outward toward the outside of the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25.

[0084] And, as Figure 3 As shown, the switch device 4 is configured such that when the operating head 17 is released from the lock of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 and the spring force of the spring member 25 pushes the cover portion 24 and the locking mechanism 27 toward the outside of the watch case 1, the locking member 28 and the rotation transmission member 29 move toward the outside of the watch case 1 together with the cover portion 24 due to the anti-disengagement portion 31 of the locking mechanism 27.

[0085] That is, such as Figure 3 As shown, the switch device 4 is configured such that when the operating head 17 is released from locking relative to the cylindrical member 10 and the cover 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed outward of the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29 in the anti-disengagement part 31 abuts against the inner end face of the large diameter convex edge 31a of the locking member 28, and the outer end face of the small diameter cutout 31c of the rotation transmission member 29 abuts against the inner end face of the small diameter stepped part 31b of the locking member 28.

[0086] In this case, such as Figure 3 As shown, the switching device 4 is configured such that when the operating head 17 is released from locking relative to the cylindrical member 10 and the cover 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed outward toward the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, the operating shaft 16 will not slide axially. The internal thread 28a of the locking member 28 moves together with the rotation transmission member 29 toward the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical part 21 of the small diameter in the shaft operating part 19 of the operating shaft 16 by the spring force of the spring member 25. The outer end of the internal thread 28a of the locking member 28 is pressed against the stepped surface of the inner cylindrical part 21 of the small diameter and the outer cylindrical part 22 of the large diameter.

[0087] And, as Figure 3 As shown, the switching device 4 is configured such that when the cover 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed outwards from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, the first buffer outer peripheral plane portion 23d of the outer peripheral surface of the buffer member 32 correspondingly abuts against the first middle diameter plane portion 23e of the middle diameter hole portion 24b of the cover 24 in the first anti-free-spinning portion 23, and the first buffer inner peripheral plane portion 23c of the inner peripheral surface of the buffer member 32 correspondingly abuts against the first operating plane portion 23a of the outer cylindrical portion 22 in the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16. Thus, the rotation of the cover 24 is transmitted to the shaft operating portion 19 via the buffer member 32, causing the shaft operating portion 19 to rotate.

[0088] Furthermore, such as Figure 3 As shown, the switching device 4 is configured such that, when the operating head 17 is released from locking relative to the cylindrical member 10 and the cover 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed outwards from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, if the operating head 17 is pulled outwards from the watch case 1, the outer end face of the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 abuts against the stepped surfaces of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the small diameter and the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the large diameter in the shaft operating portion 19, so the locking member 28 pulls out the operating shaft portion 16 towards the outside of the watch case 1.

[0089] In this case, the switching device 4 is configured such that if from Figure 3 In the state shown, the cover 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 together pull the operating shaft 16 out toward the outside of the watch case 1. The winding core (not shown) connected to the connecting hole 18a of the shaft body 18 slides in the direction of being pulled out from the watch module 7, thereby connecting the winding core to the watch module 7.

[0090] Furthermore, the switching device 4 is configured such that when from Figure 3When the winding core (not shown) slides out of the clock module 7 and is connected to the clock module 7, if the operating head 17 is rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the winding core via the operating shaft 16. The rotation of the winding core is transmitted to the clock module 7, thereby enabling the setting and selection of functions such as time correction and mode switching.

[0091] Next, we will explain how to assemble such a watch.

[0092] In this case, firstly, the watch glass 5 and the glass seal 5a are installed at the upper opening of the watch case 1. In this state, push-button switches 3 are installed at the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock sides of the watch case 1, and the cylindrical component 10 of the switch device 4 is installed in the through hole 8 at the 3 o'clock side of the watch case 1.

[0093] In this case, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 of the cylindrical member 10 is inserted into the through hole 8 of the main body 1a of the watch case 1 from the outside, and the inner side of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 is pressed against the outer surface of the main body 1a. At this time, the inner end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 of the cylindrical member 10 protrudes into the interior of the main body 1a of the watch case 1.

[0094] In this state, the outer periphery of the inner end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 protruding into the interior of the main body 1a and the edge of the inner end of the through hole 8 of the main body 1a are fixedly installed around the entire circumference of the through hole 8 of the watch case 1 using welding such as laser welding, or brazing and thread sealant. Thus, the cylindrical component 10 is securely installed in the through hole 8 of the main body 1a of the watch case 1 without detaching from the outside of the watch case 1. Furthermore, waterproofing between the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical component 10 and the inner peripheral surface of the through hole 8 is reliably achieved through welding such as laser welding, or brazing and thread sealant.

[0095] Then, the watch module 7 is installed inside the watch case 1, and the operating component 11 is assembled on the cylindrical part 10 of the switch device 4. In this case, firstly, multiple waterproof rings 20 are installed on the outer periphery of the shaft body 18 of the operating shaft portion 16. In this state, the operating head 17 is installed on the shaft operating part 19 of the operating shaft portion 16.

[0096] At this time, with the rotation transmission member 29 pre-positioned on the outer periphery of the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27, the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 is positioned on the inner side cylinder 21 of the small diameter on the outer periphery of the shaft operation portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16, and the buffer member 32 is positioned on the outer periphery of the outer side cylinder 22 of the large diameter on the outer periphery of the shaft operation portion 19. At this time, the first buffer inner peripheral plane 23c of the first anti-idle rotation portion 23, which crosses the main body 33 of the buffer member 32 and the first protrusion 34, corresponds to the first operating plane 23a of the outer cylinder 22 of the shaft operation portion 19.

[0097] In this state, the spring member 25 is positioned on the outer periphery of the spring guide portion 26 located within the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17, and the spring guide portion 26 and the spring member 25 are inserted together into the recessed hole 19b of the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16. The spring member 25 is positioned within the recessed hole 19b of the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16, and the operating shaft portion 16 and the spring member 25 are inserted together into the outer periphery of the spring guide portion 26 located within the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. At this time, the first operating plane portion 23a of the first anti-free-spinning portion 23 located on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the shaft operating portion 19 aligns with the first buffer inner peripheral plane portion 23c of the buffer member 32, and the shaft operating portion 19 is inserted into the small-diameter hole 24a of the cover portion 24.

[0098] Furthermore, at this time, the first buffer outer peripheral plane portion 23d provided on the outer peripheral surface of the buffer member 32 is aligned with the first middle diameter plane portion 23e provided on the inner peripheral surface of the middle diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24, so that the spring guide portion 26 of the cover portion 24 is inserted into the spring member 25 in the hole recess 19b of the shaft operation portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16. As a result, the shaft operation portion 19 rotates integrally with the cover portion 24 via the buffer member 32, and is arranged in a state in which it can slide axially within the cover portion 24.

[0099] Then, the locking mechanism 27 is installed in the large-diameter hole 24c. In this case, when the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 is pre-installed inside the rotary transmission member 29, the second locking plane 30a of the second anti-idling part 30 provided on the outer peripheral surface of the locking member 28 is aligned with the second transmission plane 30b provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotary transmission member 29.

[0100] In this state, if the generally cylindrical locking member 28 is inserted into the cylindrical rotation transmission member 29, the locking member 28 can slide relative to the rotation transmission member 29, and in this state, the locking member 28 rotates together with the rotation transmission member 29. Furthermore, at this time, the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29 abuts against the inner end face of the large-diameter protruding edge 31a of the locking member 28, which serves as the anti-disengagement part 31, and the small-diameter stepped portion 31b of the locking member 28 is disposed within the small-diameter cutout 31c of the rotation transmission member 29. Thus, the locking mechanism 27 is assembled in a manner that prevents the locking member 28 from disengaging towards the watch case 1.

[0101] Then, when installing the locking mechanism 27 assembled as shown into the cover 24 of the operating head 17, firstly, align the first buffer outer peripheral plane 23d of the buffer member 32 with the first middle diameter plane 23e of the middle diameter hole 24b of the cover 24. Position the buffer member 32 onto the operating shaft 16 and insert the cover 24 thereon. The bottom surface of the locking mechanism 27 is supported by a clamp, and pressed into the top surface of the cover 24 by the clamp. Thus, the rotation transmission member 29 of the locking mechanism 27 is embedded and fixed within the large diameter hole 24c of the cover 24.

[0102] In this state, such as Figure 3 As shown, the cover 24 of the operating head 17 is pushed outwards from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25. Therefore, the internal thread 28a of the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 moves towards the outer periphery of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the small diameter in the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating member 11, and the outer end of the internal thread 28a abuts against the stepped surface of the inner cylindrical portion 21 of the small diameter and the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the large diameter. Thus, the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 is not disengaged from the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16 by the spring force of the spring member 25 and is not mounted on the shaft operating portion 19.

[0103] Thus, the rotation transmission member 29 is pressed into and fixed to the cover 24, resulting in a structure in which the cover 24 and the rotation transmission member 29 are integrated and will not detach from each other due to the spring force of the spring member 25. Furthermore, since the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29 abuts against the inner end face of the large-diameter protrusion 31a of the locking member 28, and the small-diameter stepped portion 31b of the locking member 28 is inserted and disposed in the small-diameter cutout portion 31c of the rotation transmission member 29, axial positional restriction is achieved.

[0104] At this time, the outer end faces of the plurality of first protrusions 34 of the buffer member 32 abut against the stepped surfaces of the small-diameter hole 24a and the medium-diameter hole 24b due to the spring force of the spring member 25, and the plurality of second protrusions 35 of the buffer member 32 abut against the outer end face of the locking member 28. Thus, the buffer member 32 is configured in a state where it is sandwiched between the stepped surfaces of the small-diameter hole 24a and the medium-diameter hole 24b and the outer end face of the large-diameter protruding edge 31a of the locking member 28.

[0105] Then, the shaft body 18 of the operating shaft portion 16 is inserted from the outside of the watch case 1 into the inside of the cylindrical member 10. At this time, the outer end of the winding core (not shown) is pre-connected by inserting a connecting hole 18a provided at the inner end of the shaft body 18 of the operating shaft portion 16. In this state, the winding core and the operating shaft portion 16 are inserted into the cylindrical member 10 together and installed into the watch module 7.

[0106] At this time, with the locking mechanism 27 of the operating head 17 and the external threaded portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 in close proximity, the winding core is installed in the watch module 7 in a state that allows it to slide and rotate. In this state, the winding core slides according to the sliding action of the operating shaft portion 16 inserted into the cylindrical member 10, and the winding core rotates according to the rotation action of the operating shaft portion 16. Thus, the switching device 4 is assembled. Afterward, the back cover 6 and the waterproof seal 6a are installed on the lower part of the watch case 1, thereby assembling the watch.

[0107] Next, the function of the switch device 4 in this watch will be explained.

[0108] When the watch is worn on the wrist, firstly, the locking mechanism 27 locks the operating head 17 of the switch device 4 onto the large-diameter barrel portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10. At this time, the spring force of the spring member 25 is overcome, causing the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 to move toward the large-diameter barrel portion 13, pressing the inner end of the internal thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 against the outer end of the external thread portion 13b of the large-diameter barrel portion 13.

[0109] In this state, if the cover 24 is rotated, the rotation transmission member 29 of the locking mechanism 27 rotates together with the cover 24. The rotation of the rotation transmission member 29 is transmitted to the locking member 28 by the second anti-free-spinning part 30, thereby causing the locking member 28 to rotate. By utilizing the rotation of the locking member 28, the internal thread 24a of the locking member 28 is threadedly engaged with the external thread 13b of the large-diameter cylinder part 13 and tightened.

[0110] At this time, the operating shaft 16 is not pressed into the cylindrical member 10. The bottom 19a of the inner end of the shaft operating part 19, which is the operating shaft 16, is subjected to the spring force of the spring member 25, causing the spring member 25 to compress. Therefore, the bottom 19a of the shaft operating part 19 is maintained close to the outer end of the large-diameter cylindrical part 13, that is, the outer end of the external thread part 13b. As a result, the operating head 17 of the switching device 4 is locked to the large-diameter cylindrical part 13 of the cylindrical member 10.

[0111] At this time, with the spring member 25 compressed, since the bottom 19a of the inner end of the shaft operation part 19, which serves as the operation shaft part 16, remains close to the outer end of the large-diameter cylindrical part 13, the winding core (not shown) connected to the connecting hole 18a provided at the inner end of the shaft body part 18 of the operation shaft part 16 will not be pressed into the watch module 7. Furthermore, in this state, since the operation head 17 is locked to the large-diameter cylindrical part 13 of the cylindrical member 10, the operation member 11 will not rotate, and thus the winding core will not rotate within the watch module 7.

[0112] In this state, when the cover 24 of the operating head 17 is impacted from the outside, the stepped portions of the middle diameter hole 24b and the small diameter hole 24a of the cover 24 are pressed against the buffer member 32 due to the impact. At this time, the buffer member 32 is compressed between the stepped portions of the middle diameter hole 24b and the small diameter hole 24a and the outer end of the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27. As a result, the buffer member 32 releases the impact and provides cushioning.

[0113] That is, in the buffer member 32, when the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 is impacted from the outside and the impact is applied to the plurality of first protrusions 34, the impact is dispersed by the spaces formed by the plurality of second recesses 37 and released to the plurality of second protrusions 35 for buffering. In other words, the buffer member 32 is configured such that if the plurality of first protrusions 34 are impacted, even if the impact is directly transmitted to the main body 33, since the plurality of second recesses 37 correspond to the plurality of first protrusions 34 in the axial direction of the main body 33, the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 is dispersed to the plurality of second protrusions 35 by the spaces formed by the plurality of second recesses 37 and is not directly transmitted to the locking member 28.

[0114] Furthermore, the buffer member 32 is configured such that when the plurality of first protrusions 34 are subjected to an axial impact from the operating member 11, the stress is concentrated at the boundary portions 33a of the plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 of the main body portion 33, and each boundary portion 33a elastically deforms in a flexural manner. Thus, the buffer member 32 absorbs the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 by means of the elastic deformation of each boundary portion 33a of the main body portion 33 to perform buffering.

[0115] At this time, even if the impact of the multiple first protrusions 34 on the axial direction of the operating member 11 is mitigated and transmitted to the locking member 28, since the inner end of the locking member 28 is pressed against the abutting cylindrical portion 13a of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 fixed to the housing body 1a, the locking member 28 will not move in the axial direction of the operating member 11 due to the axial impact from the operating member 11.

[0116] This prevents the internal threaded portion 28a and the external threaded portion 13b from being damaged by impact. Furthermore, since the impact on the cover portion 24 is also buffered by the spring component 25, the operating shaft portion 16 is not impacted. Therefore, the winding core (not shown) will not be pressed into the watch module 7 by impact, thus preventing damage to the watch module 7.

[0117] On the other hand, when setting or selecting functions such as time correction and mode switching, firstly, the locking of the operating head 17 relative to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 by the locking mechanism 27 is released. At this time, the cover 24 of the operating head 17 is rotated in the opposite direction, causing the rotation transmission member 29 of the locking mechanism 27 to rotate. This rotation transmission member 29 causes the locking member 28 to rotate in the same direction by the second anti-idle rotation part 30.

[0118] Then, if the locking member 28 is rotated, the threaded engagement between the internal thread 28a of the locking member 28 and the external thread 13b of the large-diameter barrel portion 13 is released. As a result, the operating head 17 is pushed outwards from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, and the internal thread 28a of the locking member 28 moves to correspond to the outer periphery of the inner barrel portion 21 of the small diameter of the shaft operating portion 19. In this state, the outer end of the locking member 28, i.e., the outer end of the internal thread 28a, abuts against the stepped surfaces of the inner barrel portion 21 of the small diameter and the outer barrel portion 22 of the large diameter in the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16.

[0119] At this time, since the operating shaft 16 does not slide axially, the winding core (not shown) connected to the connecting hole 18a of the shaft body 18 also does not slide. Therefore, the winding core remains in a free-spinning state within the watch module 7. That is, even if the cover 24 of the operating head 17 rotates and the operating shaft 16 rotates, the winding core rotates along with the rotation of the operating shaft 16. Since the rotation of the winding core is not transmitted to the watch module 7, no time correction, mode switching, or other function settings or selections are performed.

[0120] In this state, the operating head 17 is pulled out toward the outer side of the watch case 1. At this time, since the outer end of the locking member 28 inside the cover 24 abuts against the stepped surface of the inner cylinder 21 of the small diameter and the outer cylinder 22 of the large diameter in the shaft operating part 19 of the operating shaft part 16, the rotation transmission member 29 of the locking mechanism 27 is pulled out along with the locking member 28 due to the pulling out operation of the operating head 17, thus pulling out the shaft operating part 19 and the spring member 25. In this way, the shaft body part 18 of the operating shaft part 16 is pulled out by sliding along the axial direction, thereby pulling out the winding core (not shown) connected to the shaft body part 18. Thus, if the winding core is pulled out, it becomes a state that transmits the rotation of the winding core to the watch module 7. In this state, if the cover 24 of the operating head 17 is rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the operating shaft part 16 by the first anti-free-rotation part 23, thereby rotating the shaft body part 18 of the operating shaft part 16. At this time, if Figure 3 As shown, the first intermediate diameter plane portion 23e of the intermediate diameter hole portion 24b of the first anti-aircraft rotating part 23 abuts against the first buffer outer peripheral plane portion 23d of the buffer member 32.

[0121] And, at this time, such as Figure 3 As shown, the first operating plane 23a of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the shaft operating part 19 disengages from the first minor diameter plane 23b of the cover portion 24, and the first operating plane 23a of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the shaft operating part 19 abuts against the first buffer inner peripheral plane 23c of the buffer member 32. Thus, the rotation of the cover portion 24 is transmitted to the shaft body portion 18 via the buffer member 32, causing the operating shaft portion 16 to rotate. Because the operating shaft portion 16 rotates, the shaft body portion 18 also rotates. The winding core rotates along with the rotation of the shaft body portion 18 of the operating shaft portion 16, and its rotation is transmitted to the clock module 7, thus enabling the setting and selection of functions such as time correction and mode switching.

[0122] Thus, the watch's switching device 4 includes a watch case 1 with a through hole 8, an operating member 11 having an operating shaft 16 inserted into the through hole 8 of the watch case 1 and an operating head 17 located at the outer end of the operating shaft 16, and a buffer member 32 disposed within the operating head 17 of the operating member 11. This allows the buffer member 32 to buffer external impacts. In this case, the buffer member 32 includes a cylindrical main body 33, a plurality of first protrusions 34 protruding from one side of the main body 33 toward the operating head 17, and a plurality of second protrusions 35 protruding from the other side of the main body 33, located opposite to the operating head 17, toward the watch case 1. When viewed from the operating head 17 side of the operating member 11, the plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 are formed in a non-overlapping position along the axial direction of the operating member 11. Therefore, the buffer member 32 can release and buffer external impacts received by the operating member 11. That is, in the switching device 4 of this watch, even if the first protrusion 34 or the second protrusion 35 of the buffer member 32 is impacted from the outside by the operating member 11, the impact can be dispersed and buffered by the multiple second protrusions 35 or the multiple first protrusions 34. Furthermore, the buffer member 32 has a cylindrical main body 33 and multiple first protrusions 34 or multiple second protrusions 35 provided on the main body 33. Therefore, the buffer member 32 can be formed without using expensive materials, thus achieving a low cost.

[0123] In this case, in the watch's switching device 4, a plurality of first protrusions 34 and a plurality of second protrusions 35 are formed in a non-overlapping position along the axial direction of the main body 33. Therefore, the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 is not directly transmitted to the watch case 1, and the impact is dispersed and released to the plurality of second protrusions 35, which are non-overlapping with the plurality of first protrusions 34 in the axial direction, for cushioning. Similarly, in the watch's switching device 4, a plurality of first protrusions 34 and a plurality of second protrusions 35 are alternately arranged in the circumferential direction of the main body 33. Therefore, the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 is not directly transmitted to the watch case 1, and the impact is dispersed and released to the plurality of second protrusions 35, which are alternately arranged relative to the plurality of first protrusions 34 in the circumferential direction of the main body 33, for cushioning.

[0124] Furthermore, the switching device 4 of the watch includes a plurality of second recesses 37 corresponding to the plurality of first protrusions 34 arranged axially on the operating member 11, and a plurality of first recesses 36 corresponding to the plurality of second protrusions 35 arranged axially on the operating member 11. In the buffer member 32, when an impact is applied to the plurality of first protrusions 34 or the plurality of second protrusions 35, the impact is dispersed and released by the plurality of second recesses 37 or the plurality of first recesses 36 corresponding to the plurality of first protrusions 34 or the plurality of second protrusions 35, thus providing buffering. Therefore, the buffer member 32 can buffer the impact received by the operating member 11 in a manner where the impact is dispersed and released by the spaces formed by the plurality of second recesses 37 or the plurality of first recesses 36, thereby reliably and effectively buffering the impact received by the operating member 11. That is, in the switching device 4 of the watch, for example, if the plurality of first protrusions 34 of the buffer member 32 are impacted, even if the impact is directly transmitted to the main body 33, the plurality of second recesses 37 correspond to the plurality of first protrusions 34 in the axial direction of the main body 33. Thus, the spaces formed by the plurality of second recesses 37 can be used to prevent the impact on the plurality of first protrusions 34 from being directly transmitted to the watch case, thereby allowing the impact on the plurality of first protrusions 34 to be dispersed and released by the spaces of the plurality of second recesses 37 for buffering.

[0125] In this case, in the watch's switching device 4, when the buffer member 32 is subjected to an axial impact from the operating member 11, the stress is concentrated at the boundary portions 33a of the plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 in the main body portion 33, and each boundary portion 33a elastically deforms. Therefore, even if the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34 is directly transmitted to the main body portion 33, the elastic deformation of each boundary portion 33a of the main body portion 33 can effectively absorb the impact received by the plurality of first protrusions 34, thus providing buffering. That is, in the watch's switching device 4, when the plurality of first protrusions 34 are subjected to an axial impact from the operating member 11, the stress can be concentrated at the boundary portions 33a of the plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 in the main body portion 33. Therefore, each boundary portion 33a of the main body portion 33 can elastically deform in a flexural manner, thereby reliably and effectively absorbing the impact through the elastic deformation of each boundary portion 33a of the main body portion 33.

[0126] Furthermore, the watch's switching device 4 includes a cylindrical member 10 that has at least a portion inserted into the through hole 8 of the watch case 1 and a portion of the operating shaft 16 of the operating member 11 inserted inside it. This simplifies the shape of the watch case 1 even if the cylindrical member 10 has a complex shape, making it easier to manufacture and reducing the manufacturing cost of the watch case 1. In the watch's switching device 4, the operating shaft 16 of the operating member 11 includes a shaft body 18 inserted into the cylindrical member 10 and a shaft operating portion 19 disposed outside the cylindrical member 10. Therefore, the operating member 11 can be reliably mounted to the cylindrical member 10 in a rotatable and slidable state by the shaft body 18, and the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 can be mounted on the shaft operating portion 19, allowing for efficient operation even when the operating head 17 is disposed outside the cylindrical member 10.

[0127] Furthermore, in the watch's switching device 4, the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 has at least a small-diameter hole 24a into which the shaft operating part 19 of the operating shaft 16 is inserted and a medium-diameter hole 24b into which the buffer member 32 is inserted. Thus, with the buffer member 32 inserted into the medium-diameter hole 24b of the operating head 17, the shaft operating part 19 of the operating shaft 16 can be inserted into the small-diameter hole 24a of the operating head 17. In this state, the operating head 17 can be properly mounted on the shaft operating part 19, and therefore, the operating shaft 16 can be rotated and slid according to the operation of the operating head 17. In this case, in the watch's switching device 4, the locking mechanism 27 includes a locking member 28 that is locked to the cylindrical member 10 by the rotation operation of the operating member 11, and a rotation transmission member 29 that is separate from the locking member 28 and rotates the locking member 28 according to the rotation operation of the operating member 11. Therefore, the rotation transmission member 29 can be rotated by the rotation operation of the operation member 11, the locking member 28 can be rotated by the rotation operation of the rotation transmission member 29, and the locking member 28 can be locked to the cylindrical member 10 by the rotation operation of the locking member 28.

[0128] In this case, in the watch's switching device 4, the rotation transmission member 29 is pressed into and fixed to the large-diameter hole 24c provided in the operating head 17 of the operating member 11. Thus, the rotation transmission member 29 can reliably slide according to the sliding operation of the operating head 17, and the rotation transmission member 29 can reliably rotate according to the rotation operation of the operating head 17, thereby enabling the locking member 28 to rotate reliably and smoothly.

[0129] Furthermore, in the watch's switching device 4, a position limiting part 24d is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter hole 24c, which restricts the pressing position of the rotation transmission member 29 within the operating head 17 of the operating member 11. Therefore, when the rotation transmission member 29 is pressed into and fixed to the large-diameter hole 24c, pressing the rotation transmission member 29 into the large-diameter hole 24c and abutting against the position limiting part 24d accurately and reliably restricts the pressing position of the rotation transmission member 29.

[0130] Furthermore, in the watch's switching device 4, the locking mechanism 27 includes an anti-disengagement part 31 that prevents the locking member 28 from disengaging from the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 toward the watch case 1. Thus, when the locking member 28 is released from locking the cylindrical member 10, the anti-disengagement part 31 reliably and effectively prevents the locking member 28 from disengaging from the rotation transmission member 29. That is, in the switch device 4 of the watch, the anti-disengagement part 31 has a large-diameter protruding edge 31a provided at the outer end of the locking member 28 and abutting against the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29, a small-diameter stepped part 31b provided on the inner surface of the large-diameter protruding edge 31a, and a small-diameter cutout part 31c provided at the outer end of the rotation transmission member 29 for arranging the small-diameter stepped part 31b. This allows the large-diameter protruding edge 31a to abut against the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29 and the small-diameter stepped part 31b to abut against the small-diameter cutout part 31c, thus reliably preventing the locking member 28 from disengaging from the rotation transmission member 29 toward the watch case 1.

[0131] Furthermore, in the watch's switching device 4, the buffer member 32 is disposed in the middle diameter hole 24b of the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 and is pressed against the locking member 28. The locking member 28 abuts against the abutting cylinder 13a of the cylindrical member 10 in a manner that allows for contact and separation, thereby reliably clamping the buffer member 32 disposed in the middle diameter hole 24b of the operating head 17 between the operating head 17 and the locking member 28. Thus, when the locking member 28 is locked to the cylindrical member 10, the locking member 28 abuts against the abutting cylinder 13a of the cylindrical member 10 and is reliably and well pressed against the outer surface of the watch case 1.

[0132] Furthermore, the watch's switching device 4 includes a spring member 25 that applies force in the direction of pushing the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 outward toward the watch case 1. Thus, when the locking member 28 releases the lock on the cylindrical member 10, the operating shaft 16 of the operating member 11 is not moved, and the spring force of the spring member 25 reliably and smoothly pushes the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 outward toward the watch case 1.

[0133] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the locking mechanism 27 is described as locking the operating head 17 into the large-diameter barrel 13 through the threaded engagement of the external thread portion 13b and the internal thread portion 28a. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A simplified locking mechanism can also be provided, in which the locking member 28 has an engaging protrusion and the large-diameter barrel 13 has a locking groove for the engaging protrusion. That is, the simplified locking mechanism can be configured as follows: Press the operating head 17 toward the watch case 1 side, so that the engaging protrusion of the locking member 28 is inserted into the locking groove from the opening of the locking groove of the large-diameter barrel 13. In this state, rotate the operating head 17 by a predetermined angle (e.g., 90°), so that the engaging protrusion of the locking member 28 rotates and moves by a predetermined angle within the locking groove of the large-diameter barrel 13 and moves away from the opening, thereby locking the engaging protrusion of the locking member 28 into the locking groove of the large-diameter barrel 13.

[0134] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first anti-idle rotation unit 23 is described as having a first operating plane portion 23a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 22 in the operating shaft portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16, a corresponding first small-diameter plane portion 23b provided on the inner peripheral surface of the small-diameter hole portion 24a of the cover portion 24, a first buffer inner peripheral plane portion 23c provided on the inner peripheral surface of the buffer member 32, a first buffer outer peripheral plane portion 23d provided on the outer peripheral surface of the buffer member 32, and a first middle-diameter plane portion 23e provided on the inner surface of the middle-diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24. However, the present invention is not limited to this. That is, the present invention can also be constructed as follows: the first operating plane portion 23a on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 22 in the operating shaft portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16, the corresponding first small diameter plane portion 23b on the inner peripheral surface of the small diameter hole portion 24a in the cover portion 24, the first buffer inner peripheral plane portion 23c on the inner peripheral surface of the buffer member 32, the first buffer outer peripheral plane portion 23d on the outer peripheral surface of the buffer member 32, and the first middle diameter plane portion 23e on the inner surface of the middle diameter hole portion 24b in the cover portion 24 are formed into a polygonal or elliptical shape or a non-circular shape.

[0135] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the second anti-spinning part 30 is described as having a second locking plane part 30a provided on the outer peripheral surface of the locking member 28 and a corresponding second transmission plane part 30b provided on the inner peripheral surface of the rotation transmission member 29. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the outer peripheral surface of the locking member 28 and the corresponding inner peripheral surface of the rotation transmission member 29 may also be formed into a non-circular shape such as a quadrilateral, pentagon, or ellipse. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where a cylindrical member 10 is installed in the through hole 8 of the main body 1a of the watch case 1, and an operating member 11 is installed in the cylindrical member 10, is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the large-diameter cylindrical part 13 of the cylindrical member 10 may be integrally formed in the main body 1a of the watch case. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where the switching device 4 is a structure in which a section of the winding core (not shown) inside the watch module 7 is pulled out is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, the structure in which two or more sections are pulled out may also be described.

[0136] Furthermore, while the above embodiments described a switch device 4 applied to the 3 o'clock side, the present invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to push-button switches 3 at the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides. Also, while the above embodiments described a switch device 4 equipped with a locking mechanism 27, the present invention is not necessarily limited to a switch device equipped with a locking mechanism 27. Moreover, while the above embodiments described an application to a watch, the present invention is not necessarily limited to watches; for example, it can be applied to various clocks such as travel watches, alarm clocks, grandfather clocks, and wall clocks. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to watches; for example, it can also be applied to electronic devices such as mobile information terminals.

Claims

1. A switching device, characterized by Possessing: a housing provided with a through-hole; an operation member having a shaft portion inserted into the through-hole of the housing and a head portion provided at the outer end portion of the shaft portion; and a cushion member disposed in the head portion of the operation member, the cushion member includes a ring-shaped main body portion, a plurality of first protrusions protruding from one face of the main body portion toward the head portion side, and a plurality of second protrusions protruding from the other face of the main body portion located on the side opposite to the head portion side toward the housing side, and the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions are disposed at non-overlapping positions in the axial direction of the operation member viewed from the head portion side of the operation member.

2. The switch device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cushion member possesses: a plurality of second recesses provided in correspondence with the plurality of first protrusions respectively in the axial direction of the operation member; and a plurality of first recesses provided in correspondence with the plurality of second protrusions respectively in the axial direction of the operation member.

3. The switch device according to claim 2, characterized in that when the cushion member is subjected to an impact from the axial direction of the operation member, each boundary portion between the plurality of first protrusions and the plurality of second protrusions in the main body portion elastically deforms respectively.

4. The switch device according to claim 1, characterized in that a cylindrical member is provided which is inserted at least partially into the through-hole of the housing and in which the shaft portion of the operation member is inserted partially inside, the shaft portion of the operation member has a shaft main body portion inserted into the cylindrical member and a shaft operation portion disposed outside the cylindrical member, the head portion of the operation member has a small-diameter hole portion into which the shaft operation portion of the shaft portion is inserted and a medium-diameter hole portion into which the cushion member is inserted.

5. The switch device according to claim 4, characterized in that a locking mechanism is provided which locks the operation member to the cylindrical member.

6. The switch device according to claim 5, characterized in that the locking mechanism possesses a locking member which is locked to the cylindrical member by a rotational operation of the operation member, and a rotation transmission member which is a member separate from the locking member and rotates the locking member according to a rotational operation of the operation member.

7. The switch device according to claim 6, characterized in that the rotation transmission member is press-fitted and fixed in a large-diameter hole portion provided in the head portion of the operation member.

8. The switch device according to claim 7, characterized in that a position limiting portion which limits the press-in position of the rotation transmission member inside the head portion of the operation member is provided in the inner peripheral surface of the large-diameter hole portion.

9. The switch device according to claim 6, characterized in that the locking mechanism possesses an anti-disengagement portion which prevents the locking member from disengaging from inside the head portion of the operation member toward the housing side.

10. The switch device according to claim 6, characterized in that the cushion member is disposed in the medium-diameter hole portion provided in the head portion of the operation member and is press-bonded to the locking member, The locking member contacts and separates from the abutting portion provided to the cylindrical member.

11. The switch device according to claim 1, wherein The force applying member applies a force in a direction in which the head portion of the operation member is pushed out toward the outside of the housing.

12. A timepiece, characterized by The switch device according to claim 1.

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