Timepiece

Abstract

To provide a timepiece that can reduce cost and has a rotary bezel that can be reduced in thickness.SOLUTION: A timepiece has hands that indicate time, a movement that drives the hands, a barrel that accommodates the movement, a rotary bezel that is provided rotatably relative to the barrel, and a rotary bezel presser ring that is fixed to the barrel. The rotary bezel presser ring has projections that are extended radially outward and hold the rotary bezel between the barrel and the projections. The projections are provided with a circular regulation part in which a plurality of regulation receiving parts continue in a circumferential direction. The rotary bezel is provided with a regulation member that is engaged with the regulation receiving parts. When the rotary bezel is rotated, the regulation member is sequentially engaged with the regulation receiving parts to generate a click feeling in a rotation operation of the rotary bezel and regulate the position of the rotary bezel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a timepiece having a rotating bezel. [Background technology]

[0002] Timepieces with rotating bezels, such as diver's watches, have been known for some time. A rotating bezel is a rotatable bezel attached around a crystal cover, and a scale corresponding to the hands of the watch is displayed on the surface of the bezel. With such a rotating bezel, the relationship between the scale and the hands can be set by rotating it appropriately, allowing the user to easily read the elapsed time from a certain point in time, etc. Among such watches with rotating bezels, there is known a watch in which a click groove is formed on the back side of the rotating bezel and a leaf spring member is attached to the case side of the watch (see Patent Document 1). In this watch, by engaging the leaf spring member with the click groove, a clicking sensation is obtained when the rotating bezel is rotated, and the rotating bezel can be prevented from rotating in the reverse direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-108512 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the timepiece of Patent Document 1, in order to obtain an appropriate clicking sensation and anti-reverse rotation effect, it is necessary to ensure the amount of bending of the leaf spring member, and the height from the groove on the case side where the leaf spring member is attached to the click groove of the rotating bezel is regulated. For this reason, the thickness dimension of the timepiece cannot be reduced, and there is an issue that it is difficult to make it thinner. Furthermore, the click grooves must be formed continuously in the circumferential direction on the back surface of the rotating bezel, which increases the number of processing steps and therefore the cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The timepiece disclosed herein comprises hands that display the time, a movement that drives the hands, a body that houses the movement, a rotating bezel rotatably arranged relative to the body, and a rotating bezel retaining ring fixed to the body, wherein the rotating bezel retaining ring has a protrusion that protrudes radially outward and holds the rotating bezel between the body and the rotating bezel, and the protrusion is provided with a circular regulating portion having a plurality of regulating receiving portions that are continuous in the circumferential direction, and the rotating bezel is provided with a regulating member that engages with the regulating receiving portions, and when the rotating bezel is rotated, the regulating member sequentially engages with the regulating receiving portions, generating a clicking sensation when the rotating bezel is rotated, thereby regulating the position of the rotating bezel. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a timepiece according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a timepiece according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the main parts of the timepiece of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an exploded oblique view showing the main parts of the timepiece of the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1 is an enlarged view showing the main parts of a timepiece according to a first embodiment. [Figure 6A] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the rotating bezel of the first embodiment when it is rotated. [Figure 6B] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the rotating bezel of the first embodiment when it is rotated. [Figure 6C] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the rotating bezel of the first embodiment when it is rotated. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the main parts of a timepiece according to a second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing the main parts of a timepiece according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] [First embodiment] Below, a timepiece 1 with a rotating bezel according to a first embodiment will be explained with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view showing the outline of a timepiece 1 of a first embodiment, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the timepiece 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the main parts of the timepiece 1, and Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing the exterior parts of the timepiece 1. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the watch 1 is a diver's watch used by divers diving underwater etc. The watch 1 is equipped with a circular dial 2 as a display section for displaying the time, an hour hand 21, a minute hand 22, a second hand 23, a date wheel 24, a power reserve hand 25, a movement 10, a case 3 that houses the movement 10 inside, a band 4 for wearing, a crown 5 for setting the time etc., a rotating bezel retaining ring 6 attached to the case 3, and a ring-shaped rotating bezel 7 rotatably provided on the case 3.

[0008] As shown in Fig. 2, the case 3 comprises a body 31, a back cover 32, and a crystal 33. The body 31 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape, and a cylindrical holder 310 is formed at the upper end (the side facing the watch) of the body 31. The crystal 33 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the holder 310 via a ring-shaped packing 34. As also shown in Fig. 4, the outer peripheral surface of the holder 310 is formed with a male thread 311 into which a rotating bezel retaining ring 6, which will be described later, is screwed. The body 31 also comprises an upper surface 314 formed on the outer peripheral side of the holder 310, which faces the back surface of the rotating bezel 7, which will be described later. 2, a female thread 312 is formed on the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of case 31 (the back side of the watch), and a male thread 321 formed on back cover 32 is screwed into female thread 312. Therefore, back cover 32 is removably attached to case 31. In addition, a ring-shaped packing 35 is arranged between case 31 and back cover 32.

[0009] The case 3 contains the dial 2, hour hand 21, minute hand 22, second hand 23, date wheel 24, power reserve hand 25, and movement 10. The movement 10 of this embodiment has a spring that displays the duration with the power reserve hand 25. In other words, the movement 10 is a movement for an electronically controlled mechanical timepiece having a gear train, a spring, a regulator / generator, etc., or a movement for a mechanical timepiece having a gear train, a spring, an escapement, etc. The movement 10 may also be a movement for an electronic timepiece having a gear train, a step motor, a battery, etc.

[0010] [Rotating bezel retaining ring] As also shown in Figure 4, the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 comprises a ring body 60 formed in a circular ring shape, a spanner groove 61 formed on the upper surface of the ring body 60, a female thread portion 62 formed on the inner surface of the ring body 60, and a protrusion 63 formed so as to protrude outward from the outer circumferential surface of the ring body 60.

[0011] The spanner grooves 61 are formed at six locations at 60° intervals on the upper surface of the ring body 60. This allows the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 to be attached to or removed from the case 31 by using a screw back opener, which is used when attaching or removing a screw-type back cover, to rotate the ring with two or three claws engaged with the spanner grooves 61. Note that the number of spanner grooves 61 is not limited to six, and it may be formed in, for example, two or more locations. In addition, the structure for rotating the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 is not limited to one that has the spanner grooves 61. For example, a jig that matches the regulating receiving portion 64A described later may be created, and the jig may be engaged with the regulating receiving portion 64A to rotate the rotating bezel pressing ring 6. The female thread portion 62 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the ring body 60 so as to be screwed into the male thread portion 311 of the holding portion 310 .

[0012] 2, the height dimension of the protrusion 63, i.e., the dimension in the thickness direction of the watch 1, is smaller than the height dimension of the ring body 60, and the protrusion 63 is formed in the middle of the ring body 60 in the thickness direction of the watch 1. The lower surface of the protrusion 63 is formed higher than the lower surface of the ring body 60, i.e., on the watch surface side. As a result, when the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 is screwed into the holding part 310 and attached, a recessed groove of a predetermined height dimension is defined between the upper surface 314 of the case 31 and the protrusion 63. The rotating bezel 7 is placed in the recessed groove between the upper surface 314 of the case 31 and the protrusion 63, and is held so that it can rotate without falling off the case 31 or the rotating bezel pressing ring 6. The upper surface of protrusion 63 is formed below the upper surface of ring body 60, that is, on the back side of the watch. As a result, the upper surface of protrusion 63 is located below the bottom surface of spanner groove 61, and is configured not to affect protrusion 63 when spanner groove 61 is machined by cutting the upper surface of ring body 60.

[0013] 3 and 4, a circular restriction portion 64 is formed along the circumferential direction on the outer peripheral surface of the protruding portion 63. The circular restriction portion 64 has a plurality of restriction receiving portions 64A formed continuously in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, 60 restriction receiving portions 64A are formed in the circumferential direction of the rotating bezel pressing ring 6. Therefore, the restriction receiving portions 64A are formed at a central angle of 6° in the circumferential direction of the rotating bezel pressing ring 6. As shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 5, the restriction receiving portion 64A has a restriction surface 65 and a guide surface 66. The restriction surface 65 is a surface formed along the diameter direction of the ring body 60, and is provided at a central angle of 6°. In Fig. 5, A1 is the opposite direction to the movement direction of the hands such as the minute hand 22, i.e., the counterclockwise direction, when the watch 1 is viewed from the front side, and A2 is the clockwise direction. The counterclockwise direction A1 is the first direction, and the clockwise direction A2 is the second direction. The guide surface 66 includes an inner peripheral surface 661 that is continuous with the inner peripheral edge of the regulating surface 65, an inclined surface 662 that is continuous obliquely from the end of the inner peripheral surface 661 in the counterclockwise direction A1 toward the counterclockwise outer periphery, and an outer peripheral surface 663 that is continuous in the counterclockwise direction A1 from the outer peripheral end of the inclined surface 662. The edge of the outer peripheral surface 663 in the counterclockwise direction A1 is continuous with the outer peripheral edge of the next regulating surface 65. As a result, the regulating receiving portion 64A has a tooth portion 67 that is defined by the regulating surface 65, the outer peripheral surface 663, and the inclined surface 662 and protrudes toward the outer periphery, and a groove portion 68 that is defined by the regulating surface 65, the inner peripheral surface 661, and the inclined surface 662 and recessed toward the inner periphery.

[0014] [Rotating bezel] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the rotating bezel 7 is disposed around the holder 310 of the case 31 and the cover crystal 33, and is provided so as to be freely rotatable relative to the case 31. The rotating bezel 7 is configured to include a bezel main body 70 formed in an annular (ring-shaped) shape, a display plate 80 also formed in an annular shape, and a click spring 90 which is a regulating member.

[0015] [Bezel body] 2 and 4, the bezel body 70 is a substantially annular member made of a metal material, and includes a base portion 71 that faces the upper surface 314 of the case 31, and an outer circumferential portion 72 that is formed rising from the outer circumferential side of the base portion 71. An operating portion 73 having projections and recesses arranged in the circumferential direction is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the outer circumferential portion 72. The base portion 71 is disposed along the top surface 314 of the case 31, and its inner peripheral end portion is disposed between the protrusion 63 of the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 and the top surface 314. In this case, the thickness dimension of the base portion 71 is made smaller than the height dimension from the bottom surface of the ring main body 60 to the bottom surface of the protrusion 63 of the rotating bezel pressing ring 6. Therefore, when the bezel main body 70 is disposed on the outer periphery side of the retaining portion 310 and the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 is screwed into the retaining portion 310, the movement of the bezel main body 70 upward, i.e., toward the watch face, is restricted by the protrusion 63, and the bezel main body 70 is provided rotatably relative to the case 31 and the rotating bezel pressing ring 6.

[0016] 4, the base portion 71 is formed with a screw hole 75 into which a screw 95 for rotatably mounting the click spring 90 is screwed, and a mounting hole 76 for mounting a pin 96 that abuts against the click spring 90. The screw hole 75 is formed penetrating the base portion 71 in the clockwise thickness direction, and is formed at one location in the circumferential direction of the base portion 71, and in this embodiment, is formed on the approximately 12 o'clock position side, as shown in FIG. The mounting hole 76 is formed penetrating the base portion 71 in the thickness direction of the clock, and is formed at a position spaced a predetermined distance from the screw hole 75, approximately on the 10 o'clock side in this embodiment. The positions at which the screw holes 75 and the mounting holes 76 are formed are not limited to the example of this embodiment, and can be set at any position on the circumference of the base portion 71. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper side of the outer circumferential portion 72 protrudes slightly toward the inner circumferential side, and a display plate 80 is press-fitted and fixed to the inner circumferential surface of this protruding portion with a ring-shaped packing 77 sandwiched therebetween. A packing 78 is also disposed between the bezel body 70 and the case 31. By providing this packing 78, the sliding property of the rotating bezel 7 can be improved, and the rotating bezel 7 can be rotated smoothly. Furthermore, the base portion 71 of the bezel body 70 is pushed upward by the packing 78 and abuts against the lower surface of the protruding portion 63, so that the bezel body 70 rotates stably without rattling when operated by the user. Furthermore, when the user is not operating the bezel body 70, the click spring 90 engages with the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 to hold the bezel body 70 in the circumferential direction, and the packing 78 abuts the base portion 71 against the protruding portion 63 to hold the bezel body 70 in the thickness direction of the watch. It is possible to improve sliding properties by disposing a sheet material instead of the packing 78. Also, if the sliding properties of the rotating bezel 7 can be improved or rattling can be prevented by improving the machining precision of each part or by performing surface treatment such as ion plating, a configuration without providing parts such as the packing 78 between the bezel main body 70 and the case 31 is possible.

[0017] [Display board] As shown in FIG. 2, the display plate 80 includes a circular display portion 81 and a press-fit portion 82 that protrudes from the lower surface of the display portion 81 and is press-fitted into the inner periphery of the outer periphery portion 72 with the packing 77 sandwiched therebetween. 1 and 4, a start mark 811 and minute scale 812 indicated by minute hand 22 are indicated on the surface of display unit 81. The watch 1 of this embodiment is a diver's watch, and by aligning start mark 811 of display unit 81 with the position indicated by minute hand 22 at the start of a dive, the elapsed time from the start of the dive can be confirmed by the minute scale 812 indicated by minute hand 22. The lower surface of the press-fit portion 82 is disposed above and spaced from the base portion 71, and a click spring 90 is disposed in the space between the base portion 71 and the press-fit portion 82.

[0018] [Click spring] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the click spring 90 is composed of a long, thin plate material and has a base 91, an engagement portion 92 formed at one end of the base 91 and capable of engaging with the regulating portion 64A of the rotating bezel retaining ring 6, and a biasing portion 93 extending from the base 91 in a direction generally opposite the engagement portion 92 and having a tip that abuts against the pin 96. The base 91 is formed with a hole 911 through which a screw 95 is inserted. The screw 95 is a shoulder screw having a threaded portion that is screwed into the threaded hole 75 of the base portion 71 and a shaft portion in which the hole 911 is disposed. Therefore, the base 91, i.e., the click spring 90, is rotatably attached to the base portion 71 by the screw 95. Therefore, the first shaft that rotatably attaches the click spring 90, which is a restricting member, to the base portion 71 is composed of the screw 95. Note that the first shaft is not limited to the screw 95, and may be a fixing pin, a rivet, or the like, as long as it is a member that can rotatably attach the click spring 90 to the base portion 71. The base 91 has a width larger than that of the biasing portion 93, and is strong enough not to deform even when the engaging portion 92 formed at the tip of the base 91 engages with the restriction receiving portion 64A. The tip side of the base 91 is formed with a first contact surface 921 that contacts the inner circumferential surface 661 of the restriction receiving portion 64A, a second contact surface 922 that contacts the restriction surface 65 of the restriction receiving portion 64A, and a third contact surface 923 that is provided continuously from the first contact surface 921. The engagement portion 92 formed at the tip of the base portion 91 is configured as a corner portion defined by a first abutment surface 921 and a second abutment surface 922. The intersection angle between the first abutment surface 921 and the second abutment surface 922 is an acute angle less than 90°, for example, 82°. Moreover, the intersection angle between the first abutment surface 921 and the third abutment surface 923 is an obtuse angle, for example, 168°.

[0019] The urging portion 93 is provided on the opposite side of the engagement portion 92 across the screw 95, which is the first axis, and is configured so that the width dimension decreases with increasing distance from the base portion 91, and its tip abuts against the side surface of the pin 96. Note that, when the engagement portion 92 of the click spring 90 abuts against the corner where the inner circumferential surface 661 and the regulating surface 65 intersect, and the pin 96 is not provided, the tip of the urging portion 93 is configured to overlap the mounting hole 76 into which the pin 96 is press-fitted in a plan view, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 5. Therefore, the second axis that is fixed to the base portion 71 and against which the urging portion 93 abuts is configured by the pin 96. Note that the second axis is not limited to the pin 96, and may be a stepped screw or a protrusion integrally formed with the base portion 71. 5, when the pin 96 is attached to the attachment hole 76 and the tip of the urging portion 93 is in contact with the outer periphery of the pin 96, the urging portion 93 is elastically deformed and slightly curved. Due to the elastic force generated by the deformation of the urging portion 93, the engagement portion 92 is urged toward the inner periphery surface 661 and is brought into pressure contact with the restriction surface 65 and the corners of the inner periphery surface 661, thereby restricting the rotation of the rotatable bezel 7 relative to the rotatable bezel pressing ring 6 in the clockwise direction A2, i.e., the second direction.

[0020] The material of each part can be selected appropriately. In this embodiment, the body 31 of the case 3, the back cover 32, the bezel body 70 of the rotating bezel 7, and the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 are made of titanium, and the click spring 90, which is a restricting member, is made of stainless steel. However, all parts may be made of stainless steel. If the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 is made of titanium and the click spring 90 is made of stainless steel, durability can be improved compared to when both are made of titanium. Furthermore, the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 may be plated by ion plating or the like. Plating can improve sliding properties and reduce friction when the click spring 90 moves while in contact with the guide surface 66, allowing the rotating bezel 7 to be rotated smoothly.

[0021] Next, the operation of the click spring 90 when the rotatable bezel 7 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction A1, which is the first direction, will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C. 6A, when the engaging portion 92 is disposed in the groove portion 68, the tip of the biasing portion 93 abuts against the pin 96, thereby biasing the engaging portion 92 toward the inner periphery of the rotatable bezel pressing ring 6, i.e., toward the inner circumferential surface 661. Since the intersection angle between the first abutment surface 921 and the second abutment surface 922 of the engaging portion 92 is an acute angle, the tip of the engaging portion 92 presses against the corner where the inner circumferential surface 661 of the groove portion 68 and the regulating surface 65 intersect, and rotation of the rotatable bezel 7 in the clockwise direction A2 can be reliably regulated. Furthermore, a third abutment surface 923 is provided which is continuous with the first abutment surface 921, and is configured so that when the engagement portion 92 is engaged with the groove portion 68, the third abutment surface 923 does not abut against the inclined surface 662. This prevents the first abutment surface 921 of the engagement portion 92 from moving away from the inner surface 661, and reliably maintains the state in which the rotation of the rotating bezel 7 is restricted by the engagement portion 92.

[0022] Next, when a user of the timepiece 1 grasps the operating unit 73 and rotates the rotating bezel 7 in the counterclockwise direction A1, the click spring 90 also moves in the counterclockwise direction A1 relative to the rotating bezel pressing ring 6, and the third contact surface 923 comes into contact with the outer circumferential edge of the inclined surface 662. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the engagement portion 92 of the click spring 90 moves in a direction away from the rotating bezel pressing ring 6, that is, toward the outer circumferential side, and the base portion 91 on which the engagement portion 92 is formed also rotates toward the outer circumferential side with the screw 95 as the rotation axis. At this time, the biasing portion 93 in contact with the pin 96 is deflected to a greater extent, and the force that tries to return this deflection, that is, the elastic force, increases the biasing force with which the engagement portion 92 comes into contact with the rotating bezel pressing ring 6. As the rotating bezel 7 rotates in the counterclockwise direction A1, the third contact surface 923 contacts the inclined surface 662 of the restriction receiving portion 64A, and the first contact surface 921 contacts the outer circumferential surface 663 of the restriction receiving portion 64A. As a result, the engagement portion 92 of the click spring 90 is released from the groove portion 68.

[0023] When the rotating bezel 7 is further rotated in the counterclockwise direction A1, the engagement portion 92 of the click spring 90 engages with the next groove portion 68, as shown in Fig. 6C. At this time, the engagement portion 92 comes off the outer peripheral surface 663 and abuts against the inner peripheral surface 661 while being subjected to the biasing force generated by the bending of the biasing portion 93, generating a click sound. In addition, the engagement portion 92 abuts against the restriction surface 65, so that the rotation of the rotating bezel 7 in the clockwise direction A2 is restricted. For this reason, when the rotatable bezel 7 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction A1, each time the click spring 90 moves from the groove portion 68 over the tooth portion 67 and engages with the next groove portion 68, a click sound is generated and the rotation of the rotatable bezel 7 in the clockwise direction A2 is restricted. In addition, since the click spring 90 moves in the counterclockwise direction A1 together with the rotatable bezel 7, the location where the click sound is generated also moves sequentially around the dial 2 in the counterclockwise direction A1.

[0024] With the above-described configuration, when the user grasps and rotates the operation portion 73 of the rotating bezel 7, the rotating bezel 7 including the display plate 80 can be rotated as a whole in the counterclockwise direction. When the rotating bezel 7 is rotated relative to the case 3, the biasing portion 93 of the click spring 90 elastically deforms, and the engaging portion 92 disengages from the groove portion 68 of the regulated receiving portion 64A with which it was engaged, and engages with the groove portion 68 of the next regulated receiving portion 64A. As a result, a clicking sensation is obtained when the rotating bezel 7 is operated as the rotating bezel 7 rotates, and the click spring 90 sequentially engages with the 60 regulated receiving portions 64A, so that the rotating bezel 7 can be held in that position every time the rotating bezel 7 is rotated by 6°.

[0025] The timepiece 1 of the first embodiment has the following advantages. Since the base portion 71 of the bezel main body 70 is held between the protrusion 63 of the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 and the upper surface 314 of the body 31, the holding structure for the rotating bezel 7 can be simplified and costs can be reduced. Since the click spring 90 that engages with the restriction receiving portion 64A of the circular ring restriction portion 64 is provided on the outer circumferential side of the circular ring restriction portion 64, the circular ring restriction portion 64 and the click spring 90 can be arranged in the radial direction of the watch 1, and the thickness dimension of the watch 1 can be reduced, making it thinner. The protruding portion 63 of the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 has both the function of holding the rotating bezel 7 and the function of restricting the rotation of the rotating bezel 7 by the restricting portion 64A, which simplifies the structure of the rotating bezel pressing ring 6. In addition, since the restricting portion 64A is formed on the protruding portion 63, it can be easily formed by pressing or the like, and the processing cost can also be reduced. Since the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 and the click spring 90 do not need to be disposed inside the case 31, there is no impact on the storage space for the movement 10, and various movements 10 can be used. By engaging the click spring 90 with the restriction receiving portion 64A, the rotating bezel 7 can rotate only in the counterclockwise direction A1, and the rotational position can be maintained every 6°. For this reason, the timepiece 1 of the present disclosure can be applied to a diver's watch in which it is desirable to rotate the rotating bezel 7 only in the counterclockwise direction A1 in order to correctly keep track of the elapsed dive time.

[0026] Since the regulating member is configured by the click spring 90, which is a long, thin lever-shaped part, the click spring 90 can be used in common with watches having different planar sizes. In addition, the biasing portion 93 of the click spring 90 is formed in a long, thin plate shape, and by abutting against the pin 96 and deforming it, the biasing force with which the engagement portion 92 engages with the restriction receiving portion 64A can be set to a constant value. Furthermore, because the click spring 90 engages with the restriction receiving portion 64A from the radial direction of the timepiece 1, the variation in the click force and click sound can be reduced when the rotating bezel 7 is rotated. That is, when the rotating bezel 7 is operated, the user grasps the rotating bezel 7 from above and operates it, so a force is applied that presses the rotating bezel 7 downward. This pressing force varies in the circumferential direction of the rotating bezel 7 depending on how the user holds the rotating bezel 7 and the bias when applying force. For this reason, in the case of a structure that restricts rotation in the vertical direction of the timepiece 1, as in Patent Document 1, the pressing force varies in the circumferential direction, and therefore the click force and the volume of the click sound also vary. In contrast, in the present embodiment, when the regulating receiving portion 64A of the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 and the click spring 90 are arranged radially of the watch 1, the watch is basically not affected by variations in the pressure exerted from above, so variations in the click force and the volume of the click sound can be suppressed and stabilized.

[0027] The protruding portion 63 of the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 is provided with teeth 67 defined by an inclined surface 662, an outer peripheral surface 663, and a restricting surface 65. The area of ​​the teeth 67 can be made larger than in a structure in which the inclined surface 662 is directly connected to the restricting surface 65, such as the sawtooth used in a ratchet mechanism, so that the rotating bezel 7 can be more reliably restricted from moving toward the watch surface, and the rotating bezel 7 can be reliably held by the protruding portion 63 and the case 31.

[0028] The display plate 80 is removably attached to the bezel main body 70, and can hide the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 and the click spring 90, improving the design of the timepiece 1. Furthermore, by removing the display plate 80 from the bezel main body 70, the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 can be exposed and removed, making maintenance work easy to perform. Furthermore, the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 is screwed into the case 31, which also makes it easy to attach and detach it. In particular, the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 is formed with a wrench groove 61, so that the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 can be easily attached and detached from the case 31 by using the same jig that is used when attaching and detaching the screw-type back cover 32.

[0029] [Second embodiment] Next, a timepiece 1B of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. The timepiece 1B differs from the timepiece 1 of the first embodiment in that it uses a rotating bezel 7B equipped with two click springs 90 as a regulating member. For this reason, the same components as those of the timepiece 1 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The two click springs 90 are arranged with a 3° phase difference in engagement with the regulated portion 64A. In this embodiment, the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 is provided with 60 regulated portions 64A, and two click springs 90, which are regulating members, are provided. If the number of regulated portions 64A is n and the number of click springs 90 with different phases in engagement with the regulated portions 64A is m, in the timepiece 1B, one of the click springs 90 engages with the regulated portion 64A every time the rotating bezel rotates 360° / (n×m)=360° / (60×2)=3°. Therefore, the number of clicks when the rotating bezel 7 rotates once (360°) is m×n=120 clicks.

[0030] The timepiece 1B can achieve the same effect as the timepiece 1 of the first embodiment. In addition, since multiple click springs 90 are provided and the phases at which they engage with the regulated portions 64A are shifted, the number of clicks can be increased without increasing the number of regulated portions 64A. This allows the rotating bezel 7 to be positioned more precisely, improving convenience. For example, the timepiece 1 of the first embodiment has one click spring 90 and 60 regulated portions 64A, so the rotating bezel 7 is positioned every 6° and the number of clicks is 60. In contrast, the timepiece 1B of this embodiment has two click springs 90 arranged with a shift in phase, so the number of clicks of the rotating bezel 7 can be increased to 120, and the rotating bezel 7 can be positioned every 3°. In addition, since there is no need to increase the number of the restriction receiving portions 64A, the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 can be processed more easily than in the case where 120 restriction receiving portions 64A are processed and formed, for example.

[0031] [Third embodiment] Next, a timepiece 1C of a third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The timepiece 1C differs from the timepiece 1 of the first embodiment in that it uses a rotating bezel 7C equipped with a torsion spring 100 as a restricting member. For this reason, the same components as those of the timepiece 1 of the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The torsion spring 100 includes a coil portion 101, a first arm portion 102, and a second arm portion 103. The torsion spring 100 is rotatably attached to the rotating bezel 7C by inserting a pin 110 fixed to a base portion 71 of the rotating bezel 7C into the coil portion 101. The first arm portion 102 of the torsion spring 100 engages with the restriction receiving portion 64A of the rotating bezel retaining ring 6, and the second arm portion 103 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral portion 72. As a result, the first arm portion 102 of the torsion spring 100 engages with the restriction receiving portion 64A by a predetermined biasing force. Therefore, in the torsion spring 100, the engagement portion is composed of the first arm portion 102, and the biasing portion is composed of the second arm portion 103 and the coil portion 101.

[0032] The timepiece 1C can achieve the same effects as the timepiece 1 of the first embodiment. Furthermore, because the torsion spring 100 is used as the restricting member, costs can be further reduced.

[0033] [Variations] The number of the restriction receiving portions 64A formed on the rotating bezel pressing ring 6 and the number of the click springs 90 serving as the restriction members are not limited to those in the examples of the respective embodiments. For example, assuming that the number of regulated portions 64A is n and the number of click springs 90 whose phases are shifted when engaging with the regulated portions 64A is m, if n=60 and m=3, the rotating bezel 7 can be regulated every 2° of rotation, and the number of clicks can be set to 180. If n=30 and m=4, the rotating bezel 7 can be regulated every 3° of rotation, and the number of clicks can be set to 120 even if the number of regulated portions 64A is reduced. Furthermore, the number of regulated portions 64A and the number of click springs 90 whose phases are shifted when engaged may be appropriately set, such as n=90, m=2, n=40, m=3, etc. Furthermore, when multiple click springs 90 are provided, it is preferable that the click springs 90 are arranged at approximately equal intervals, but they may also be arranged at different intervals. Furthermore, when multiple click springs 90 are provided, the phases of engagement with the restriction receiving portion 64A may be matched. For example, three click springs 90 may be arranged at intervals of 120° and configured to simultaneously engage with the restriction receiving portion 64A. In this case, it is possible to reduce the circumferential variation in the click force when the rotating bezel 7 rotates, and a constant click sound can be generated. Also, multiple sets of click springs 90 may be provided with different phases of engagement with the restricted portion 64A. For example, when click springs 90 are provided at four locations at intervals of approximately 90°, two click springs 90 arranged at intervals of 180° may be set to engage with the restricted portion 64A in the same phase, and these two sets of click springs 90 may be configured to engage with the restricted portion 64A in different phases. In this case, m=2, and if n=60, the number of clicks is 120.

[0034] In the above embodiment, the regulating portion 64A and the click spring 90 of the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 are configured to rotate the rotating bezel 7 only in the counterclockwise direction A1, but by making the regulating portion 64A a V-groove or a U-groove and configuring the engagement portion 92 of the click spring 90 to be engageable with the regulating portion 64A, the rotating bezel 7 may be configured to be rotatable in both the counterclockwise direction A1 and the clockwise direction A2. The restriction receiving portion may be configured so that the teeth are substantially triangular in plan view, like the sawtooth of a ratchet mechanism. The structure for fixing the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 to the body 31 is not limited to a structure in which the ring is fixed by screwing it in as in the above embodiment, but may be any structure that allows the rotating bezel retaining ring 6 to be removably fixed to the body 31.

[0035] The timepiece of the present invention is not limited to diver's watches, but can also be applied to wristwatches with rotating bezels. For example, in a timepiece equipped with a so-called world time function, the names of representative cities in the world's time zones may be displayed around the dial, such as the bezel, and the rotating bezel of the present invention may be applied to this display. In addition, in a chronograph timepiece, a rotating bezel with a circular slide rule for aviation measurement may be applied. Furthermore, in an outdoor timepiece, a rotating bezel with a simple compass may be applied. The rotating bezel may rotate only in the counterclockwise direction A1 as in the above embodiments, or only in the clockwise direction A2, or it may rotate in both directions, and may be designed according to the application of the rotating bezel. The present invention is not limited to wristwatches, but can be applied to various types of timepieces equipped with a rotating bezel.

[0036] [Summary of this disclosure] The timepiece disclosed herein comprises hands that display the time, a movement that drives the hands, a body that houses the movement, a rotating bezel rotatably arranged relative to the body, and a rotating bezel retaining ring fixed to the body, wherein the rotating bezel retaining ring has a protrusion that protrudes radially outward and holds the rotating bezel between the body and the rotating bezel, and the protrusion is provided with a circular regulating portion having a plurality of regulating receiving portions that are continuous in the circumferential direction, and the rotating bezel is provided with a regulating member that engages with the regulating receiving portions, and when the rotating bezel is rotated, the regulating member sequentially engages with the regulating receiving portions, generating a clicking sensation when the rotating bezel is rotated, thereby regulating the position of the rotating bezel. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, a rotating bezel retaining ring is attached to the body, and the rotating bezel is held between the body and a protrusion that protrudes radially outward from the rotating bezel retaining ring, thereby simplifying the retaining structure of the rotating bezel, improving maintainability, and reducing costs. The protruding portion of the rotating bezel pressing ring is provided with a circular restriction portion consisting of a plurality of restriction receiving portions that are continuous in the circumferential direction, and the rotating bezel is provided with a restriction member that engages with the restriction receiving portions, so that the circular restriction portion and the restriction member can be arranged in the radial direction of the watch. This allows the thickness dimension of the watch to be reduced, making the watch thinner. In addition, since the rotating bezel pressing ring and the restriction member do not need to be arranged inside the case, they do not affect the storage space for the movement, and various movements can be used. Furthermore, since a restricting portion is formed on the protruding portion of the rotating bezel retaining ring, the protruding portion can serve both the function of holding the rotating bezel 7 and the function of restricting the rotation of the rotating bezel 7, and can be easily formed by press processing or the like, and processing costs can also be reduced. In addition, holding the rotating bezel between the protrusion of the rotating bezel retaining ring and the body includes not only a structure in which the rotating bezel is directly sandwiched between the protrusion and the body, but also a structure in which the bezel is sandwiched with another material, such as a sheet, interposed between them.

[0037] In the timepiece of the present disclosure, when the regulating member is not engaged with the regulating portion, the rotating bezel is rotatable in a first direction, which is one of the clockwise and counterclockwise directions, and in a second direction, which is the other direction, and the regulating member is provided with an engagement portion that engages with the regulating portion and a biasing portion that biases the engagement portion toward the regulating portion, and the regulating portion has a regulating surface that abuts against the engagement portion to regulate rotation of the rotating bezel in the second direction, and a guide surface that is continuously provided from the inner peripheral edge of the regulating surface to the outer peripheral edge of the next regulating surface in the first direction, and it is preferable that the engagement portion is guided by the guide surface to move radially outward as the rotating bezel rotates in the first direction, and when it comes off the guide surface, it moves radially inward by the biasing portion and abuts against the regulating surface to regulate the rotation of the rotating bezel in the second direction. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, the engagement portion of the regulating member abuts against the regulating surface of the regulating receiving portion to regulate the rotation of the rotating bezel in the second direction, so the rotating bezel can be regulated to rotate only in the first direction. Therefore, the timepiece of the present disclosure can be applied to a diver's watch in which it is desirable to rotate the rotating bezel in only one direction, counterclockwise, in order to correctly keep track of the elapsed dive time.

[0038] In the timepiece of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the guide surface comprises an inner surface that continues with the inner peripheral edge of the regulating surface, an inclined surface that continues diagonally from the end of the inner surface in the first direction toward the outer periphery in the first direction, and an outer periphery surface that continues in the first direction from the outer periphery end of the inclined surface. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, the protruding portion of the rotating bezel retaining ring is provided with teeth that protrude outward and are bounded by an inclined surface, an outer peripheral surface, and a regulating surface, and the area of ​​these teeth can be made larger than that of sawtooth, so that the rotating bezel can be reliably restricted from moving toward the surface of the watch, and the rotating bezel can be securely held by the protruding portion and the case.

[0039] In the timepiece of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the rotating bezel retaining ring has a female threaded portion formed on its inner surface and the case has a male threaded portion formed on its outer surface, and the rotating bezel retaining ring is fixed to the case by screwing the female threaded portion into the male threaded portion. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, the rotating bezel retaining ring is attached by screwing it into the case, so the rotating bezel retaining ring can be easily attached and detached from the case. Therefore, even if the rotating bezel or the regulating member is damaged, these parts can be easily replaced or repaired, and maintenance work such as cleaning each part can also be easily performed.

[0040] In the timepiece of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the rotating bezel comprises a bezel body and the regulating member, the bezel body having a base portion disposed between the case and the protrusion, and the regulating member being an elongated lever-shaped part attached to the base portion, with an engagement portion provided at one end for engaging with the regulating receiving portion. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, the regulating member is constructed from a long, lever-shaped part that is attached to the base portion of the bezel body, so the regulating member can be shared among times with different planar sizes.

[0041] In the timepiece of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the regulating member is rotatably attached to the base portion by a first axis, and a biasing portion that abuts against a second axis fixed to the base portion is provided on the opposite side of the engagement portion across the first axis. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, the regulating member is rotatably attached to the base by a first axis formed of a screw, pin, etc., and a biasing part is provided on the opposite side of the first axis to the regulating part, and this biasing part abuts against a second axis formed of a pin or the like fixed to the base. Therefore, by abutting the biasing part against the second axis, the biasing part can be deformed to generate an elastic force, and this elastic force is converted into a rotational torque around the first axis, so that the biasing force that abuts the regulating part against the regulating receiving part can be controlled. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating bezel can be appropriately regulated, and an appropriate clicking feeling can be obtained when rotating the rotating bezel.

[0042] In the timepiece of the present disclosure, it is preferable that a packing be placed between the case and the rotating bezel. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, a gasket is placed between the case and the rotating bezel, which improves the sliding properties of the rotating bezel when it is rotated, thereby improving the ease of rotation of the rotating bezel.

[0043] In the timepiece of the present disclosure, a plurality of the regulating members are provided, and when the number of the regulating portions is n and the number of the regulating members that engage with the regulating portions in different phases is m, it is preferable that one of the regulating members engages with the regulating portion every time the rotating bezel rotates 360° / (n×m). According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, for example, when n=60 and m=2, the rotatable bezel can be configured so that the regulating member engages with the regulating portion every time the rotatable bezel rotates 360° / (60×2)=3°. This allows the number of clicks per rotation (360°) of the rotatable bezel to be 120, and the number of clicks can be increased to a multiple of the regulating portion.

[0044] In the timepiece of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the rotating bezel comprises a bezel body and a display plate that is removably attached to the bezel body, and that the display plate is arranged on the watch face side of the rotating bezel retaining ring and the regulating member. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, the display plate is disposed on the face side of the rotating bezel retaining ring and the restricting member, so that the rotating bezel retaining ring and the restricting member are prevented from being exposed on the face of the timepiece, improving the design of the timepiece. In addition, by removing the display plate from the bezel body, the rotating bezel retaining ring can be exposed and removed, making maintenance work easy to perform. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1...clock, 1B...clock, 1C...clock, 6...rotating bezel retaining ring, 7...rotating bezel, 7B...rotating bezel, 7C...rotating bezel, 10...movement, 21...hour hand, 22...minute hand, 23...second hand, 31...body, 32...back cover, 34...packing, 35...packing, 60...ring body, 62...female thread portion, 63...protruding portion, 64...annular regulating portion, 64A...regulating receiving portion, 65...regulating surface, 66...guide surface, 67...tooth portion, 68...groove portion, 70...bezel body, 71...base portion, 77...packing, 78...packing, 80...display plate, 90...click spring, 92...engaging portion, 93...biasing portion, 95...screw, 96...pin, 100...torsion spring, 661...inner surface, 662...inclined surface, 663...outer surface.

Claims

1. A hand that displays the time, A movement that drives the hands; a case for housing the movement; A rotating bezel rotatably provided with respect to the case; A rotating bezel retaining ring fixed to the case, the rotating bezel pressing ring has a protrusion that protrudes radially outward and holds the rotating bezel between the ring and the case, The protruding portion is provided with a circular restriction portion having a plurality of restriction receiving portions continuous in a circumferential direction, The rotating bezel is provided with a regulating member that engages with the regulating receiving portion, When the rotating bezel is rotated, the regulating member sequentially engages with the regulating receiving portion, thereby generating a clicking sensation in the rotation operation of the rotating bezel and regulating the position of the rotating bezel. A watch characterized by

2. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, the rotating bezel is rotatable in a first direction, which is one of a clockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction, and in a second direction, which is the other of the first direction and the counterclockwise direction, when the regulating member is not engaged with the regulating receiving portion; The regulating member includes an engaging portion that engages with the regulating receiving portion and a biasing portion that biases the engaging portion toward the regulating receiving portion, the restriction receiving portion has a restriction surface that contacts the engagement portion to restrict rotation of the rotating bezel in the second direction, and a guide surface that is continuously provided from an inner peripheral edge of the restriction surface to an outer peripheral edge of a next restriction surface in the first direction, The engaging portion is guided by the guide surface and moves to the radially outer periphery side as the rotating bezel rotates in the first direction, and when the engaging portion comes off the guide surface, the engaging portion moves to the radially inner periphery side by the biasing portion and abuts against the regulating surface to regulate the rotation of the rotating bezel in the second direction. A watch characterized by

3. 3. The timepiece according to claim 2, The guide surface includes an inner peripheral surface that is continuous with the inner peripheral side edge of the regulating surface, an inclined surface that is continuous in an oblique direction from an end portion of the inner peripheral surface in the first direction toward the outer periphery in the first direction, and an outer peripheral surface that is continuous in the first direction from an outer periphery end of the inclined surface. A watch characterized by

4. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, The rotating bezel retaining ring has an internal thread formed on its inner circumferential surface, The barrel has a male thread formed on its outer circumferential surface, The rotating bezel retaining ring is fixed to the case by screwing the female threaded portion into the male threaded portion. A watch characterized by

5. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, the rotating bezel includes a bezel body and the restricting member, The bezel body has a base portion disposed between the case and the protruding portion, The regulating member is an elongated lever-shaped part attached to the base portion, and has an engaging portion at one end thereof that engages with the regulating receiving portion. A watch characterized by

6. 6. The timepiece according to claim 5, The regulating member is a first shaft rotatably attached to the base; A biasing portion that abuts against a second shaft fixed to the base portion is provided on the opposite side of the first shaft from the engaging portion. A watch characterized by

7. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, A packing is disposed between the body and the rotating bezel. A watch characterized by

8. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, The restricting members are provided in a plurality, When the number of the regulated portions is n and the number of the regulated members that engage with the regulated portions in different phases is m, Each time the rotating bezel is rotated by 360° / (n×m), any one of the regulating members engages with the regulating receiving portion. A watch characterized by

9. 2. The timepiece according to claim 1, the rotating bezel comprises a bezel body and a display plate detachably attached to the bezel body, The display plate is disposed on the face side of the watch relative to the rotating bezel retaining ring and the regulating member. A watch characterized by

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