Timepiece and electronic device

Abstract

To provide an exterior member capable of improving impact resistance by increasing strength, and a timepiece including the same.SOLUTION: The wire harness includes an exterior body 10 and a reinforcement part 15 which is a cylindrical member made of a fiber-reinforced resin provided in the exterior body 10. Therefore, the weight can be reduced, the strength can be increased, and the impact resistance can be improved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exterior member used in electronic devices such as wristwatches and personal digital assistants, and to a timepiece equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the exterior components of wristwatches, as described in Patent Document 1, a structure is known in which carbon fiber is used as a reinforcing material, this carbon fiber is laminated in the front and back directions to form a carbon fiber reinforced resin sheet, and a thermosetting resin is provided on the front and back surfaces of this carbon fiber reinforced resin sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-114495 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The exterior components of such wristwatches are constructed by applying thermosetting resin to the front and back surfaces of a carbon fiber reinforced resin sheet in which carbon fiber is laminated in the front and back directions. Therefore, although it is possible to reduce the weight, there is a problem in that it does not have sufficient strength and cannot ensure impact resistance.

[0005] The problem to be solved by this invention is to provide an exterior member that can increase strength and improve impact resistance, and a timepiece equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention provides an exterior member comprising an exterior body and a tubular member made of fiber reinforced resin and provided on the exterior body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the strength and improve the impact resistance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is an enlarged perspective view showing an embodiment of a wristwatch to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded, enlarged perspective view of the wristwatch case shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing an exterior member of the wristwatch case shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the fiber direction of a third fiber-reinforced resin sheet provided on each surface of a protrusion and a band attachment portion in the exterior member shown in FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] 4 is an enlarged side view of the exterior member shown in FIG. 3, viewed from the 3 o'clock side. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the protrusion on the 9 o'clock side of the watch case shown in FIG. 1, taken along the line AA. [Figure 7] 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a protrusion on the 9 o'clock side of the exterior member shown in FIG. 4, taken along the arrow BB. [Figure 8] 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the band attachment portion on the 6 o'clock side of the exterior member shown in FIG. 4, taken along the arrow CC. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will now be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in Fig. 1, this wristwatch has a wristwatch case 1. Band attachment sections 2, to which a watch band (not shown) is attached, protrude from the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides of this wristwatch case 1. Additionally, switch sections 3 are provided in five locations on the 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of this wristwatch case 1.

[0010] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, wristwatch case 1 comprises lower case 4, upper case 5, and exterior member 6. Lower case 4, in which a watch module (not shown) is placed, is formed into a cylindrical shape with a bottom made of metal such as stainless steel or hard synthetic resin. Switch mounting holes 4a, to which switch unit 3 is attached, are provided in each of the side walls of lower case 4 on the 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides.

[0011] 1 and 2, the upper case 5 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or a hard synthetic resin and has a watch crystal 7 attached to its inner circumferential surface via a crystal packing 7a (see FIG. 6). The upper case 5 is configured to be placed on top of the lower case 4, with a waterproof ring 5a (see FIG. 6) placed between its underside and the top of the lower case 4.

[0012] 1 and 2, screw mounting portions 8 are provided on each of the outer surfaces of the 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 11 o'clock sides of the upper case 5. These screw mounting portions 8 include a semicircular groove 8a provided in the vertical direction on the outer surface of the upper case 5, and a disk portion 8b provided below this groove 8a and protruding in a semicircular shape from within the groove 8a, with a screw insertion hole 8c provided in the center of this disk portion 8b.

[0013] As a result, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the threaded portion 9a of the screw member 9 is inserted into the screw insertion hole 8c of the screw mounting portion 8 and screwed into the screw hole 11a of the exterior member 6 described later, the upper case 5 is pressed against the exterior member 6 by the screw head 9b, thereby covering the top of the lower case 4 and attaching it to the top of the exterior member 6.

[0014] 1 and 2, the exterior member 6 has the lower case 4 inserted from above and is provided with a substantially ring-shaped exterior main body 10 that is arranged on the outer periphery of the lower case 4. Switch insertion holes 10a, in which switch heads of the switch unit 3 are placed, are provided in each side wall portion of the exterior main body 10 on the 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides, corresponding to the multiple switch mounting holes 4a provided in the lower case 4.

[0015] 2 to 4 and 6, anti-slip recesses 10b are provided on the inner circumferential surface of this exterior main body 10 at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides, and are open on the inner circumferential surface and upper end surface. As shown in Fig. 6, when the engaging protrusions 4b provided on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides of the outer circumferential surface of the lower case 4 are inserted from above, the lower ends of the engaging protrusions 4b of the lower case 4 abut against and are locked in the anti-slip recesses 10b, preventing the lower case 4 from slipping out below the exterior member 6.

[0016] 1 to 3, mounting recesses 11 are provided on the top surface of this exterior body 10 at the 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 11 o'clock positions, respectively, into which the disk portions 8b of the screw mounting portions 8 of the upper case 5 are disposed. These mounting recesses 11 are each provided with a screw hole 11a into which the threaded portions 9a of the screw members 9 are threadedly engaged. As a result, the upper case 5 is configured so that when the lower case 4 is disposed within the exterior body 10 of the exterior member 6 and the upper case 5 is placed on the exterior member 6, covering the top of the lower case 4, the disk portions 8b of the screw mounting portions 8 of the upper case 5 are disposed within the mounting recesses 11 of the exterior member 6.

[0017] That is, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the exterior member 6 is configured such that the screw insertion hole 8c provided in the disk portion 8b of the screw mounting portion 8 of the upper case 5 corresponds coaxially to the screw hole 11a in the mounting recess 11 of the exterior main body 10, and in this state the screw portion 9a of the screw member 9 is screwed from the screw insertion hole 8c in the disk portion 8b into the screw hole 11a in the mounting recess 11, so that the upper case 5 is pressed onto the exterior main body 10 by the screw head 9b.

[0018] 1 to 3, screw member 9 is configured so that when screw portion 9a is threaded through screw insertion hole 8c into screw hole 11a and tightened, screw head 9b presses disk portion 8b of screw mounting portion 8 of upper case 5 into mounting recess 11 of exterior member 6. As a result, lower case 4 is configured to be pressed down by upper case 5 and fixed within exterior member 6 with the lower end portions of engagement projections 4b abutting against and locked to the lower end portions within stop recesses 10b of exterior main body 10, as shown in FIG.

[0019] 1 and 2, protrusions 12 are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10 at the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides, respectively, to protrude laterally. In this case, the protrusion 12 on the 3 o'clock side protects the switch head of the switch unit 3, and is provided between the 2 o'clock and 4 o'clock sides. A switch insertion hole 10a in which the switch head of the switch unit 3 is placed is provided in the center of the protrusion 12 on the 3 o'clock side. The protrusion 12 on the 9 o'clock side is provided between the 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock sides.

[0020] 2 to 5, band attachment portions 2, which are protrusions and attachment protrusions, are provided on the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides of this exterior body 10 and protrude outward. A watch band (not shown) is attached to these band attachment portions 2, and each has a band attachment hole 2a provided in a direction along the outer periphery of the exterior body 10. In other words, although not shown, these band attachment portions 2 are configured so that a watch band can be attached by inserting a connecting member such as a spring bar provided at the end of the watch band into the band attachment hole 2a.

[0021] 4 and 5, the exterior body 10 has a structure in which first fiber-reinforced resin sheets 13, which are first fiber-reinforced resin sheets, are stacked one on top of the other, excluding the band attachment portion 2. That is, the first fiber-reinforced resin sheet 13 is a sheet in which carbon fibers or glass fibers are arranged and hardened with synthetic resin.

[0022] In this case, the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 may be formed by laminating only sheets in which carbon fibers are arranged, or may be formed by laminating only sheets in which glass fibers are arranged and coloring each layer, or may be formed by laminating a combination of sheets in which carbon fibers are arranged and sheets in which glass fibers are arranged. That is, the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 in which carbon fibers are arranged will be black, and the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 colored by arranging glass fibers will be colored.

[0023] 4 and 5, when the first fiber-reinforced resin sheets 13 are stacked one on top of the other, it is desirable to stack them so that the fiber arrangement directions alternately cross in order to ensure the strength of the exterior body 10. In the first fiber-reinforced resin sheets 13, the synthetic resin that solidifies the fibers is polycarbonate resin, ABS resin, epoxy resin, polyether resin, or the like.

[0024] 4 and 5, the exterior body 10 is formed into a generally ring-like shape with high strength by stacking first fiber-reinforced resin sheets 13 one above the other and bonding the synthetic resin of each sheet together by thermocompression bonding. Furthermore, while the exterior body 10 is formed into a generally ring shape, the outer peripheral surface and inner peripheral surface are machined to form it into a desired shape.

[0025] In this case, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, each of the protrusions 12 on the 3 o'clock side and 9 o'clock side of the exterior body 10 has a structure in which first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 are laminated one above the other, similar to the exterior body 10. Also, as shown in Figures 3 to 5 and 8, each of the band attachment parts 2 on the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side of the exterior body 10 has a reinforcing part 15 which is a cylindrical member formed by wrapping a second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14, which is a second fiber reinforced resin sheet, in a cylindrical shape.

[0026] 3 to 5 and 8, the reinforcing portion 15 of the band attachment portion 2 is formed in a cylindrical shape by concentrically wrapping and laminating the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 in multiple layers around the band attachment hole 2a provided in a direction along the outer periphery of the exterior main body 10. In this case, the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 may be a glass fiber reinforced resin sheet in which glass fibers are arranged, but is preferably a carbon fiber reinforced resin sheet in which carbon fibers are arranged.

[0027] 3 to 5 and 8, the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 is formed so that the direction of the carbon fibers when wound into a cylindrical shape is a direction that intersects or is perpendicular to the axial direction of the band attachment hole 2a, which is the axial direction of the cylinder. In other words, the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 is formed so that when a watch band (not shown) attached to the band attachment part 2 is pulled in its longitudinal direction, the fibers of the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 are aligned in a direction that receives a force in the tensile direction.

[0028] In this case, the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 is formed into a cylindrical shape by being layered and wound so that the fiber arrangement direction alternates when it is wound concentrically as shown in Figures 3 to 5 and 8. Alternatively, the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 is formed into a cylindrical shape by being layered and wound so that the fiber arrangement direction is perpendicular to the axial direction of the band attachment hole 2a, which is the cylindrical axis direction.

[0029] 4, 5, and 8, the band attachment portion 2 includes shaping portions 16 that shape the entire band attachment portion 2 when the reinforcing portion 15 is attached to the exterior body 10. The shaping portions 16 are provided corresponding to the side and top sides of the cylindrical reinforcing portion 15. That is, the portions of the shaping portion 16 that correspond to the side sides of the reinforcing portion 15 have a structure in which first fiber-reinforced resin sheets 13 are stacked one above the other, similar to the exterior body 10.

[0030] 4, 5, and 8, the portion of the shaping portion 16 corresponding to the upper surface side of the reinforcing portion 15 has a structure in which the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 of the exterior body 10 are laminated vertically from the side of the exterior body 10 to the center of the upper surface, and a structure in which the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 of the exterior body 10 are laminated at an angle tangential to the outer periphery of the cylindrical shape of the reinforcing portion 15 from the center of the upper surface to the outer side of the exterior body 10. In this way, the band attachment portion 2 is configured to be formed by the reinforcing portion 15 and the shaping portion 16.

[0031] In this case, the reinforcing portion 15 and the shaping portion 16 of the band attachment portion 2 are fixed by welding to the respective side surfaces on the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side of the exterior body 10, as shown in Figures 4, 5, and 8. That is, the first fiber-reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 and the shaping portion 16 is a sheet made of synthetic resin with fibers arranged in an array, and the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 of the reinforcing portion 15 is a sheet made of synthetic resin with carbon fibers arranged in an array.

[0032] For this reason, the reinforcing portion 15 and the shaping portion 16 of the band mounting portion 2 are configured to be firmly fixed together by heating and melting the synthetic resins of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 and the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14, and then welding them together in this state by thermocompression bonding, as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 8.

[0033] 4 and 6 to 8, a protective layer 17, which is a protective member, is provided on each of the outer surfaces of the protruding portions 12 on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides that protrude from the outer periphery of the exterior member 6, and on each of the outer surfaces of the band attachment portions 2 on the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides. This protective layer 17 is for protecting the lamination surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10, and is formed from a third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18, which is a third fiber reinforced resin sheet having fibers oriented in a direction intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13.

[0034] In this case, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 may be a glass fiber reinforced resin sheet in which glass fibers are arranged and hardened with a synthetic resin, as shown in Fig. 4, but is preferably a carbon fiber reinforced resin sheet in which carbon fibers are arranged and hardened with a synthetic resin. The third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 may be one in which the carbon fibers are arranged in one direction intersecting the stacking direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 of the exterior body 10, but is preferably a mesh-like sheet in which the carbon fibers are arranged crosswise in two directions intersecting the stacking direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 of the exterior body 10.

[0035] That is, as shown in Fig. 4, the mesh-like third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 has carbon fibers arranged crosswise in two directions intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 of the exterior body 10, and therefore has higher rigidity and strength than a sheet in which the carbon fibers are arranged in only one direction intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 of the exterior body 10. This third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 is fixed by welding to the surfaces of the protrusions 12 and the band attachment portion 2, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8.

[0036] 6 to 8, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 is a sheet in which carbon fibers are arranged crosswise in two directions intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 and solidified with synthetic resin. For this reason, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 is configured to be firmly fixed to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 by heating and melting the synthetic resins of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 and then welding them together in this state by thermocompression bonding.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 of this protective layer 17 is configured so that the surface of the exterior body 10 on which the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 is laminated is formed on the laminated surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13, thereby preventing peeling or damage to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 when the laminated surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 in the exterior body 10 is subjected to an impact.

[0038] Next, the assembly of such a wristwatch case 1 will be described. In this case, the exterior member 6 is produced in advance. That is, first, the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 are stacked one on top of the other to form the substantially ring-shaped exterior main body 10. At this time, the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 are stacked so that their fiber directions are different and alternately cross each other, and the synthetic resins of these stacked first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 are melted and fixed.

[0039] As a result, the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 are sequentially stacked to form a substantially ring-shaped exterior body 10. In this case, protrusions 12 are formed protruding from the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides of the exterior body 10. That is, as shown in FIG. 7 , these protrusions 12 are formed by sequentially stacking the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 one above the other, similar to the exterior body 10.

[0040] In this state, the band attachment portions 2 are provided at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions of the exterior main body 10. At this time, the reinforcing portion 15 of the band attachment portion 2 is formed in advance. In this case, the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14, which is a carbon fiber reinforced resin sheet, is wound concentrically around the band attachment hole 2a of the band attachment portion 2 to form a cylindrical shape. This forms a cylindrical reinforcing portion 15 with the band attachment hole 2a passing through in the cylindrical axis direction.

[0041] In this case, the carbon fiber direction of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 when wound into a cylindrical shape is a direction that intersects or is perpendicular to the axial direction of the band attachment hole 2a. In other words, the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 is formed so that the fibers are oriented in a direction that receives a tensile force when a watch band (not shown) attached to the band attachment part 2 is pulled in its longitudinal direction. In this way, the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 forms a high-strength reinforcing part 15.

[0042] In this case, the band attachment portion 2 is formed by a reinforcing portion 15 and a shaping portion 16. That is, the shaping portion 16 is formed by a portion where the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 are stacked one above the other and a portion where the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 are stacked at an angle. For this reason, the band attachment portion 2, which includes the cylindrical reinforcing portion 15 and the shaping portion 16 formed concentrically by the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14, is fixed to each side surface of the exterior body 10 on the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side.

[0043] In this case, the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 and the shaping portion 16 and the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 of the reinforcing portion 15 are sheets in which fibers are solidified with synthetic resin. Therefore, with the reinforcing portion 15 and the shaping portion 16 of the band attachment portion 2 arranged on each side surface of the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side of the exterior body 10, the synthetic resin of each stacked fiber reinforced resin sheet is heated and melted, and in this state the sheets are welded and fixed to each other by thermocompression bonding.

[0044] This allows the reinforcing portion 15 and the shaping portion 16 of the band attachment portion 2 to be firmly fixed to the side surface of the exterior body 10. In this case, the shaping portion 16 of the band attachment portion 2 may be formed in advance on the side surface of the exterior body 10, and the reinforcing portion 15 of the band attachment portion 2 may be welded and fixed to this shaping portion 16 by thermocompression bonding.

[0045] In this state, a protective layer 17 is provided on each surface of the protrusions 12 and band attachment portion 2 that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10. In this case, the protective layer 17 may be provided on the entire outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10, but it is sufficient to provide it only on at least the surfaces of the protrusions 12 and band attachment portion 2 that protrude from the outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10.

[0046] This protective layer 17 is formed by a third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 in which fibers are arranged in two directions intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 that forms the exterior body 10. In this case, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 is a carbon fiber reinforced resin sheet in which carbon fibers are solidified with a synthetic resin, and is in the form of a mesh in which the carbon fibers are arranged crosswise in two directions intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10.

[0047] That is, in the mesh-like third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18, the carbon fibers are arranged crosswise in two directions intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 of the exterior body 10, and therefore have higher rigidity and strength than a sheet in which the carbon fibers are arranged in only one direction intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheets 13 of the exterior body 10. The protective layer 17 of this third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 may be fixed by welding to at least the surfaces of the protrusions 12 and the band attachment portion 2. In this case, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 may be fixed by welding to the entire outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10.

[0048] As a result, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 of the protective layer 17 is formed on the layered surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13, which is the surface of the exterior body 10 on which the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 is layered. Therefore, when the layered surface of the exterior body 10 on which the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 is layered receives an impact, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 of the protective layer 17 prevents the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 from peeling off or breaking, and protects the layered surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10.

[0049] The inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the exterior case body 10 formed in this manner are machined to shape the exterior case body 10. That is, by machining the exterior case body 10 except for the areas of the protrusions 12 and the band attachment portion 2, retention recesses 10b are formed on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides of the inner peripheral surface of the exterior case body 10, and attachment recesses 11 are formed on the 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 11 o'clock sides of the top surface of the exterior case body 10.

[0050] At this time, the outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10 is machined except for the protrusions 12 and the band attachment portion 2, and the layered surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 appears on the outer peripheral surface. Therefore, in this exterior member 6, the lamination lines where the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 is layered on the outer peripheral surface appear as horizontal stripes, and the stripes caused by the lamination lines of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 enhance the design and increase the commercial value.

[0051] At this time, switch insertion holes 10a are formed by drilling at the 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of the exterior body 10. At this time, screw holes 11a are formed in the mounting recesses 11 at the 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 11 o'clock sides on the top surface of the exterior body 10. This allows the exterior member 6 to be formed accurately and satisfactorily.

[0052] Next, the assembly of the wristwatch case 1 using such an exterior member 6 will be described. In this case, first, the lower case 4 is inserted from above into the exterior member 6. At this time, the engagement protrusions 4b provided on the outer periphery on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides of the lower case 4 are inserted from above into the retaining recesses 10b provided on the inner periphery on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides of the exterior member 6, and the engagement protrusions 4b are locked in the retaining recesses 10b.

[0053] At this time, the multiple switch mounting holes 4a provided on the 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of the lower case 4 are arranged to correspond to the multiple switch insertion holes 10a provided on the 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of the exterior member 6. In this state, the multiple switch units 3 are attached by inserting them from the outer periphery of the exterior member 6 through the switch insertion holes 10a in the exterior member 6 into the switch mounting holes 4a in the lower case 4.

[0054] Then, a watch module (not shown) is placed inside the lower case 4. In this state, the upper case 5 is placed and attached above the lower case 4 and the exterior member 6. At this time, the watch crystal 7 is previously fitted into the upper case 5 together with the crystal packing 7a. Then, the waterproof ring 5a is placed between the bottom surface of the upper case 5 and the top surface of the lower case 4, and in this state, the upper case 5 is placed above the lower case 4 and the exterior member 6.

[0055] In this case, the multiple screw mounting portions 8 provided on each side surface of the upper case 5 at the 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 11 o'clock sides correspond to the multiple mounting recesses 11 provided on each side surface of the upper surface of the exterior member 6 at the 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 11 o'clock sides. Then, the disk portions 8b of the multiple screw mounting portions 8 are placed in the multiple mounting recesses 11, and the screw insertion holes 8c of the disk portions 8b correspond to the screw holes 11a of the mounting recesses 11, respectively.

[0056] In this state, the screw portions 9a of the multiple screw members 9 are inserted into the screw insertion holes 8c of the disk portions 8b along the grooves 8a of the screw mounting portions 8 of the upper case 5, and the inserted screw portions 9a are screwed into the screw holes 11a of the mounting recess 11. The screw members 9 are then tightened to position the screw heads 9b on the disk portions 8b of the screw mounting portions 8. The screw heads 9b then press the upper case 5 against the exterior member 6. This causes the exterior member 6 to be pulled up toward the upper case 5.

[0057] At this time, the engagement projections 4b of the lower case 4 are engaged with the retaining recesses 10b of the exterior member 6, so when the exterior member 6 is pulled up towards the upper case 5, the lower case 4 is also pulled up at the same time. As a result, the upper end surface of the lower case 4 is pressed against the lower end surface of the upper case 5 via the waterproof ring 5a. In this way, the wristwatch case 1 is assembled, and the wristwatch is also assembled at the same time.

[0058] Thus, the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1 comprises the exterior main body 10 and the reinforcing portion 15, which is a tubular member made of fiber-reinforced resin and provided on the exterior main body 10, thereby making it possible to reduce weight while increasing strength and improving impact resistance.

[0059] Furthermore, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, the exterior main body 10 is formed by laminating first fiber-reinforced resin sheets 13, and the reinforcing portion 15, which is a tubular member, is a second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 that is tubularly arranged, thereby making it possible to reduce weight, increase strength, and improve impact resistance.

[0060] In addition, the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1 is provided with a band attachment portion 2 to which a watch band (not shown) is attached, and a reinforcing portion 15, which is a tubular member, is provided on the band attachment portion 2, thereby increasing the strength of the band attachment portion 2.

[0061] In this case, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, the fibers of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 are arranged in a direction that intersects with the cylindrical axis, thereby increasing the strength of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 in a direction perpendicular to the cylindrical axis. For example, if a cylindrically wound second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 is provided on the band attachment part 2 that protrudes from the outer periphery of the exterior main body 10 of the exterior member 6, when a watch band (not shown) attached to the band attachment part 2 is pulled in its longitudinal direction, the fibers of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 are arranged to receive a force in the tensile direction, thereby increasing the strength of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14.

[0062] Furthermore, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 can be wound concentrically in multiple layers by being wound concentrically, thereby reliably increasing the rigidity and strength of the cylindrically formed second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14.

[0063] Furthermore, the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1 is equipped with a band attachment section 2 to which a watch band (not shown) is attached, and the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 is wound and stacked concentrically around the band attachment hole 2a of the band attachment section 2, allowing the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 to be wound concentrically in multiple layers. This allows the band attachment holes 2a, which are through-holes in the cylindrical axis direction, to be formed in the reinforcing section 15 of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14, and even if the band attachment holes 2a are formed in the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14, the rigidity and strength of the entire cylindrical second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 can be increased.

[0064] Furthermore, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 is welded to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10, so even if the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 is formed into a cylindrical shape, this cylindrical second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 can be reliably and firmly fixed to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 by welding.

[0065] That is, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 is a sheet made of synthetic resin with carbon fibers or glass fibers arranged in an array, similar to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10, and therefore these synthetic resins are heated and melted together, and then welded together in this state by thermocompression, thereby enabling the reinforcing portion 15 to be reliably and firmly fixed to the exterior body 10.

[0066] Furthermore, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, a third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18, whose fibers are arranged in a direction intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10, is provided on the surface of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 that protrudes from the outer periphery of the exterior body 10.As a result, even if the lamination surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 is subjected to an impact, the protective layer 17 of the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 can prevent peeling or damage to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13, thereby easily and effectively protecting the surface of the band attachment portion 2.

[0067] In this case, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, a third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 is provided on each surface of the protrusion 12 protruding from the outer periphery of the exterior main body 10 and the band attachment portion 2, so that the lamination lines of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 appear as horizontal stripes on the outer surface of the exterior main body 10 other than the protrusion 12 and the band attachment portion 2, and the stripes caused by the lamination lines of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 can enhance the design, thereby resulting in a product with high commercial value.

[0068] Furthermore, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, the fibers of the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 are arranged crosswise in two directions, which makes it possible to increase the strength of the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 compared to a third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 in which the fibers are arranged in one direction crossing the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10. As a result, even if the lamination surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 is subjected to an impact, peeling or damage to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 can be prevented more reliably.

[0069] That is, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, the fibers of the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 are arranged crosswise in two directions, allowing the fibers to be arranged in a mesh-like pattern. This allows the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18, whose fibers are arranged in a mesh-like pattern, to increase the rigidity and strength of the protective layer 17, so that even if the laminated surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 is subjected to an impact, the protective layer 17 can more reliably prevent peeling or damage to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13.

[0070] Furthermore, in the exterior member 6 of this wristwatch case 1, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 is a carbon fiber reinforced resin sheet, which also increases the rigidity and strength of the protective layer 17 of the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18, so that even if the laminated surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 receives an impact, the protective layer 17 of the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 can reliably and effectively prevent peeling or damage to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13.

[0071] In the above-described embodiment, the third fiber-reinforced resin sheet 18 is provided on each surface of the protrusion 12 protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10 and the band attachment portion 2, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the third fiber-reinforced resin sheet 18 may be provided over the entire outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10.

[0072] In this case, since the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 is provided over the entire outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10, the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18, which is the protective layer 17, can prevent the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 from peeling off or being damaged even if the laminated surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 is subjected to an impact, thereby ensuring reliable and good protection of the outer peripheral surface of the exterior body 10.

[0073] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the protective layer 17 has been described as having the fibers of the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 arranged in a mesh pattern in two directions intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may have, for example, a structure in which the fibers of the third fiber reinforced resin sheet 18 are arranged in one direction intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10. In this case as well, even if the lamination surface of the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 of the exterior body 10 is subjected to an impact, peeling or damage to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet 13 can be prevented.

[0074] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the reinforcing portion 15 is described as being formed into a cylindrical shape by concentrically wrapping the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 around it, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 may be wrapped around in an elliptical shape to form an elliptical cylindrical shape, or the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet 14 may be wrapped around in a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a rectangle, or a pentagon to form a polygonal cylindrical shape.

[0075] In this way, the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 can be wrapped concentrically in multiple layers to form the reinforcing portion 15 into an elliptical cylindrical shape or a polygonal cylindrical shape, so that the reinforcing portion 15 can be formed into any shape depending on its application, and even if the reinforcing portion 15 of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 is formed into any shape, the rigidity and strength of the reinforcing portion 15 of the second fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 can be ensured.

[0076] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the upper case 5 is described as being formed from a metal such as stainless steel or a hard synthetic resin, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper case 5 may have a structure formed by laminating a first fiber-reinforced resin sheet 13, similar to the exterior member 6.

[0077] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment has been described as being applied to a wristwatch, the present invention does not necessarily have to be a wristwatch, and can be applied to various types of clocks, such as travel watches, alarm clocks, table clocks, wall clocks, etc. Furthermore, the present invention does not necessarily have to be a clock, and can be applied to electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants, for example.

[0078] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and includes the inventions set forth in the claims and their equivalents.

[0079] The inventions described in the claims of this application are as follows: (Addendum) The invention described in claim 1 is an exterior member comprising an exterior body and a tubular member made of fiber reinforced resin and provided on the exterior body.

[0080] The invention described in claim 2 is an exterior member characterized in that, in the exterior member described in claim 1, the exterior main body is formed by laminating a first fiber-reinforced resin sheet, and the tubular member is a second fiber-reinforced resin sheet arranged in a tubular shape.

[0081] The invention described in claim 3 is an exterior member according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a band mounting portion to which a band is attached, and the tubular member is provided on the band mounting portion.

[0082] The invention described in claim 4 is an exterior member according to claim 2, characterized in that the fibers of the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet are arranged in a direction that intersects with the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical member.

[0083] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides the exterior member according to the second or fourth aspect, wherein the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet is concentrically wound.

[0084] The invention described in claim 6 is an exterior member according to any one of claims 2, 4, and 5, characterized in that it includes a band mounting portion to which a band is attached, and the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet is laminated by being wrapped concentrically around the band mounting hole of the band mounting portion.

[0085] The invention described in claim 7 is an exterior component characterized in that, in the exterior component described in any one of claims 2, 4, 5, and 6, the second fiber-reinforced resin sheet is welded to the first fiber-reinforced resin sheet of the exterior main body.

[0086] The invention described in claim 8 is an exterior member according to claim 3 or claim 6, characterized in that a third fiber-reinforced resin sheet having fibers arranged in a direction intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber-reinforced resin sheet of the exterior main body is provided on the surface of the band attachment portion.

[0087] The invention described in claim 9 is a timepiece characterized by comprising an exterior member described in any one of claims 1 to 8. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1 watch case 2 Band attachment part 2a Band mounting hole 3 Switch section 4 Lower case 4a Switch mounting hole 4b Engagement protrusion 5 Upper case 5a Waterproof ring 6 Exterior materials 7. Watch Glass 8 Screw mounting part 8a Groove 8b Disc part 8c Screw insertion hole 9 Screw members 9a Threaded part 9b screw head 10 Exterior body 10a Switch insertion hole 10b Retaining recess 11 Mounting recess 11a screw hole 12 Protrusion 13 First fiber reinforced resin sheet 14 Second fiber reinforced resin sheet 15 Reinforcement 16 Plastic surgery department 17 Protective layer 18. Third fiber reinforced resin sheet

Claims

1. The exterior body and a tubular member made of fiber reinforced resin provided on the exterior body; An exterior member comprising:

2. The exterior member according to claim 1, The exterior body is formed by laminating a first fiber reinforced resin sheet, The cylindrical member is a second fiber-reinforced resin sheet provided in a cylindrical shape. An exterior member characterized by:

3. The exterior member according to claim 1 or 2, A band attachment portion is provided to which a band can be attached, The cylindrical member is provided at the band attachment portion. An exterior member characterized by:

4. The exterior member according to claim 2, The second fiber-reinforced resin sheet has fibers arranged in a direction intersecting the cylindrical axis of the cylindrical member. An exterior member characterized by:

5. The exterior member according to claim 2 or 4, The second fiber reinforced resin sheet is concentrically wound. An exterior member characterized by:

6. The exterior member according to any one of claims 2, 4, and 5, A band attachment portion is provided to which a band can be attached, The second fiber-reinforced resin sheet is laminated by being wound concentrically around the band mounting hole of the band mounting portion. An exterior member characterized by:

7. In the exterior member according to any one of claims 2, 4, 5, and 6, The second fiber reinforced resin sheet is welded to the first fiber reinforced resin sheet of the exterior body. An exterior member characterized by:

8. The exterior member according to claim 3 or claim 6, A third fiber-reinforced resin sheet, in which fibers are arranged in a direction intersecting the lamination direction of the first fiber-reinforced resin sheet of the exterior body, is provided on the surface of the band attachment portion. An exterior member characterized by:

9. A timepiece comprising an exterior member according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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