Switching devices and clocks

Abstract

To provide a switch device capable of buffering external shocks, and a timepiece equipped with the same. [Solution] The operating member 11, which is attached to the through hole 8 of the watch case 1, has a cushioning member 32 positioned inside the operating head 17. The cushioning member 32 includes a cylindrical body 33, a plurality of first protrusions 34 projecting from one side of the body 33 toward the operating head 17, and a plurality of second protrusions 35 projecting from the other side of the body 33 toward the watch case 1. The plurality of first protrusions 34 and the plurality of second protrusions 35 are positioned so as not to overlap in the axial direction of the operating member 11 as viewed from the operating head 17 side of the operating member 11. Therefore, even if the first protrusions 34 of the cushioning member 32 are subjected to an impact, the impact can be dispersed and dissipated by the plurality of second protrusions 35, and the cushioning member 32 can be formed without using expensive materials, thus reducing costs.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a switch device used in an electronic device such as a wristwatch, and to a timepiece equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a wristwatch crown structure in which a pipe (winding core pipe) is attached to a through hole in the watch case (body), and an operating member (crown core and crown body) is attached to this pipe so as to be rotatable and slidable in the axial direction.

[0003] Furthermore, the watch crown is equipped with a locking mechanism that locks the operating member into a pipe to prevent it from being pushed into the watch case and damaging the watch module inside the watch case when the operating member is subjected to an external impact. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 52979-52 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in such watch switch devices, when the operating member is locked in the pipe by the locking mechanism, the impact cannot be absorbed when the operating member is subjected to an external impact. As a result, the male threaded portion of the pipe and the female threaded portion of the operating head, which are screwed together, can be damaged by the impact.

[0006] The problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a switch device that can absorb external shocks, and a timepiece equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] This invention is a switch device comprising a case having a through hole, an operating member having an axial portion inserted into the through hole of the case and a head provided at the outer end of the axial portion, and a buffer member arranged within the head of the operating member, wherein the buffer member includes a cylindrical main body portion, a plurality of first convex portions protruding from one surface of the main body portion toward the head side, and a plurality of second convex portions protruding from the other surface of the main body portion opposite the head side toward the case side, and wherein the plurality of first convex portions and the plurality of second convex portions are arranged in positions that do not overlap in the axial direction of the operating member as viewed from the head side of the operating member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this invention, it is possible to buffer external shocks. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an enlarged front view showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch. [Figure 2] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the wristwatch shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line AA. [Figure 3] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of the switch device shown in FIG. 2, showing a state in which the locking of the operating member by the locking mechanism is released. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device shown in FIG. 2 as seen from the outside of the wristwatch case. [Figure 5] 6 is an exploded perspective view of the switch device shown in FIG. 5, seen from the inside of the wristwatch case. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is an enlarged perspective view showing a buffer member in the switch device shown in FIG. 4. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] 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. On the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides of this wristwatch case 1, there are provided band attachment parts 2 to which a watch band (not shown) can be attached.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, push-button switches 3 are provided at the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock positions of the watch case 1. A switch device 4 is also provided at the 3 o'clock position of the watch case 1. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, a watch glass 5 is provided at the upper opening of the watch case 1 via a glass gasket 5a. A case back 6 is attached to the lower part of the watch case 1 via a waterproof gasket 6a.

[0012] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a watch module 7 is provided inside the watch case 1. Although not shown, this watch module 7 includes various components necessary for watch functions, such as a watch movement that moves the hands to indicate and display the time, a planar display device that electro-optically displays information such as the time, date, and day of the week, and a circuit section for driving and controlling these components.

[0013] In this case, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the watch case 1 comprises a case body 1a, a first exterior member 1b positioned on the outer circumference of the case body 1a, and a second exterior member 1c positioned above the first exterior member 1b and positioned on the upper outer circumference of the case body 1a. The case body 1a is made of metal or a highly rigid synthetic resin. The first exterior member 1b is made of a soft synthetic resin such as urethane resin. The second exterior member 1c is made of metal or a synthetic resin.

[0014] Incidentally, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, the switch device 4 located on the 3 o'clock side of the watch case 1 is a switch for setting and selecting functions such as time correction and mode switching. This switch device 4 comprises a cylindrical member 10 attached to a through hole 8 provided in the case body 1a of the watch case 1, an operating member 11 that is slidably and rotatably attached to the cylindrical member 10, and a locking mechanism 27 that locks the operating member 11 to the cylindrical member 10.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cylindrical member 10 is formed in a substantially pipe shape from a highly rigid metal such as stainless steel. This cylindrical member 10 comprises a small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 that is inserted into the through-hole 8 of the case body 1a of the watch case 1, and a large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 that protrudes from the outside of the case body 1a. The outer diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is formed to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of the through-hole 8 of the case body 1a. Furthermore, the inner diameter of this small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is formed to be slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the through-hole 8. As a result, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is formed in a thin-walled pipe shape.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 is formed so that its axial length is slightly longer than the axial length of the through hole 8. This configuration ensures that when the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is positioned in contact with the outer surface of the case body 1a of the watch case 1, the inner end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 protrudes into the interior of the case body 1a.

[0017] In this case, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the cylindrical member 10 is fixed to the outer circumference of the inner end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 that protrudes into the inside of the watch case 1 and to the edge of the inner end of the through hole 8 in the case body 1a by welding such as laser welding, or by brazing and Loctite, over the entire circumference of the through hole 8 in the case body 1a. As a result, waterproofing between the inner circumferential surface of the through hole 8 in the case body 1a of the watch case 1 and the outer circumferential surface of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 of the cylindrical member 10 is achieved by welding such as laser welding, or by brazing and Loctite.

[0018] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is formed such that its outer diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the through-hole 8 in the case body 1a of the watch case 1, and smaller than the vertical length (height) of the watch case 1. That is, for example, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is formed such that its outer diameter is about three times the inner diameter of the through-hole 8, and its size is about half the vertical length of the watch case 1. Furthermore, the inner diameter of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is formed to be the same size as the inner diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12.

[0019] As a result, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is formed in a pipe shape such that the length (wall thickness) between its inner diameter and outer diameter is sufficiently longer (thicker) than the length (wall thickness) between the inner diameter and outer diameter of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Furthermore, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is formed such that, for example, its axial length is approximately the same as the axial length of the through-hole 8 in the case body 1a of the watch case 1.

[0020] In this case, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is formed so that the outer diameter of the outer part of the watch case 1 is one step smaller than the outer diameter of the inner part of the watch case 1. That is, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 has a contact cylindrical portion 13a, which is one step larger on the watch case 1 side, and an outer cylindrical portion that is one step smaller on the opposite side, and the axial length of each of these outer cylindrical portions is formed to be sufficiently longer than the axial length of the inner contact cylindrical portion 13a. The outer circumference of the smaller outer cylindrical portion of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is provided with a male screw portion 13b of the locking mechanism 27, which will be described later.

[0021] On the other hand, the operating member 11 attached to the cylindrical member 10, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, comprises an operating shaft portion 16 which is a shaft portion that is slidably and rotatably arranged inside the cylindrical member 10 and protrudes to the outside of the cylindrical member 10, and an operating head portion 17 which is a head portion that is slidably attached in the axial direction to the outer end of the operating shaft portion 16 that protrudes from the cylindrical member 10 and covers the outer end of the operating shaft portion 16 and the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10. The operating shaft portion 16 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or titanium alloy or a hard synthetic resin.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, operating shaft portion 16 includes shaft main body 18 which is inserted into cylindrical member 10, and shaft operating portion 19 which is provided at the outer end of shaft main body 18 and protrudes outside of cylindrical member 10. Shaft main body 18 is formed so that its outer diameter is approximately the same as the inner diameter of cylindrical member 10. Furthermore, shaft main body 18 is formed so that its axial length is slightly longer than the axial length of cylindrical member 10. It should be noted that the axial length of shaft main body 18 may be shorter than the axial length of cylindrical member 10.

[0023] 2 to 5, when the inner end of shaft main body 18 is positioned toward the inner end of tubular member 10, the outer end of shaft main body 18 is positioned a short distance from the outer end of tubular member 10, and in this state shaft main body 18 is rotatably and slidably disposed within tubular member 10. Furthermore, a plurality of waterproof rings 20 are provided on the outer periphery of shaft main body 18, each in an annular shape along the outer periphery of shaft main body 18. These plurality of waterproof rings 20 are configured to provide waterproofing between the outer circumferential surface of shaft main body 18 and the inner circumferential surface of tubular member 10.

[0024] 2 to 5, shaft operating portion 19 is provided integrally with the outer end of shaft main body 18, which is located at the outer end of tubular member 10, and is configured to cause shaft main body 18 to slide and rotate. That is, shaft operating portion 19 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having bottom portion 19a provided at the outer end of shaft main body 18. A circular hollow recess 19b is provided inside shaft operating portion 19 along the axial direction of operating member 11.

[0025] 2 and 3, the shaft operating portion 19 includes an inner cylindrical portion 21 having a small outer diameter, and an outer cylindrical portion 22 having a large outer diameter. The small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 has an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the male thread portion 13b provided on the outer periphery of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10, i.e., slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the female thread portion 28a of the locking mechanism 27 described below.

[0026] In this case, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 is configured such that its inner end, i.e., the bottom 19a of the shaft operating portion 19, approaches the outer end surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10, i.e., the outer end surface of the male threaded portion 13b. This ensures that the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 is configured so that its inner end, i.e., the bottom 19a of the shaft operating portion 19, does not come into contact with the outer end surface of the male threaded portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13. In this case, when the lock of the operating head 17 on the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 is released, the female threaded portion 28a of the locking member 28 moves to the outer circumference of the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the outer diameter of the large-diameter outer cylinder portion 22 is larger than the outer diameter of the male thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylinder portion 13, smaller than the outer diameter of the locking member 28, and larger than the inner diameter of the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28. As a result, the outer end surface of the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 can contact and separate from the stepped surface between the small-diameter inner cylinder portion 21 and the large-diameter outer cylinder portion 22. In this case, the outer diameter of the large-diameter outer cylinder portion 22 is depicted as small in Figures 2 and 3 because the first operating plane portion 23a of the first free-rotation prevention portion 23, which will be described later, is provided in correspondence with it.

[0028] In other words, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the outer diameter of the large-diameter outer cylinder portion 22 is inherently formed to be significantly larger than the outer diameter of the small-diameter inner cylinder portion 21. As a result, as shown in Figure 3, when the lock on the operating head portion 17 by the locking mechanism 27 is released, the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 moves to the outer circumference of the small-diameter inner cylinder portion 21, and the outer end of the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 is configured to contact and separate from the stepped surface between the small-diameter inner cylinder portion 21 and the large-diameter outer cylinder portion 22.

[0029] 2 and 3, the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 is arranged inside the operating head 17 so as to be slidable in its axial direction and is configured to rotate together with the operating head 17. That is, a first idling stopper 23 (described later) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 and the inner peripheral surface of the operating head 17 to rotate the outer cylindrical portion 22 by the operating head 17 via a buffer member 32 (described later).

[0030] 2 to 5, the operating head 17 is equipped with a cover 24 into which the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft 16 is inserted to cover the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10, and a spring member 25 which is a biasing member that biases the cover 24 in a direction that pushes it outward from the watch case 1. The cover 24 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with its outer end sealed by a metal such as a titanium alloy.

[0031] 2 to 5, the cover portion 24 has an outer diameter that is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10, and is formed in a substantially circular shape that is about two-thirds the vertical length of the wristwatch case 1. The cover portion 24 also has a small-diameter hole 24a into which the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft 16 is inserted, a medium-diameter hole 24b in which the buffer member 32, which will be described later, is disposed, and a large-diameter hole 24c into which the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 and the locking mechanism 27 are inserted to cover them.

[0032] In this case, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the first slippage prevention portion 23 includes a first operating flat portion 23a (see Figure 4) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the shaft operating portion 19, a first small diameter flat portion 23b (see Figure 5) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the small diameter hole portion 24a in the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17, a first buffer inner peripheral flat portion 23c (see Figure 3) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the buffer member 32, a first buffer outer peripheral flat portion 23d (see Figure 4) provided on the outer peripheral surface of the buffer member 32, and a first medium diameter flat portion 23e (see Figure 5) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the medium diameter hole portion 24b of the cover member 24.

[0033] As shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the first small-diameter flat portion 23b of the cover portion 24 is pressed against the first operating flat portion 23a of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 and the first cushioning inner circumferential flat portion 23c of the cushioning member 32, respectively. In this case, the first operating flat portion 23a of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 contacts the first small-diameter flat portion 23b of the cover portion 24 only when the operating head 17 is locked to the cylindrical member 10 by the locking mechanism 27, which will be described later.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first inner circumferential surface portion 23c of the cushioning member 32 abuts against the first small-diameter surface portion 23b of the cover portion 24, both when locked by the locking mechanism 27 (described later) and when unlocked. In addition, as shown in Figure 5, the first outer circumferential surface portion 23d of the cushioning member 32 is pressed against the first medium-diameter surface portion 23e of the cover portion 24.

[0035] As a result, as shown in Figure 3, when the lock by the locking mechanism 27 described later is released, the first anti-rotation part 23 is configured such that the first operating surface 23a of the outer cylinder part 22 and the first cushioning inner circumferential surface 23c of the cushioning member 32 are in corresponding contact, and the first cushioning outer circumferential surface 23d of the cushioning member 32 and the first medium diameter surface 23e of the medium diameter hole part 24b are in corresponding contact, allowing the operating head 17 and the cushioning member 32 to slide relative to each other along the axial direction, and allowing the operating head 17 to rotate integrally without free rotation.

[0036] As shown in Figure 3, the outer cylinder portion 22 does not move at the moment it is released from being locked by the locking mechanism 27. However, when sliding it outward from the state after it has been released and pushed out by the spring member 25 (when the switch on the crown, which is the switch device 4, is on), the operating head 17, the cushioning member 32, and the large-diameter outer cylinder portion 22 slide together.

[0037] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, a spring guide portion 26 is provided inside the cover portion 24. This spring guide portion 26 is for guiding the spring member 25, and is formed in the shape of a round rod, and is provided along the axial direction of the cover portion 24 at approximately the center of the inner end face of the small diameter hole portion 24a of the cover portion 24. That is, for example, the outer diameter of this spring guide portion 26 is formed to be approximately the same size as the outer diameter of the shaft body portion 18.

[0038] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2, 3, and 5, the spring guide portion 26 is formed with an axial length shorter than the axial length of the hollow recess 19b of the shaft operating portion 19. As a result, when the shaft operating portion 19 is inserted into the small-diameter hole portion 24a of the cover portion 24, the spring guide portion 26 is positioned without contacting the hollow recess 19b of the shaft operating portion 19.

[0039] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the spring member 25 is a coil spring and is positioned on the outer circumference of the spring guide portion 26 and within the hollow recess 19b of the shaft operating portion 19. That is, the inner diameter of this spring member 25 is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the spring guide portion 26, and the outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow recess 19b of the shaft operating portion 19. Furthermore, one end of this spring member 25 abuts against the inner surface of the bottom 19a of the hollow recess 19b of the shaft operating portion 19, and the other end abuts against the inner end surface located on the outside of the small diameter hole portion 24a of the cover portion 24.

[0040] As a result, the spring member 25 biases the cover portion 24 in a direction that pushes it outwards from the watch case 1, as shown in Figures 2 to 5. It is compressed axially when the cover portion 24 is locked by the locking mechanism 27, and extends axially when the locking mechanism 27 releases the cover portion 24, pushing the cover portion 24 outwards from the watch case 1.

[0041] Incidentally, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the operating shaft portion 16 is connected to the shaft body portion 18 by inserting a rectangular rod-shaped winding core (not shown) into a cylindrical (such as a rectangular tube or cylindrical) connecting hole 18a provided at the inner end of the shaft body portion 18. As a result, when the operating shaft portion 16 slides and rotates due to the operation of the operating head portion 17, the winding core slides and rotates together with the operating shaft portion 16.

[0042] In this case, although not shown in the diagram, the winding stem is configured to rotate freely relative to the clock module 7 when it is pushed into the clock module 7. Furthermore, when the lock by the locking mechanism 27 is released and the winding stem is pulled out one step, it is connected to the clock module 7, and in this state, it rotates in response to the rotation operation of the operating head 17 to perform function settings and selections such as time correction and mode switching.

[0043] In other words, as shown in Figure 2, when the shaft body 18 of the operating shaft 16 is pushed into the inside of the watch case 1 and the winding stem (not shown) is pushed into the watch module 7, the operating shaft 16 releases the connection of the winding stem to the watch module 7. In this state, even if the shaft operating shaft 19 rotates and the winding stem rotates, that rotation is not transmitted to the watch module 7, and functions such as time correction and mode switching are not set or selected.

[0044] Furthermore, when the shaft body 18 of the operating shaft 16 is pulled out from the state shown in Figure 3 to the outside of the watch case 1, and the winding stem (not shown) slides out from inside the watch module 7, the winding stem is connected to the watch module 7, and in this state the shaft operating part 19 rotates, causing the winding stem to rotate. This rotation is transmitted to the watch module 7, allowing for the setting and selection of functions such as time correction and mode switching.

[0045] 2 to 5, the locking mechanism 27 includes a locking member 28 that is locked to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 by a rotational operation, and a rotation transmission member 29 to which the locking member 28 is attached so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and which rotates the locking member 28 in response to the rotational operation of the operating member 11. The rotation transmission member 29 is structured so as to be slidable in the axial direction relative to the locking member 28. The locking member 28 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the rotation transmission member 29. The locking member 28 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape from a metal such as stainless steel.

[0046] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the locking member 28 has an axial length that is approximately the same as the axial length of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13. A female thread 28a is provided on the outer end side, which is the deepest part of the inner circumferential surface of the locking member 28. A male thread 13b provided on the outer periphery of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 is threadedly engaged with this female thread 28a. As a result, when the female thread 28a is threadedly engaged with the male thread 13b, the inner end of the locking member 28 is pressed against the abutment cylindrical portion 13a of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13, and the outer end face of the locking member 28 is positioned so that it protrudes outside the watch case 1 beyond the outer end face of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13.

[0047] 2 to 5, the outer diameter of this locking member 28, excluding the outer diameter of a large-diameter flange 31a (described later) at its outer end, is larger than the inner diameter of the small-diameter hole 24a of the operating head 17 and smaller than the inner diameter of the medium-diameter hole 24b of the operating head 17. As a result, the locking member 28 is configured so that when the lock on the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 is released, the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is pushed outward from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25.

[0048] Therefore, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, when the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is pushed outward from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 moves to the outer periphery of the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 of the shaft operating portion 19, and the inner peripheral surface of the locking member 28 moves to the outer periphery of the male thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13, and in this state the outer end of the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 abuts against the step surface between the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 and the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , the rotation transmission member 29 is cylindrical and made of a metal such as stainless steel. The inner diameter of the rotation transmission member 29 is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the locking member 28, and the axial length of the rotation transmission member 29 is shorter than the axial length of the locking member 28. As a result, the rotation transmission member 29 is configured so that when the locking member 28 is locked to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 and the inner end of the locking member 28 is pressed against the abutting cylindrical portion 13a of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13, a gap is provided between the inner end surface of the rotation transmission member 29 and the outer end surface of the case main body 1a. Note that even if the axial length of the rotation transmission member 29 is the same as or longer than the axial length of the locking member 28, this does not pose a problem as long as the portion of the case main body 1a facing the rotation transmission member 29 is machined, as this allows a gap to be provided between the rotation transmission member 29 and the case main body 1a.

[0050] 2 to 5, the rotation transmission member 29 has an outer diameter that is the same as or slightly larger than the inner diameter of the large-diameter hole 24c in the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. As a result, the rotation transmission member 29 is press-fitted and fixed into the large-diameter hole 24c of the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 with the locking member 28 disposed therein. Although the press-fit method allows for disassembly, fixing methods other than press-fitting are also acceptable. For example, fixing methods such as bonding, welding, and crimping may also be used. Therefore, the rotation transmission member 29 does not slide relative to the cover portion 24, but rotates integrally with the operating head 17, transmitting the rotation to the locking member 28 and causing the locking member 28 to rotate.

[0051] In this case, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter hole 24c of the cover portion 24 is provided with a position regulating portion 24d for regulating the position in which the rotary transmission member 29 is pressed into the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. As a result, when the rotary transmission member 29 is pressed into the large-diameter hole 24c of the cover portion 24, its outer end surface on the cover portion 24 side of the rotary transmission member 29 abuts against the position regulating portion 24d, thereby regulating its position. Due to the requirements of the press-fitting process, the rotary transmission member 29 is positioned so that its inner end surface on the watch case 1 side and its inner end surface on the watch case 1 side of the cover portion 24 are on the same plane.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the locking member 28 and the rotation transmission member 29 are configured to slide relative to each other and rotate integrally by the second free rotation prevention portion 30. Specifically, the second free rotation prevention portion 30 comprises a second locking plane portion 30a provided on the outer circumferential surface of the locking member 28, and a second transmission plane portion 30b provided on the inner circumferential surface of the rotation transmission member 29, which is pressed against the locking plane portion 30a of the locking member 28 in correspondence with the second locking plane portion 30a.

[0053] As a result, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the second free-rotating stopper 30 is configured to allow the locking member 28 and the rotational transmission member 29 to rotate integrally without free rotation, while the second locking plane portion 30a of the locking member 28 and the second transmission plane portion 30b of the rotational transmission member 29 are in corresponding contact with each other, allowing the locking member 28 and the rotational transmission member 29 to slide relative to each other along the axial direction.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the locking mechanism 27 is equipped with a retaining portion 31 that prevents the locking member 28 from coming loose from the rotation transmission member 29 toward the watch case 1. This retaining portion 31 comprises a large-diameter flange portion 31a provided on the outer end of the locking member 28, a small-diameter stepped portion 31b smaller than the outer diameter of the large-diameter flange portion 31a, and a small-diameter notch portion 31c provided on the inner circumferential surface of the rotation transmission member 29. The large-diameter flange portion 31a is provided projecting outwards from the outer circumference of the outer end of the locking member 28. The small-diameter stepped portion 31b is provided projecting one step higher from the outer circumferential surface on the outer end side of the locking member 28. The small-diameter notch portion 31c is provided one step lower on the outer end of the rotation transmission member 29.

[0055] In this case, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the large-diameter flange portion 31a of the locking member 28 is formed with an outer diameter that is larger than the inner diameter of the rotation transmission member 29, and smaller than the outer diameter of the rotation transmission member 29, and smaller than the inner diameter of the position regulating portion 24d provided on the inner circumferential surface of the large-diameter hole portion 24c of the cover portion 24. The axial length of this large-diameter flange portion 31a is approximately the same as the length to which the female thread portion 28a protrudes from the outer end of the cylindrical member 10, for example, when the female thread portion 28a is screwed into the male thread portion 13b in a locked state.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 5, the small-diameter stepped portion 31b of the locking member 28 has an outer diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the large-diameter flange portion 31a, and larger than the outer diameter of the locking member 28. The axial length of this small-diameter stepped portion 31b is approximately the same as the axial length of the large-diameter flange portion 31a. In addition, the small-diameter notch portion 31c of the rotation transmission member 29 has an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the small-diameter stepped portion 31b. The axial length of this small-diameter notch portion 31c is approximately the same as the axial length of the small-diameter stepped portion 31b.

[0057] As a result, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the anti-slip portion 31 is configured so that, both in a locked state in which the female thread portion 28a is threaded onto the male thread portion 13b and in a state in which the female thread portion 28a is disengaged from the male thread portion 13b, the inner end surface of the large-diameter flange portion 31a of the locking member 28 abuts against the outer end surface of the rotation transmission member 29, and the small-diameter step portion 31b is inserted into the small-diameter cutout portion 31c of the rotation transmission member 29 and abuts against the inner end surface of the small-diameter cutout portion 31c.

[0058] Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, when the rotation transmission member 29 moves toward the outside of the watch case 1 together with the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17, the inner end face of the large diameter flange portion 31a of the locking member 28 abuts against the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29, and the inner end face of the small diameter step portion 31b abuts against the inner end face of the small diameter cutout portion 31c, so that the locking member 28 moves together with the rotation transmission member 29 and does not come out from the rotation transmission member 29 toward the watch case 1.

[0059] 2 to 6, a buffer member 32 is provided inside the medium diameter hole 24b in the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17. This buffer member 32 is made of synthetic resin, metal, or the like and serves to absorb any shock that may be applied to the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 from the outside when the operating head 17 is in a locked state in which the female thread portion 28a is threadedly engaged with the male thread portion 13b.

[0060] That is, when the buffer member 32 is made of synthetic resin, it is inexpensively formed from a highly rigid synthetic resin such as polyamide resin, or a resilient synthetic resin such as urethane resin, etc. When the buffer member 32 is made of metal, it is inexpensively formed from a soft metal such as aluminum or copper, or a highly rigid metal such as stainless steel, etc.

[0061] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, this buffer member 32 comprises a cylindrical main body 33 arranged within the operating head 17 of the operating member 11, a plurality of first protrusions 34 protruding from the cylindrical main body 33 in the axial direction of the operating member 11 toward the opposite side to the watch case 1, i.e., toward the outside of the watch case 1, and a plurality of second protrusions 35 protruding from the cylindrical main body 33 toward the watch case 1 in the axial direction of the operating member 11.

[0062] 2 to 6, the cylindrical main body 33 is formed so that its inner diameter is approximately the same as the outer diameter of the large-diameter outer tube 22 in the shaft operating part 19 of the operating head 17. The outer diameter of the main body 33 is also formed so that its outer diameter is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the medium-diameter hole 24b provided inside the cover part 24 of the operating head 17. Furthermore, the main body 33 is formed so that its axial length is, for example, approximately half the axial length of the medium-diameter hole 24b.

[0063] 2 and 3, a first buffering inner circumferential flat portion 23c (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the first operating flat portion 23a of the first slippage stopper 23 is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the main body 33. As a result, when the first buffering inner circumferential flat portion 23c of the main body 33 abuts against the first operating flat portion 23a of the first slippage stopper 23, the rotational position of the main body 33 in the circumferential direction is restricted, and the main body 33 rotates integrally with the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft 16 in an axially slidable state.

[0064] 2, 3, and 5, the outer peripheral surface of the main body 33 is provided with a first buffer outer peripheral flat portion 23d (see FIG. 3) that corresponds to the first medium diameter flat portion 23e of the first slippage prevention portion 23 provided on the inner peripheral surface of the medium diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24. As a result, when the first buffer outer peripheral flat portion 23d of the main body 33 abuts against the first medium diameter flat portion 23e of the first slippage prevention portion 23, the rotational position of the main body 33 in the circumferential direction is restricted, and the main body 33 rotates integrally with the cover 24 of the operating head 17 in a state where it is slidable in the axial direction.

[0065] As shown in Figures 2 to 6, the multiple first protrusions 34 are formed with an inner diameter the same as the inner diameter of the main body 33 and an outer diameter the same as the outer diameter of the main body 33. In this case as well, as shown in Figure 3, the inner circumferential surface of the first protrusion 34 is continuously provided with a first buffer inner circumferential surface portion 23c (see Figure 3) corresponding to the first operating surface portion 23a of the first anti-rotation portion 23, which is continuous with the main body 33. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, the outer end surfaces of the multiple first protrusions 34 abut against the stepped surface between the small diameter hole portion 24a and the medium diameter hole portion 24b in the cover portion 24, and in this state are positioned within the medium diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24.

[0066] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, the multiple second protrusions 35 are formed with an inner diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the main body 33 and an outer diameter the same as the outer diameter of the main body 33. In this case, the inner end faces of the multiple second protrusions 35 abut against the outer end face of the large-diameter flange portion 31a of the locking member 28, and in this state are positioned within the large-diameter hole portion 24c of the cover portion 24.

[0067] As shown in Figure 6, the buffer member 32 has a plurality of first protrusions 34 and a plurality of second protrusions 35 formed in positions that do not overlap each other in the axial direction of the main body 33. That is, the buffer member 32 has a plurality of first protrusions 34 and a plurality of second protrusions 35 arranged alternately along the circumferential direction of the main body 33. As a result, between each of the plurality of first protrusions 34 of the buffer member 32, a first recess 36 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of second protrusions 35 in the axial direction of the main body 33. Also, between each of the plurality of second protrusions 35, a second recess 37 is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of first protrusions 34 in the axial direction of the main body 33.

[0068] 2 to 6, when the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 receives an external impact and the impact is applied to the plurality of first convex portions 34, the buffer member 32 buffers the impact by dispersing it to the plurality of second convex portions 35 through the spaces defined by the plurality of second concave portions 37. That is, when the plurality of first convex portions 34 receive an impact, the buffer member 32 is configured such that, although the plurality of second concave portions 37 correspond to the plurality of first convex portions 34 in the axial direction of the main body portion 33, the spaces defined by the plurality of second concave portions 37 prevent the impact received by the plurality of first convex portions 34 from being directly transmitted to the locking member 28.

[0069] That is, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, when the multiple first protrusions 34 of this buffer member 32 receive an impact from the axial direction of the operating member 11, stress is concentrated at each boundary 33a between the multiple first protrusions 34 and the multiple second protrusions 35 in the main body portion 33, causing each boundary 33a of the main body portion 33 to elastically deform so as to bend, and the elastic deformation of each boundary 33a of the main body portion 33 absorbs and cushions the impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34.

[0070] In this case, the number of the first protrusions 34 and the number of the second protrusions 35 may be about 3 to 9 in the circumferential direction, but it is preferable that the number be about 6. Accordingly, the number of the first recesses 36 and the number of the second recesses 37 may be about 3 to 9 in the circumferential direction, but it is preferable that the number be about 6.

[0071] For this reason, when this buffer member 32 is formed from a highly rigid synthetic resin such as polyamide or a highly rigid metal such as stainless steel, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 6, it is desirable to reduce the number of first convex portions 34 and second convex portions 35 and make the thicknesses (i.e., radial lengths) of the main body portion 33, first convex portions 34 and second convex portions 35 thin (shorter) to set the multiple boundary portions 33a in an optimal state so that they are more likely to elastically deform.

[0072] Furthermore, when the buffer member 32 is formed from an elastic synthetic resin such as urethane resin, or a soft metal such as aluminum or copper, it is desirable to increase the number or width of the first convex portions 34 and the second convex portions 35 to increase (lengthen) the thickness (i.e., radial length) of the main body portion 33, the first convex portions 34, and the second convex portions 35, thereby optimizing the state so that the multiple boundaries 33a are less susceptible to elastic deformation. In other words, it is desirable to appropriately set the number and thickness (i.e., radial length) of the main body portion 33, the first convex portions 34, and the second convex portions 35 according to the rigidity and strength of the material.

[0073] As a result, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, when the cover part 24 of the operating head part 17 receives an external impact while the operating head part 17 is locked by the locking mechanism 27, the buffer member 32 is sandwiched between the large diameter hole part 24c of the cover part 24 and the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 and compressed in the axial direction, thereby buffering the external impact so as to dissipate it.

[0074] That is, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, when an external impact is applied to the multiple first protrusions 34 in a state in which the female threaded portion 28a of the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 and the male threaded portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 are threadedly engaged, this buffering member 32 buffers the impact by dispersing it to the multiple second protrusions 35 through the spaces defined by the multiple second recesses 37.

[0075] In other words, as shown in Figures 2 and 6, when the multiple first protrusions 34 of this buffer member 32 receive an impact, even if the impact is transmitted directly to the main body portion 33, the multiple second recesses 37 correspond to the multiple first protrusions 34 in the axial direction of the main body portion 33, and therefore the spaces formed by these multiple second recesses 37 prevent the impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34 from being transmitted directly to the locking member 28.

[0076] That is, as shown in Figures 2 to 6, when the multiple first protrusions 34 of this buffer member 32 receive an axial impact from the operating member 11, stress is concentrated at each boundary 33a between the multiple first protrusions 34 and the multiple second protrusions 35 in the main body 33, causing each boundary 33a to elastically deform and flex, and the elastic deformation of each boundary 33a absorbs and cushions the impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 2, such a switch device 4 is configured such that, when the operating head 17 is locked to the tubular member 10 by the locking mechanism 27, the operating head 17 is pressed against the spring force of the spring member 25 toward the large-diameter tubular portion 13 of the tubular member 10, and the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is rotated, causing the rotation transmission member 29 to rotate together with the rotation of the cover portion 24, thereby rotating the locking member 28, and causing the female thread 28a of this locking member 28 to screw into the male thread portion 13b of the large-diameter tubular portion 13 of the tubular member 10.

[0078] That is, as shown in FIG. 2, this switch device 4 is configured so that when the female threaded portion 28a of the locking member 28 screws into the male threaded portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the tubular member 10, the second locking flat portion 30a of the locking member 28 of the second slippage prevention portion 30 and the second transmission flat portion 30b of the rotation transmission member 29 come into corresponding contact, and rotation of the operating head 17 rotates the rotation transmission member 29, thereby rotating the locking member 28, and the female threaded portion 28a of this locking member 28 screws into the male threaded portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the tubular member 10.

[0079] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when unlocking the operating head 17 from the large diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10, the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is rotated in the opposite direction to release the engagement between the female threaded portion 28a of the locking member 28 and the male threaded portion 13b of the large diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10, and the spring force of the spring member 25 pushes the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 together with the locking mechanism 27 towards the outside of the watch case 1.

[0080] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the switch device 4 is configured such that when the lock of the operating head 17 on the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 is released, and the cover portion 24 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed outwards from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, the locking member 28 and the rotation transmission member 29 move outwards from the watch case 1 together with the cover portion 24 by the retaining portion 31 of the locking mechanism 27.

[0081] In other words, as shown in Figure 3, the switch device 4 is configured such that when the lock of the operating head 17 on the cylindrical member 10 is released and the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed outwards from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, the outer end surface of the rotation transmission member 29 in the retaining portion 31 abuts against the inner end surface of the large diameter flange portion 31a of the locking member 28, and the outer end surface of the small diameter notch portion 31c of the rotation transmission member 29 abuts against the inner end surface of the small diameter stepped portion 31b of the locking member 28.

[0082] In this case, as shown in Figure 3, when the lock of the operating head 17 on the cylindrical member 10 is released and the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed outwards from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, the operating shaft portion 16 does not slide in the axial direction. Instead, the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 moves together with the rotation transmission member 29 by the spring force of the spring member 25 to the outer circumference of the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 of the axial operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16, and the outer end of the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 is pressed against the stepped surface between the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 and the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22.

[0083] 3, when the spring force of spring member 25 pushes cover portion 24 and lock mechanism 27 of operating head 17 outward from wristwatch case 1, first buffer outer flat surface 23d on the outer surface of buffer member 32 comes into contact with first medium-diameter flat surface 23e of medium-diameter hole 24b of cover portion 24 in first anti-idle portion 23, and first buffer inner flat surface 23c on the inner surface of buffer member 32 comes into contact with first operating flat surface 23a of outer tube portion 22 of shaft operating portion 19 of operating shaft 16. As a result, rotation of cover portion 24 is transmitted via buffer member 32 to rotate shaft operating portion 19.

[0084] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, when the operating head 17 is unlocked from the tubular member 10 and the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 and the locking mechanism 27 are pushed out towards the outside of the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, and the operating head 17 is pulled out one step towards the outside of the watch case 1, the outer end surface of the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 abuts against the step surface between the small diameter inner tubular portion 21 and the large diameter outer tubular portion 22 in the shaft operating portion 19, so that the locking member 28 pulls the operating shaft portion 16 out towards the outside of the watch case 1.

[0085] In this case, this switch device 4 is configured so that when the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 pulls the operating shaft portion 16 outward from the watch case 1 together with the locking mechanism 27 from the state shown in Figure 3, the winding core (not shown) connected to the connecting hole 18a of the shaft main body portion 18 slides in the direction of being pulled out from within the watch module 7, and the winding core is connected to the watch module 7.

[0086] Furthermore, when the switch device 4 slides from the state shown in Figure 3 in the direction in which the winding core (not shown) is pulled out from within the clock module 7 and the winding core is connected to the clock module 7, and the operating head 17 is rotated, the rotation is transmitted to the winding core via the operating shaft 16, and the rotation of the winding core is transmitted to the clock module 7, allowing function settings and selections such as time adjustment and mode switching to be performed.

[0087] Next, I will explain how to assemble such a watch. In this case, first, the watch crystal 5 is attached together with the crystal packing 5a to the upper opening of the watch case 1. In this state, the push button switches 3 are attached to the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of the watch case 1, and the cylindrical member 10 of the switch device 4 is attached to the through hole 8 on the 3 o'clock side of the watch case 1.

[0088] In this case, the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 of the cylindrical member 10 is inserted from the outside into the through-hole 8 of the case body 1a of the watch case 1, and the inner surface of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 is pressed against the outer surface of the case body 1a. At this time, the inner end of the small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 of the cylindrical member 10 protrudes into the inside of the case body 1a of the watch case 1.

[0089] In this state, the outer periphery at the inner end of small-diameter cylindrical portion 12 protruding into case body 1a is fixed to the edge of the inner end of through hole 8 in case body 1a around the entire circumference of through hole 8 in watch case 1 by welding such as laser welding, or by brazing and Loctite. This prevents tubular member 10 from slipping out of watch case 1, and firmly attaches it to through hole 8 in case body 1a of watch case 1. At this time, waterproofing between the outer periphery of tubular member 10 and the inner periphery of through hole 8 is also reliably achieved by welding such as laser welding, or by brazing and Loctite.

[0090] Then, the watch module 7 is assembled into the watch case 1, and the operating member 11 is attached to the cylindrical member 10 of the switch device 4. In this case, first, multiple waterproof rings 20 are attached to the outer circumference of the shaft body 18 of the operating shaft 16. With this in place, the operating head 17 is attached to the shaft operating part 19 of the operating shaft 16.

[0091] At this time, with the rotation transmission member 29 placed beforehand on the outer periphery of the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27, the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 is placed on the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 on the outer periphery of the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16, and the buffer member 32 is placed on the outer periphery of the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 on the outer periphery of the shaft operating portion 19. At this time, the first buffer inner circumferential flat portion 23c spanning the main body portion 33 and the first protrusion 34 of the buffer member 32 of the first idling stopper portion 23 is made to correspond to the first operating flat portion 23a of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the shaft operating portion 19.

[0092] In this state, spring member 25 is placed on the outer periphery of spring guide portion 26 provided in cover portion 24 of operating head 17, and spring guide portion 26 of cover portion 24 is inserted together with spring member 25 into hollow recess 19b of shaft operating portion 19 of operating shaft portion 16. Spring member 25 is placed in hollow recess 19b of shaft operating portion 19 of operating shaft 16, and operating shaft portion 16 is inserted together with spring member 25 on the outer periphery of spring guide portion 26 provided in cover portion 24 of operating head 17. At this time, shaft operating portion 19 is inserted into small diameter hole 24a of cover portion 24 with first operating flat surface portion 23a of first idling stopper portion 23 provided on the outer circumferential surface of outer cylindrical portion 22 of shaft operating portion 19 aligned with first buffering inner circumferential flat surface portion 23c of buffer member 32.

[0093] At this time, the first buffer outer peripheral flat portion 23d provided on the outer peripheral surface of the buffer member 32 and the first medium diameter flat portion 23e provided on the inner peripheral surface of the medium diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24 are aligned with each other, and the spring guide portion 26 of the cover portion 24 is inserted into the spring member 25 in the hollow recess 19b of the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16. As a result, the shaft operating portion 19 rotates integrally with the cover portion 24 via the buffer member 32, and is arranged in a state where it can slide axially within the cover portion 24.

[0094] Then, the locking mechanism 27 is incorporated into the large-diameter hole 24c. In this case, when the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 is inserted into the rotation transmission member 29 in advance, the second locking plane portion 30a of the second anti-rotation portion 30 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the locking member 28 is made to correspond with the second transmission plane portion 30b provided on the inner circumferential surface of the rotation transmission member 29.

[0095] In this state, when the nearly cylindrical locking member 28 is inserted into the cylindrical rotational transmission member 29, the locking member 28 rotates together with the rotational transmission member 29 in a state where the locking member 28 can slide relative to the rotational transmission member 29. At this time, the outer end surface of the rotational transmission member 29 is brought into contact with the inner end surface of the large-diameter flange portion 31a of the locking member 28, which is the retaining portion 31, and the small-diameter stepped portion 31b of the locking member 28 is positioned within the small-diameter notch portion 31c of the rotational transmission member 29. In this way, the locking mechanism 27 is assembled so that the locking member 28 does not come out toward the watch case 1.

[0096] Then, when installing the assembled locking mechanism 27 into the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17, first, the first cushioning outer peripheral planar portion 23d of the cushioning member 32 is aligned with the first medium-diameter planar portion 23e of the medium-diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24. The cushioning member 32 is placed on the operating shaft portion 16, and the cover portion 24 is inserted from above. The bottom surface of the locking mechanism 27 is supported by a jig, and the top surface of the cover portion 24 is pressed in with the jig. As a result, the rotation transmission member 29 of the locking mechanism 27 is fitted into the large-diameter hole portion 24c of the cover portion 24 and secured in place.

[0097] In this state, as shown in Figure 3, the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is pushed outwards from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25. As a result, the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27 moves to the outer circumference of the small-diameter inner cylinder portion 21 of the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating member 11, and the outer end of the female thread portion 28a abuts against the stepped surface between the small-diameter inner cylinder portion 21 and the large-diameter outer cylinder portion 22. This prevents the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 from coming off the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16 due to the spring force of the spring member 25, and ensures that it is attached to the shaft operating portion 19.

[0098] In this way, the rotation transmission member 29 is press-fitted into the cover portion 24 and fixed in place, and the spring force of the spring member 25 ensures that the cover portion 24 and the rotation transmission member 29 are integrated and do not come apart. Furthermore, the outer end surface of the rotation transmission member 29 abuts against the inner end surface of the large-diameter flange 31a of the locking member 28, and the small-diameter stepped portion 31b of the locking member 28 is inserted into the small-diameter cutout portion 31c of the rotation transmission member 29, thereby restricting its position in the axial direction.

[0099] At this time, the spring force of the spring member 25 causes the outer end surfaces of the multiple first protrusions 34 of the buffer member 32 to abut against the step surface between the small diameter hole portion 24a and the medium diameter hole portion 24b, and the multiple second protrusions 35 of the buffer member 32 to abut against the outer end surface of the locking member 28. As a result, the buffer member 32 is disposed in a state where it is sandwiched between the step surface between the small diameter hole portion 24a and the medium diameter hole portion 24b and the outer end surface of the large diameter flange portion 31a of the locking member 28.

[0100] Then, the shaft body 18 of the operating shaft 16 is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical member 10 from the outside of the wristwatch case 1. At this time, the outer end of the winding core (not shown) is fitted into and connected to the connecting hole 18a provided in the inner end of the shaft body 18 of the operating shaft 16. In this state, the winding core is inserted into the cylindrical member 10 together with the operating shaft 16, and is then inserted into and attached to the watch module 7.

[0101] At this time, the winding core is attached in a slidable and rotatable state within the watch module 7, with the locking mechanism 27 of the operating head 17 positioned close to the male thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the tubular member 10. In this state, the winding core slides in response to the sliding movement of the operating shaft 16 inserted into the tubular member 10, and rotates in response to the rotating movement of the operating shaft 16. This completes the assembly of the switch device 4. The watch is then assembled by attaching the back cover 6 together with the waterproof packing 6a to the bottom of the watch case 1.

[0102] Next, the operation of the switch device 4 of such a wristwatch will be explained. When wearing this wristwatch on the wrist, first, the operating head 17 of the switch device 4 is locked to the large diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 by the locking mechanism 27. At this time, the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is moved toward the large diameter cylindrical portion 13 against the spring force of the spring member 25, and the inner end of the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 is pressed against the outer end of the male thread portion 13b of the large diameter cylindrical portion 13.

[0103] In this state, when the cover portion 24 is rotated, the rotation transmission member 29 of the locking mechanism 27 rotates together with the cover portion 24, and the rotation of this rotation transmission member 29 is transmitted to the locking member 28 by the second slippage prevention portion 30, causing the locking member 28 to rotate. This rotation of the locking member 28 causes the female thread 24a of the locking member 28 to threadably engage with the male thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 and tighten.

[0104] At this time, the operating shaft 16 is not pushed into the cylindrical member 10, and the bottom portion 19a, which is the inner end portion of the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft 16, receives the spring force of the spring member 25, compressing the spring member 25. As a result, the bottom portion 19a of the shaft operating portion 19 remains close to the outer end portion of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13, i.e., the outer end portion of the male thread portion 13b. This causes the operating head portion 17 of the switch device 4 to be locked to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10.

[0105] At this time, with spring member 25 in a compressed state, bottom portion 19a, which is the inner end portion of shaft operating portion 19 of operating shaft portion 16, remains close to the outer end portion of large diameter cylindrical portion 13, so the winding core (not shown), which is fitted into and connected to connecting hole 18a provided at the inner end portion of shaft main body portion 18 of operating shaft portion 16, is not pushed into timepiece module 7. Also, in this state, operating head portion 17 is locked to large diameter cylindrical portion 13 of cylindrical member 10, so operating member 11 does not rotate and therefore the winding core does not rotate within timepiece module 7.

[0106] In this state, when the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is subjected to an external impact, the impact causes the stepped portion between the medium-diameter hole 24b and the small-diameter hole 24a of the cover portion 24 to press against the cushioning member 32. At this time, the cushioning member 32 is sandwiched and compressed between the stepped portion between the medium-diameter hole 24b and the small-diameter hole 24a and the outer end of the locking member 28 of the locking mechanism 27. As a result, the cushioning member 32 absorbs the impact.

[0107] In other words, when the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 receives an impact from the outside, and that impact is applied to the multiple first protrusions 34, the cushioning member 32 cushions the impact by distributing it to the multiple second protrusions 35 through the spaces created by the multiple second recesses 37. That is, when the multiple first protrusions 34 receive an impact, even if the impact is transmitted directly to the main body 33, the multiple second recesses 37 correspond to the multiple first protrusions 34 in the axial direction of the main body 33, so the impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34 is distributed to the multiple second protrusions 35 through the spaces created by the multiple second recesses 37 and is not transmitted directly to the locking member 28.

[0108] Furthermore, when the multiple first protrusions 34 of the cushioning member 32 are subjected to an impact from the axial direction of the operating member 11, stress concentrates at each of the boundary portions 33a between the multiple first protrusions 34 and the multiple second protrusions 35 in the main body portion 33, causing each boundary portion 33a to elastically deform and bend. As a result, the cushioning member 32 absorbs and cushions the impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34 through the elastic deformation of each boundary portion 33a of the main body portion 33.

[0109] In this case, even if the impact from the axial direction of the operating member 11 is mitigated by the multiple first protrusions 34 and transmitted to the locking member 28, the inner end of the locking member 28 is pressed against the contact cylinder portion 13a of the large-diameter cylinder portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 fixed to the case body 1a. Therefore, the locking member 28 does not move in the axial direction of the operating member 11 due to the impact from the axial direction of the operating member 11.

[0110] This prevents damage to the female thread portion 28a and the male thread portion 13b due to an impact. Furthermore, any impact received by the cover portion 24 is also buffered by the spring member 25, so the operating shaft portion 16 is not subjected to the impact. This prevents the winding core (not shown) from being pushed into the timepiece module 7 by an impact, which would damage the timepiece module 7.

[0111] On the other hand, when setting or selecting functions such as time adjustment or mode switching, first, the lock mechanism 27 is used to release the lock of the operating head 17 relative to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10. At this time, the cover portion 24 of the operating head 17 is rotated in the opposite direction to rotate the rotation transmission member 29 of the lock mechanism 27. This rotation transmission member 29 rotates the lock member 28 in the same direction via the second idling stopper portion 30.

[0112] When the locking member 28 rotates, the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 is released from the male thread portion 13b of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13. The operating head 17 is then pushed outward from the watch case 1 by the spring force of the spring member 25, and the female thread portion 28a of the locking member 28 moves to correspond to the outer periphery of the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 of the shaft operating part 19. In this state, the outer end of the locking member 28, i.e., the outer end of the female thread portion 28a, comes into contact with the step surface between the small-diameter inner cylindrical portion 21 and the large-diameter outer cylindrical portion 22 of the shaft operating part 19 of the operating shaft 16.

[0113] At this time, because operating shaft 16 does not slide in the axial direction, the winding core (not shown) connected to connecting hole 18a of shaft main body 18 also does not slide. For this reason, the winding core remains disposed in an idling state within timepiece module 7. In other words, even if cover portion 24 of operating head 17 rotates, causing operating shaft 16 to rotate, and the winding core rotates in conjunction with the rotation of operating shaft 16, the rotation of the winding core is not transmitted to timepiece module 7, and therefore function settings or selections such as time adjustment or mode switching are not performed.

[0114] In this state, the operating head 17 is pulled out toward the outside of the watch case 1. At this time, the outer end of the locking member 28 inside the cover 24 abuts against the stepped surface between the small-diameter inner tube portion 21 and the large-diameter outer tube portion 22 of the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft 16. Therefore, by pulling out the operating head 17, the rotation transmission member 29 of the locking mechanism 27 pulls out the shaft operating portion 19 together with the locking member 28 and the spring member 25. Then, the shaft main body 18 of the operating shaft 16 slides in the axial direction and is pulled out one stage, and the winding core (not shown) connected to this shaft main body 18 is pulled out. When the winding core is pulled out in this way, the rotation of the winding core is transmitted to the watch module 7. When the cover 24 of the operating head 17 is rotated in this state, the rotation is transmitted to the operating shaft 16 by the first anti-idle portion 23, and the shaft main body 18 of the operating shaft 16 rotates. At this time, as shown in FIG. 3, the first medium diameter flat portion 23e of the medium diameter hole portion 24b of the first slippage prevention portion 23 and the first buffer outer circumferential flat portion 23d of the buffer member 32 come into contact with each other.

[0115] 3, first operation flat surface portion 23a of outer cylinder portion 22 of shaft operating unit 19 disengages from first small diameter flat surface portion 23b of cover portion 24, and first operation flat surface portion 23a of outer cylinder portion 22 of shaft operating unit 19 abuts against first buffer inner circumferential flat surface portion 23c of buffer member 32. As a result, the rotation of cover portion 24 is transmitted to shaft main body 18 via buffer member 32, causing operating shaft 16 to rotate. The rotation of operating shaft 16 also causes shaft main body 18 to rotate. The rotation of shaft main body 18 of operating shaft 16 rotates the winding core, and this rotation is transmitted to time module 7, allowing function setting and selection such as time adjustment and mode switching.

[0116] As described above, the wristwatch switch device 4 includes a wristwatch case 1 with a through hole 8, an operating member 11 having an operating shaft 16 inserted into the through hole 8 of the wristwatch case 1 and an operating head 17 provided at the outer end of the operating shaft 16, and a buffer member 32 disposed within the operating head 17 of the operating member 11. This allows external shocks to be buffered by the buffer member 32. In this case, the buffer member 32 includes a cylindrical main body 33, a plurality of first protrusions 34 protruding from one surface of the main body 33 toward the operating head 17, and a plurality of second protrusions 35 protruding from the other surface of the main body 33 opposite the operating head 17 toward the wristwatch case 1. The first protrusions 34 and the second protrusions 35 are disposed in positions that do not overlap in the axial direction of the operating member 11 as viewed from the operating head 17 side of the operating member 11. This allows external shocks received by the operating member 11 to be absorbed by the buffer member 32. That is, with switch device 4 of this wristwatch, even if an external impact received by operating member 11 is received by first convex portion 34 or second convex portion 35 of cushioning member 32, the impact can be dispersed and released by multiple second convex portions 35 or multiple first convex portions 34, and cushioning member 32 has a structure comprising a cylindrical main body portion 33 and multiple first convex portions 34 or multiple second convex portions 35 provided on main body portion 33. Therefore, cushioning member 32 can be formed without using expensive materials, allowing for a low price.

[0117] In this case, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, the multiple first protrusions 34 and the multiple second protrusions 35 are formed in positions that do not overlap one another in the axial direction of the main body 33. This prevents an impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34 from being directly transmitted to the wristwatch case 1, and allows the impact to be dispersed and absorbed by the multiple second protrusions 35 that do not overlap the multiple first protrusions 34 in the axial direction. Similarly, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, the multiple first protrusions 34 and the multiple second protrusions 35 are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the main body 33. This prevents an impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34 from being directly transmitted to the wristwatch case 1, and allows the impact to be dispersed and absorbed by the multiple second protrusions 35 that are arranged alternately in the circumferential direction of the main body 33 with respect to the multiple first protrusions 34.

[0118] Furthermore, the switch device 4 of this wristwatch is equipped with a plurality of first protrusions 34 and a plurality of second recesses 37 each provided in correspondence with the axial direction of the operating member 11, and a plurality of second protrusions 35 and a plurality of first recesses 36 each provided in correspondence with the axial direction of the operating member 11, and the buffer member 32 buffers the impact received by the operating member 11 when the impact is applied to the plurality of first protrusions 34 or the plurality of second protrusions 35, dispersing the impact through the plurality of second recesses 37 or the plurality of first recesses 36 corresponding to the plurality of first protrusions 34 or the plurality of second protrusions 35. This allows the buffer member 32 to buffer the impact received by the operating member 11 by dispersing it through the spaces defined by the plurality of second recesses 37 or the plurality of first recesses 36, thereby ensuring good buffering of the impact received by the operating member 11. That is, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, for example, when the multiple first protrusions 34 of the buffer member 32 receive an impact, even if the impact is transmitted directly to the main body 33, multiple second recesses 37 correspond to the multiple first protrusions 34 in the axial direction of the main body 33. This makes it possible for the spaces formed by the multiple second recesses 37 to prevent the impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34 from being transmitted directly to the wristwatch case 1, and therefore the impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34 can be dispersed and absorbed by the spaces formed by the multiple second recesses 37.

[0119] In this case, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, when the buffer member 32 receives an impact from the axial direction of the operating member 11, stress concentrates at each boundary 33a between the multiple first protrusions 34 and the multiple second protrusions 35 in the main body 33, causing each boundary 33a to elastically deform. As a result, even if the impact received by the multiple first protrusions 34 is transmitted directly to the main body 33, the impact can be effectively absorbed and cushioned by the elastic deformation of each boundary 33a of the main body 33. In other words, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, when the multiple first protrusions 34 receive an impact from the axial direction of the operating member 11, stress can be concentrated at each boundary 33a between the multiple first protrusions 34 and the multiple second protrusions 35 in the main body 33. This allows each boundary 33a of the main body 33 to bend elastically, thereby reliably and effectively absorbing and cushioning the impact through the elastic deformation of each boundary 33a of the main body 33.

[0120] Furthermore, this wristwatch switch device 4 includes a tubular member 10 that is at least partially inserted into the through-hole 8 of the wristwatch case 1, and into which a portion of the operating shaft 16 of the operating member 11 is inserted. This allows the shape of the wristwatch case 1 to be simplified even if the tubular member 10 has a complex shape, making it easy to manufacture the wristwatch case 1 and reducing the manufacturing costs of the wristwatch case 1. Furthermore, in this wristwatch switch device 4, the operating shaft 16 of the operating member 11 includes a shaft main body 18 that is inserted into the tubular member 10, and a shaft operating part 19 that is positioned outside the tubular member 10. Therefore, the shaft main body 18 allows the operating member 11 to be securely attached to the tubular member 10 in a rotatable and slidable state, and by attaching the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 to the shaft operating part 19, the operating head 17 can be positioned outside the tubular member 10 and operated smoothly.

[0121] Furthermore, in switch device 4 of this wristwatch, operating head 17 of operating member 11 has at least a small diameter hole 24a into which pivot operating portion 19 of operating shaft 16 is inserted, and a medium diameter hole 24b into which buffer member 32 is inserted. As a result, with buffer member 32 inserted into medium diameter hole 24b of operating head 17, pivot operating portion 19 of operating shaft 16 can be inserted into small diameter hole 24a of operating head 17, and in this state operating head 17 can be securely attached to pivot operating portion 19, allowing operating shaft 16 to rotate and slide in response to operation of operating head 17. In this case, switch device 4 of this wristwatch has locking mechanism 27 equipped with locking member 28 that is locked to tubular member 10 by rotation of operating member 11, and a rotation transmission member 29 that is separate from locking member 28 and rotates locking member 28 in response to rotation of operating member 11. As a result, the rotation transmission member 29 can be rotated by rotating the operating member 11, and the rotational movement of this rotation transmission member 29 can rotate the locking member 28, and the rotational movement of this locking member 28 can lock the locking member 28 to the tubular member 10.

[0122] In this case, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, the rotation transmission member 29 is press-fitted and fixed into the large diameter hole 24c provided in the operating head 17 of the operating member 11. This ensures that the rotation transmission member 29 can slide reliably in response to the sliding operation of the operating head 17, and also ensures that the rotation transmission member 29 can rotate reliably in response to the rotation operation of the operating head 17, thereby ensuring that the locking member 28 can be rotated reliably and smoothly.

[0123] Furthermore, in switch device 4 of this wristwatch, a position restriction portion 24d is provided on the inner circumferential surface of large diameter hole portion 24c, which restricts the position at which rotation transmission member 29 is pushed into operating head portion 17 of operating member 11. As a result, when rotation transmission member 29 is press-fitted and fixed into large diameter hole portion 24c, the position at which rotation transmission member 29 is pushed into large diameter hole portion 24c and pressed against position restriction portion 24d can be accurately and reliably restricted.

[0124] Furthermore, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, the locking mechanism 27 is equipped with a retaining portion 31 that prevents the locking member 28 from slipping out from inside the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 toward the wristwatch case 1. This ensures that the retaining portion 31 reliably and effectively prevents the locking member 28 from slipping out of the rotation transmission member 29 when the lock of the locking member 28 to the tubular member 10 is released. That is, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, the anti-slip portion 31 comprises a large diameter flange 31a that is provided on the outer end of the locking member 28 and abuts the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29, and a small diameter cutout 31c that is provided on the inner surface of this large diameter flange 31a and is provided on the outer end of the rotation transmission member 29 and in which the small diameter step portion 31b is disposed.This allows the large diameter flange 31a to abut against the outer end face of the rotation transmission member 29 and the small diameter step portion 31b to abut within the small diameter cutout 31c, thereby reliably preventing the locking member 28 from slipping out from the rotation transmission member 29 towards the wristwatch case 1.

[0125] Furthermore, in the switch device 4 of this wristwatch, the buffer member 32 is disposed in the medium diameter hole 24b provided in the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 and is pressed against the locking member 28, and the locking member 28 is releasably abutted against the abutment tube portion 13a, which is an abutment portion provided in the tubular member 10, so that the buffer member 32 disposed in the medium diameter hole 24b of the operating head 17 can be securely sandwiched between the operating head 17 and the locking member 28. As a result, when the locking member 28 is locked to the tubular member 10, the locking member 28 can abut against the abutment tube portion 13a of the tubular member 10 and be securely and satisfactorily pressed against the outer surface of the wristwatch case 1.

[0126] Furthermore, the switch device 4 of this wristwatch is equipped with a spring member 25 that biases the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 in a direction that pushes it outward from the wristwatch case 1. As a result, when the locking member 28 is unlocked from the cylindrical member 10, the spring force of the spring member 25 can reliably and effectively push the operating head 17 of the operating member 11 outward from the wristwatch case 1 without moving the operating shaft 16 of the operating member 11.

[0127] In the above-described embodiment, the locking mechanism 27 is described as a screw lock structure in which the operating head 17 is locked to the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 by screwing together the male screw portion 13b and the female screw portion 28a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a simpler locking mechanism may be provided in which an engaging projection is provided on the locking member 28 and a locking groove is provided on the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 to engage the engaging projection. That is, this simpler locking mechanism is configured such that the operating head 17 is pressed toward the watch case 1, the engaging projection of the locking member 28 is inserted into the locking groove of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 through the opening, and in this state the operating head 17 is rotated by a predetermined angle (for example, 90°) to rotate the engaging projection of the locking member 28 by a predetermined angle within the locking groove of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 and move it away from the opening, thereby locking the engaging projection of the locking member 28 into the locking groove of the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13.

[0128] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment described a case in which the first free-rotating stopper 23 comprises a first operating plane portion 23a provided on the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 22 of the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16, a first small-diameter plane portion 23b provided on the inner circumferential surface of the small-diameter hole portion 24a of the corresponding cover portion 24, a first buffer inner circumferential plane portion 23c provided on the inner circumferential surface of the buffer member 32, a first buffer outer circumferential plane portion 23d provided on the outer circumferential surface of the buffer member 32, and a first medium-diameter plane portion 23e provided on the inner surface of the medium-diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24. However, the invention is not limited thereto. In other words, the present invention may have a structure in which the first operating plane portion 23a provided on the outer circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 22 in the shaft operating portion 19 of the operating shaft portion 16, the first small diameter plane portion 23b provided on the inner circumferential surface of the small diameter hole portion 24a of the corresponding cover portion 24, the first buffer inner circumferential plane portion 23c provided on the inner circumferential surface of the buffer member 32, the first buffer outer circumferential plane portion 23d provided on the outer circumferential surface of the buffer member 32, and the first medium diameter plane portion 23e provided on the inner surface of the medium diameter hole portion 24b of the cover portion 24 are formed in a polygonal shape such as a square or pentagon, or in a non-circular shape such as an ellipse.

[0129] Furthermore, the above-described embodiment described a case in which the second free rotation stopper 30 comprises a second locking plane portion 30a provided on the outer circumferential surface of the locking member 28 and a second transmission plane portion 30b provided on the inner circumferential surface of the corresponding rotation transmission member 29. However, the invention is not limited to this, and the outer circumferential surface of the locking member 28 and the inner circumferential surface of the corresponding rotation transmission member 29 may be formed in a polygonal shape such as a square or pentagon, or in a non-circular shape such as an ellipse. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment described a case in which a cylindrical member 10 is attached to a through hole 8 provided in the case body 1a of the watch case 1, and an operating member 11 is attached to this cylindrical member 10. However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the large-diameter cylindrical portion 13 of the cylindrical member 10 may be integrally formed with the case body 1a. Furthermore, the above-described embodiment described a case in which the switch device 4 has a structure that pulls out the winding core (not shown) in the watch module 7 by one stage. However, the invention is not limited to this, and for example, the structure may allow for pulling out in two or more stages.

[0130] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment described the case where the invention is applied to the switch device 4 on the 3 o'clock side, this invention is not limited to this and can also be applied to the push-button switches 3 on the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides. Also, although the above-described embodiment described a switch device 4 equipped with a locking mechanism 27, this invention does not necessarily require a switch device equipped with a locking mechanism 27. Moreover, although the above-described embodiment described the case where the invention is applied to a wristwatch, this invention does not necessarily require a wristwatch and can be applied to various types of clocks such as travel watches, alarm clocks, desk clocks, and wall clocks. Furthermore, this invention does not necessarily require a clock and can also be applied to electronic devices such as personal digital assistants. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 1 watch case, 4 switch device, 8 through hole, 10 cylindrical member, 11 operating member, 16 operating shaft, 17 operating head, 32 cushioning member, 33 main body, 33a boundary portion, 34 first protrusion, 35 second protrusion, 36 first recess, 37 second recess

Claims

1. a case provided with a through hole; an operating member having a shaft portion inserted into the through hole of the case and a head portion provided at an outer end of the shaft portion; a buffer member disposed within the head portion of the operating member; Equipped with The buffer member includes a cylindrical main body, a plurality of first convex portions protruding from one surface of the main body toward the head side, and a plurality of second convex portions protruding from the other surface of the main body opposite the head side toward the case side, and the plurality of first convex portions and the plurality of second convex portions are arranged in positions that do not overlap in the axial direction of the operating member as viewed from the head side of the operating member.

2. 2. The switch device according to claim 1, a plurality of second recesses provided corresponding to the plurality of first protrusions and the axial direction of the operating member; a plurality of first recesses provided corresponding to the plurality of second protrusions and the axial direction of the operating member; Equipped with The buffer member buffers the impact received by the operating member by dispersing it through the plurality of second recesses or the plurality of first recesses corresponding to the plurality of first protrusions or the plurality of second protrusions when the impact is applied to the plurality of first protrusions or the plurality of second protrusions.

3. 3. The switch device according to claim 2, When the buffer member receives an impact from the axial direction of the operating member, stress is concentrated at each boundary between the multiple first convex portions and the multiple second convex portions in the main body, causing each boundary to elastically deform.

4. 2. The switch device according to claim 1, a cylindrical member at least a portion of which is inserted into the through hole of the case and into which a portion of the shaft portion of the operating member is inserted; the shaft portion of the operating member has a shaft main body portion inserted into the tubular member and a shaft operating portion disposed outside the tubular member, The head of the operating member has a small diameter hole portion into which the shaft operating portion of the shaft portion is inserted, and a medium diameter hole portion into which the buffer member is inserted.

5. 5. The switch device according to claim 4, A switch device comprising a locking mechanism that locks the operating member to the cylindrical member.

6. 6. The switch device according to claim 5, The locking mechanism includes a locking member that is locked to the cylindrical member by rotating the operating member, and a rotation transmission member that is a separate member from the locking member and rotates the locking member in response to the rotating operation of the operating member.

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

8. 8. The switch device according to claim 7, A switch device, wherein an inner peripheral surface of the large diameter hole portion is provided with a position restricting portion that restricts a position to which the rotation transmission member is pushed inside the head portion of the operating member.

9. 7. The switch device according to claim 6, The locking mechanism includes a retaining portion that prevents the locking member from slipping out from within the head of the operating member toward the case.

10. 7. The switch device according to claim 6, the buffer member is disposed in a medium diameter hole portion provided in the head portion of the operating member and is pressed against the locking member, The locking member is configured to be able to come into and out of contact with an abutment portion provided on the cylindrical member.

11. 2. The switch device according to claim 1, A switch device comprising a biasing member that biases the head of the operating member in a direction that pushes the head toward the outside of the case.

12. A timepiece comprising the switch device according to claim 1.

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