Dial and watch

Abstract

The component to be fixed is secured without damaging the dial. [Solution] The dial 2 is a dial to which an abbreviated character 3, which is a fixed member, is fixed. The dial 2 has an opening 25 at a position corresponding to the fixing position of the abbreviated character 3. A protective member 5 is placed inside the opening 25. The abbreviated character 3 has legs 31, which are inserted into insertion holes 51 provided in the protective member 5. The legs 31 are fixed to the dial 2 by deforming so as to spread outward from the center of the insertion hole 51.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a dial and a clock.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a structure is known in which legs provided on a fixed member (decoration member) such as an abbreviation are inserted into a dial and the fixed member is fixed to the dial by deforming the legs. For example, in Patent Document 1, a structure is described in which legs (referred to as "feet" in Patent Document 1) of a fixed member (referred to as "decoration" in Patent Document 1) are inserted into holes provided in a dial (referred to as "dial plate" in Patent Document 1) and deformed to lock the legs to the dial. Patent Document 1 also describes that, in consideration of the case where the dial is made of a fragile material, a spacer is arranged on the surface of the dial so that the deformed portion of the leg does not contact the dial.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the structure in which a spacer is arranged on the surface of the dial as described in Patent Document 1, there is a risk that the spacer is pressed when the leg is deformed and the dial is damaged.

[0005] The present invention is for solving the problems in such a situation, and provides a dial and a clock capable of fixing a fixed member without damaging the dial.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problems, the dial according to the present invention is a dial to which a fixed member is fixed, wherein the dial has an opening at a position corresponding to the fixing position of the fixed member, a protective member is arranged inside the opening, the fixed member has legs, the legs are inserted into insertion holes provided in the protective member and are fixed to the dial by deforming to spread outward from the center of the insertion hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the component to be fixed can be fixed without damaging the dial. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a clock to which the dial according to the embodiment is applied. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of the dial of the watch shown. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a plan view of the dial. [Figure 4] (a) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the dial along the line IV-IV in Figure 3, and (b) is an enlarged view of the main part showing an image of the opening of the dial and the protective member provided within the opening. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a plan view of the dial with decorative elements attached. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the dial along the VI-VI line in Figure 5. [Figure 7] This is a plan view of the protective members located at the 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock positions in Figure 3, etc. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is a side view of the protective member as seen from the direction of arrow VIII. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the protective member along the line IX-IX in Figure 7. [Figure 10] This is a plan view of the protective members located at the 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions in Figure 3, etc. [Figure 11]Figure 10 is a side view of the protective member as seen from the direction of arrow XI. [Figure 12] This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the protective member along the line XII-XII in Figure 11. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the protective member along the line XIII-XIII in Figure 10. [Figure 14] This is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the main part of the insertion hole portion of the protective member according to one modified example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] An embodiment of the dial and clock according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the clock is assumed to be a wristwatch worn on the wrist. Note that Figure 1 omits illustrations of the band for wearing the clock on the wrist and the internal structure of the clock. In this embodiment, the clock 100 is shown as being substantially circular in plan view (see Figure 1, etc.), but the shape of the clock 100 is not limited to this, and may be rectangular or elliptical in plan view, for example. Note that the embodiments described below are subject to various technically preferred limitations for carrying out the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, the clock 100 according to this embodiment includes at least a dial 2 and a device case 1 that houses the dial 2. The device case 1 is made of a metal material such as various resins or stainless steel (SUS), and has a hollow interior. Modules (not shown) are arranged in the interior space of the device case 1. The modules include, for example, a circuit board and various electronic components (not shown), and are functional parts that operate the clock 100. The dial 2 is located on the viewing side of the device case 1. A shaft hole 21 (see Figure 2, etc.) is formed approximately in the center of the dial 2, and a pointer shaft 22 protrudes from the module inside the device case 1 through the shaft hole 21. Multiple pointers 23 are attached to the pointer shaft 22 so as to be rotatable around the pointer shaft 22. In addition, a date window 24 is provided on the dial 2 near the 4 o'clock position in the clock 100, which can selectively expose the date provided on a date wheel (not shown). It is not essential that the clock 100 has a date window 24 and is capable of displaying the date. Also, the arrangement, shape, and configuration of the hands 23 and the date window 24 are not limited to the illustrated example.

[0011] The dial 2 is formed in a flat plate shape from resin. The material forming the dial 2 is preferably a translucent resin material, for example, polycarbonate (PC) is suitably used. However, the material forming the dial 2 is not limited to this. In the embodiment, the fixed member is an abbreviation 3, which is a planted object that serves as an indicator when displaying the time. The provision of the abbreviation 3 makes it easier for the user to determine the time indicated by the pointer 23. In the illustrated example, the abbreviation 3 is placed at the 12 o'clock, 6 o'clock, 3 o'clock, and 9 o'clock positions of the analog clock, respectively. In the example shown in the embodiment, the abbreviation 3a placed at the 12 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions is relatively large, and the abbreviation 3b placed at the 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions is smaller than the abbreviation 3a placed at the 12 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. In the following, when abbreviation 3a and abbreviation 3b are not specifically distinguished, they will simply be referred to as abbreviation 3. In Figure 1, etc., an example of an abbreviation 3 that is roughly rectangular in plan view from the viewing side is shown, but the shape of the abbreviation 3 is not particularly limited, and may be triangular, circular, etc. in plan view. Furthermore, the abbreviation 3 is not limited to indicators for time display (so-called hour markers), but may also be decorative elements such as various logos. The abbreviation 3 is formed from a metal material such as brass. The abbreviation 3 may be subjected to cutting processes such as diamond cutting, or various surface finishes such as mirror polishing, hairline finishing, or matte finishing. Furthermore, the position and number of abbreviations 3 are not limited to the illustrated example. For example, 12 abbreviations 3 may be arranged clockwise in order from the 12 o'clock position on an analog clock.

[0012] As shown in Figure 2, each abbreviation 3 has legs 31 on the surface facing the upper surface (front surface, the viewing surface on the watch 100) of the dial 2, which are inserted into insertion holes 51 provided in the protective member 5. Figure 2 illustrates the case where each abbreviation 3 has two legs 31. However, the number of legs 31 on an abbreviation 3 is not limited to two. For example, if the abbreviation 3 is large, one abbreviation 3 may have three or more legs 31. By providing two or more legs 31, it is possible to easily position the abbreviation 3 when placing it on the dial 2. In addition, having multiple legs 31 prevents the abbreviation 3 from rotating and changing orientation. Furthermore, even if the abbreviation 3 is large and relatively heavy, it can be stably fixed. However, if the abbreviation 3 is relatively small and has a circular shape in plan view, etc., and its orientation when placed on the dial 2 is not limited, it is possible to provide only one leg 31.

[0013] A protective member 5 is positioned on the dial 2 corresponding to the fixing position of the abbreviated character 3, which is the fixed component. The protective member 5 is a pipe-shaped member made of a metal material such as stainless steel (SUS). The material used to form the protective member 5 can be any metal that has a certain degree of rigidity and is workable, and is not limited to stainless steel (SUS). The protective member 5 is attached to the dial 2 by, for example, insert molding. As a result, an opening 25 is formed on the dial 2 at a position corresponding to the fixing position of the abbreviated character 3, which is the fixed component, and the protective member 5 is positioned inside this opening 25. The inner surface of the opening 25 is then covered by the protective member 5. As shown in Figure 4(a), the protective member 5 is originally integrated with the dial 2 by insert molding, but in Figure 4(b), the protective member 5 is shown removed from inside the opening 25 for the purpose of explaining the opening 25. In this embodiment, the protective member 5 has a thickness approximately equal to the thickness direction of the dial 2, and the upper and lower surfaces (front and back surfaces) of the protective member 5 in the thickness direction are configured to be approximately flush with the surfaces (front and back surfaces) of the dial 2 when attached to the dial 2. The protective member 5 has an insertion hole 51 that penetrates through to the front and back surfaces in the thickness direction of the protective member 5 (the thickness direction of the dial 2). The insertion hole 51 is provided in accordance with the number and arrangement of the legs 31 of the abbreviated character 3 that are placed at that position. Preferably, the inner diameter of the insertion hole 51 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the legs 31 of the abbreviated character 3 so that the legs 31 can be inserted without much resistance. A chamfered portion 52 is formed on at least the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 51 corresponding to the back surface side of the dial 2. The chamfered portion 52 is inclined to widen radially outward from the insertion hole 51. In this embodiment, the legs 31 of the abbreviated character 3 inserted into the insertion hole 51 are locked to the dial 2 by crimping from the back surface side of the dial 2. Because the insertion hole 51 is provided with a chamfered portion 52, when the leg portion 31 of the abbreviated character 3 is crimped, the leg portion 31 deforms along the chamfered portion 52 so as to expand radially outward from the insertion hole 51, preventing the abbreviated character 3 from coming off the dial 2.That is, in the embodiment, the leg portion 31 of the abbreviation 3 is inserted into the insertion hole 51 provided in the protection member 5, and is fixed to the nameplate 2 by being deformed so as to spread outward from the center of the insertion hole 51.

[0014] In the embodiment, at the 12 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position where the relatively large abbreviation 3a is arranged, two round cylindrical protection members 5a (see FIGS. 7, 8, and 9) are arranged such that the insertion holes 51 are arranged at the positions of the leg portions 31 of the abbreviation 3a. As shown in FIG. 7, each protection member 5a has one insertion hole 51 at the center of the circle in a plan view. Also, at the 3 o'clock position and the 6 o'clock position where the abbreviation 3b that is slightly smaller than the abbreviation 3a is arranged, an elliptical protection member 5b (see FIGS. 10 to 13) that is long in the radial direction of the nameplate 2 in a plan view from the viewing side of the nameplate 2 is arranged such that the insertion holes 51 are arranged at the positions of the leg portions 31 of the abbreviation 3b. The protection member 5b has a plurality of insertion holes 51 along the longitudinal direction. In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, two insertion holes 51 are formed along the longitudinal direction. When any of the protection members 5 is attached with the abbreviation 3, it is in a state of being covered by the abbreviation 3 in a plan view from the viewing side of the nameplate 2. That is, the abbreviation 3a arranged at the 12 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position is larger than the two protection members 5a arranged at the corresponding positions, and when the abbreviation 3a is arranged, the two protection members 5a are in a state of being covered. Also, the abbreviation 3b arranged at the 3 o'clock position and the 6 o'clock position is larger than the protection member 5b arranged at the corresponding position, and when the abbreviation 3b is arranged, the protection member 5b is in a state of being covered.

[0015] In addition, on the side surfaces of each protective member 5, uneven portions 53 are provided. The uneven portions 53 are recesses, grooves, etc. provided to improve the resin intrusion when the protective member 5 is attached to the nameplate 2 by insert molding. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the protective member 5a has groove-shaped uneven portions 53 provided on the entire outer peripheral surface. Also, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the protective member 5b has groove-shaped uneven portions 53 provided on the side surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the protective member 5b. The uneven portions 53 are formed along a direction (in the embodiment, a direction perpendicular) intersecting the penetration direction of the insertion hole 51. When inserting the leg portion 31 of the character 3 into the insertion hole 51, even when a force is applied in the penetration direction of the insertion hole 51 (the insertion direction of the leg portion 31), the protective member 5 is prevented from coming off. That is, by providing the uneven portions 53 on the side surface of the protective member 5, when the opening 25 of the nameplate 2 after insert molding is viewed in cross section, as shown in FIG. 4(b), unevenness corresponding to the uneven portions 53 of the integrated protective member 5 is formed, and by the unevenness catching on each other, it becomes a structure that is more difficult to come off compared to the case where the protective member 5 is simply arranged in a recess or the like. Note that the uneven portions 53 only need to be of a shape that improves the resin intrusion when attaching the protective member 5 to the nameplate 2 by insert molding and can integrally bond the two more firmly, and the shape of the uneven portions 53 is not limited to the illustrated example. For example, the uneven portions 53 provided on the protective member 5a may be a part rather than the entire outer peripheral surface. Also, for the protective member 5b, the uneven portions 53 may be provided on the entire outer peripheral surface. Furthermore, the uneven portions 53 do not have to be grooves that are substantially V-shaped in cross section as shown in FIGS. 8 and 12. For example, they may be substantially U-shaped or C-shaped in cross section. Further, the uneven portions 53 may be convex shapes that bite into the surrounding resin instead of grooves or recesses. Also, the uneven portions 53 may be provided with a plurality of grooves or the like substantially parallel to the direction intersecting the penetration direction of the insertion hole 51, for example.

[0016] Next, the operation of the dial 2 and the clock 100 equipped with the dial 2 according to the embodiment will be described. In the embodiment, as described above, the dial 2 is made of a translucent resin material such as polycarbonate (PC). When forming the dial 2, protective members 5 are placed in a mold or the like corresponding to the positions where the abbreviated characters 3 are to be placed, and resin is filled into the mold to perform insert molding. At this time, the resin wraps around the uneven parts 53 formed on the outer surface of the protective member 5, thereby firmly integrating the protective member 5 with the dial 2. When the dial 2 is made of a translucent resin, in this state, when the dial 2 is viewed from the viewing direction in a plan view, the protective member 5 is visible through the dial 2.

[0017] Once the dial 2 with the protective members 5 attached is complete, the abbreviations 3 are attached to each protective member 5 from the viewing side of the dial 2 (the front side, top side in the clock 100), as shown in Figures 2, 5, and 6. Specifically, the legs 31 of the abbreviations 3 are inserted into the corresponding insertion holes 51 of the protective members 5, and the legs 31 are crimped from the back side of the dial 2. That is, the free end of the leg 31 is struck and crushed from the back side of the dial 2. At this time, the leg 31 deforms so as to spread radially outward along the chamfered portion 52 provided on the inner circumferential surface of the insertion hole 51, and is locked to the back side of the dial 2 by catching on the chamfered portion 52. By crimping the leg 31 at the location where the rigid metal protective member 5 is provided, the leg 31 can be struck with relatively strong force without the resin dial 2 cracking or breaking, and the crimping can be done strongly. Therefore, the abbreviated character 3 is less likely to come loose or become dislodged afterward.

[0018] The abbreviations 3 attached to each protective member 5 are larger in size than the corresponding protective member 5 when viewed from above. That is, abbreviation 3a is large enough to cover the two protective members 5a that are arranged side by side in the radial direction of the dial 2. Also, abbreviation 3b is large enough to cover the elliptical protective member 5b that is elongated in the radial direction of the dial 2. Therefore, even if the dial 2 is made of a translucent material, the protective members 5 are not visible from the viewing side, resulting in a superior appearance for the dial 2. For this reason, the clock 100 can be configured in such a way that modules and other components placed below the dial 2 are visible as part of the design. Furthermore, because the dial 2 can be made translucent in this way, if a solar panel or the like is placed on the back side of the clock 100 in the thickness direction (closer to the back side of the clock 100) than the dial 2, it is possible to allow light to enter its light-receiving surface.

[0019] As described above, in this embodiment, the dial 2 provided on the clock 100 is a dial 2 on which the fixed member, the abbreviated character 3, is fixed, and has an insertion hole 51 and is equipped with a protective member 5 provided corresponding to the fixing position of the abbreviated character 3. The abbreviated character 3 has legs 31, and is fixed to the dial 2 by inserting the legs 31 into the insertion hole 51 provided in the protective member 5 and deforming the legs 31 so that they expand radially in the insertion hole 51. As a result, even when the dial 2 is formed from a relatively brittle and easily cracked material such as resin, the force applied to the dial 2 when crimping the legs 31 of the abbreviated character 3 can be suppressed by the protective member 5, and the dial 2 can be prevented from cracking or breaking. Furthermore, since the protective member 5 is located inside the opening 25 rather than on the surface of the dial 2, it is possible to prevent the protective member 5 from being struck against the surface of the dial 2 by the force of striking the legs 31 of the abbreviated character 3 and damaging the dial 2. Therefore, the legs 31 of the abbreviation 3 can be strongly crimped, making it difficult for the abbreviation 3 to come off or lift up. For example, even relatively large or heavy abbreviation 3 can be stably attached to the dial. When such a dial 2 is used in the watch 100, it has excellent impact resistance, and the ability to use a resin dial 2 expands the design variations, making it possible to create a watch with superior design. In addition, by using a translucent material for the dial 2, sufficient light reception can be ensured when a solar panel is placed on it.

[0020] In this embodiment, the inner surface of the opening 25 is covered by the protective member 5. This allows the force applied to the opening 25 of the dial 2 when the legs 31 of the abbreviated characters 3 are crimped to be suppressed by the protective member 5, thereby preventing damage to the dial 2.

[0021] Furthermore, the dial 2 in this embodiment is made of resin material, and the protective member 5 is made of metal material. Therefore, the abbreviated characters 3 can be securely fixed to the dial 2, which is susceptible to cracking and other damage.

[0022] In this embodiment, the protective member 5 is attached to the dial 2 by insert molding. This allows for a relatively simple method and excellent productivity of the dial 2.

[0023] In this embodiment, the side surface of the protective member 5 is provided with an uneven surface 53. This allows the resin to flow more easily when the protective member 5 is attached to the dial 2 by insert molding, enabling the protective member 5 to be more firmly integrated with the dial 2.

[0024] Furthermore, the uneven portion 53 in this embodiment is formed along a direction intersecting the through-direction of the insertion hole 51. Therefore, it is difficult for the leg portion 31 to come out in the through-direction of the insertion hole 51, and the protective member 5 can be prevented from coming off the dial 2 when the leg portion 31 is inserted.

[0025] In this embodiment, a chamfered portion 52 is formed on at least the inner circumferential surface on the back side of the dial 2 in the insertion hole 51, and the legs 31 of the abbreviated character 3 inserted into the insertion hole 51 deform along the chamfered portion 52 when crimped. As a result, the deformed legs 31 firmly catch on the chamfered portion 52 and are locked in place so that they do not come off the dial 2.

[0026] Furthermore, in the embodiment, the protective member 5 is covered by the abbreviated characters 3 when viewed from the viewing side of the dial 2. Therefore, even when the dial 2 is made of a translucent material, the protective member 5 does not appear on the exterior of the dial 2, resulting in an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0027] Furthermore, in a plan view from the viewing side of the dial 2, the protective member 5b has an elliptical shape that is elongated in the radial direction of the dial 2 and has multiple insertion holes 51 along its longitudinal direction. Therefore, when attaching radially elongated abbreviations 3b, one member can accommodate multiple leg portions 31. For example, if multiple protective members 5, each having one insertion hole 51, were to be arranged side by side to accommodate multiple leg portions 31, it would be necessary to position each protective member 5 according to the leg portions 31, making alignment difficult and time-consuming. In this respect, by arranging one protective member 5 with multiple insertion holes 51, the alignment accuracy between the protective member 5 and the leg portions 31 of the abbreviations 3 can be improved, and the effort required during the manufacturing stage can also be reduced. In addition, since the abbreviations 3 are mainly elongated in the radial direction of the dial 2, by making the protective member 5 elongated in the radial direction of the dial 2 and keeping its width narrow accordingly, it is easier to cover the entire protective member 5 with the abbreviations 3. As a result, even when the dial 2 is made of a translucent material, the protective member 5 does not appear on the exterior of the dial 2, making it possible to achieve an aesthetically pleasing appearance.

[0028] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, the insertion hole 51 of the protective member 5 is configured to have a chamfered portion 52 only on the side corresponding to the back surface of the dial 2. However, the chamfered portion may be provided on both the front and back surfaces of the protective member 5. That is, for example, as shown in Figure 14, protective member 5c, in addition to providing a chamfered portion 52 on the side corresponding to the back surface of the dial 2, a chamfered portion 55 may also be provided on the side corresponding to the front surface of the dial 2. By forming chamfered portions on both the front and back surfaces of the protective member 5 in this way, the top and bottom shapes of the protective member 5 become the same, and when insert molding the protective member 5, it is possible to set it in the mold without having to check the orientation of the front and back surfaces of each individual protective member 5. This reduces the effort required in the manufacturing process.

[0029] Furthermore, although the above embodiment illustrates a case where the dial 2 is formed of a resin such as polycarbonate, the present invention can be broadly applied to cases where the dial 2 is formed of a relatively brittle material, and the material of the dial 2 is not limited to resin.

[0030] Furthermore, although the above embodiment illustrates a case where the protective member 5 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel (SUS), it can be broadly applied to cases where the protective member 5 is made of a high-strength material, and the material of the protective member 5 is not limited to a metal material. For example, it may be made of a high-strength material such as carbon.

[0031] Furthermore, while the above embodiment illustrates a case where the protective member 5 is attached to the dial 2 by insert molding, the method for integrating the protective member 5 with the dial 2 is not limited to insert molding. For example, the protective member 5 may be attached to the dial 2 using other methods, such as an outsert molding process, in which a hole is made in the part of the resin dial where the protective member will be placed, and the protective member is later attached to the dial by press-fitting or the like into the hole to integrate it with the dial.

[0032] Furthermore, while the above embodiments illustrate the case where the dial 2 is the dial of a watch (wristwatch) 100, the devices to which the dial according to the present invention can be used are not limited to watches. The dial can be broadly applied to devices that have a dial 2 on which abbreviations 3 are arranged. For example, it can be broadly applied to electronic devices such as various smartwatches and sports watches, and wearable devices that acquire not only time but also biometric information such as heart rate and blood flow information.

[0033] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. The specific configurations, structures, and positional relationships shown in the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention includes the scope of the invention as described in the claims and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0034] 2... Dial, 3... Abbreviations (fixed parts), 5... Protective parts, 31... Legs, 51... Insertion holes

Claims

1. A dial to which a fixed member is fixed, The dial has an opening at a position corresponding to the fixing position of the fixed member, A protective member is placed inside the aforementioned opening. The fixed member has legs, The leg portion is inserted into an insertion hole provided in the protective member and fixed to the dial by deforming so as to spread outward from the center of the insertion hole. A dial characterized by the following features.

2. The inner surface of the opening is covered by the protective member. The dial according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned dial is made of a resin material, The protective member is made of a metal material. The dial according to feature 1.

4. The protective member is attached to the dial by insert molding. The dial according to feature 1.

5. The side surface of the protective member is provided with an uneven surface. The dial according to claim 3.

6. The aforementioned uneven portion is formed along a direction intersecting the through-direction of the insertion hole. The dial according to claim 5, characterized in that it is a dial.

7. A chamfered portion is formed on at least the inner circumferential surface on the back side of the dial in the insertion hole. The leg portion of the fixed member inserted into the insertion hole deforms along the chamfered portion. The dial according to feature 1.

8. In a plan view from the viewing side of the dial, the protective member is covered by the fixed member. The dial according to feature 1.

9. In a plan view from the viewing side of the dial, the protective member has an elongated elliptical shape in the radial direction of the dial and is provided with a plurality of insertion holes along its longitudinal direction. The dial according to feature 1.

10. A dial according to any one of claims 1 to 9, A device case for housing the aforementioned dial, A clock characterized by having the following features.

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