Wearable devices

Abstract

The metal connecting components used to secure the back cover will not cause discomfort to the user even when exposed to high or low temperatures. [Solution] The back cover 10b is fixed to the main case 10a at four points with metal screws 30a to 30b while in contact with the bottom of the main case 10a. The screw holes in the back cover 10b are countersunk, making them lower, and raised portions 19a to 19d are formed around the screw holes 15a to 15d, which are higher than the height of the screw heads 31a to 31d. Since the screw heads 31a to 31d do not protrude from the surface of the back cover 10b, even if the metal screws 30a to 30d become hot, the screw heads 31a to 31d will not come into contact with the user's skin.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to wearable devices.

Background Art

[0002] In wearable devices such as ordinary watches, the back cover is made of a metal material. However, if a watch with a back cover made of a metal material is left in a high-temperature environment for a long time and then worn, the metal back cover becomes hot, and there is a risk that the hot back cover will touch the user's wrist and cause discomfort to the user. Also, if the user wears the watch after leaving it in a low-temperature environment, there is also a risk of causing discomfort to the user. Therefore, it is also conceivable to make the back cover of a material with low thermal conductivity such as resin. This resin back cover is fixed to the housing (case) using a metal screw in consideration of durability, sealing strength, etc. (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when a metal connecting member for fixing the resin back cover is used, there is a problem that the screw becomes hot (or cold), and the hot (or cold) screw touches the user's wrist and causes discomfort to the user.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is that a metal connecting member for fixing the back cover does not cause discomfort to the user even when it becomes high temperature or low temperature.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The watch according to this invention comprises a housing, a back cover having a through hole and made of a material with lower thermal conductivity than metal, and a metal connecting member inserted into the through hole to fix the back cover to the housing, wherein the connecting member has an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside when the back cover is fixed to the housing, and the back cover has a raised portion around the through hole that is higher than the height of the exposed portion of the connecting member in the direction opposite to the direction in which the back cover is fixed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this invention, even if the metal connecting member for securing the back cover becomes hot or cold, it will not cause discomfort to the user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of a sauna wristwatch 1 (wearable device) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the state when the back cover is fixed to the main case of the sauna watch 1 shown in the figure. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the structure (front and back) of the main case of the sauna watch 1. [Figure 4] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the structure (front and back) of the back cover of the sauna watch 1. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the structure of the screw holes that secure the back cover of the sauna watch 1 and the state of the screws after they have been tightened. [Figure 6] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the back cover of the sauna watch 1 fixed to the main case. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. The sauna watch 1 (wearable device) shown in Figure 1 consists of a watch body 10 and a band 20, and is a watch intended for use in high-temperature environments such as saunas. The main body case 10a houses the watch mechanism (not shown), including the dial 11, as well as electronic circuits (integrated circuits), a battery, etc. On the 12 o'clock side (one end, see dial) and the 6 o'clock side (the other end, see dial 11) of the main body case 10a, there are band attachment parts 12a (first band attachment part) and 12b (second band attachment part), respectively, to which the band 20 is attached, as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3(a), and (b). In addition, push buttons 13a and 13b are provided on the 2 o'clock side and the 10 o'clock side (see dial) of the main body case 10a. The band 20 is a retractable coiled cord type band that can be easily attached to and detached from the arm (wrist). The push button 13a has the function of switching the operating mode. The push button 13b has the function of instructing the start and stop of the timing operation. The above-mentioned wearable device is not limited to the sauna watch 1; any device worn on the user's body is acceptable, such as a ring or wristband.

[0010] As shown in Figure 2, the watch body 10 comprises a main case 10a and a back cover 10b. The main case 10a and back cover 10b are made of a resin that has lower thermal conductivity, lower water absorption, is lighter in weight and stronger than metal, such as a highly rigid polyamide resin. As shown in Figures 2 and 3(b), the bottom of the main case 10a is provided with four screw holes (female threads) 14a to 14d for fixing the back cover 10b. Screw holes 14a and 14c are located at the positions of the band attachment parts 12a and 12b of the main case 10a (12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides), and screw holes 14b and 14d are located at positions perpendicular to them (3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides).

[0011] As shown in Figures 2, 4(a), and 4(b), the back cover 10b has screw holes (through holes) 15a to 15d for inserting screws (connecting members) 30a to 30d that fix to the main case 10a, at positions corresponding to the screw holes 14a to 14d of the main case 10a. The back cover 10b is fixed to the main case 10a by metal screws 30a to 30d while in contact with the bottom of the main case 10a. The screws 30a to 30d are general screws having a head 31a to 31d and a threaded portion 32a to 32d, but are not limited to these. The connecting members are not limited to screws, but can be anything that can fix the back cover 10b to the main case 10a, such as nails or screws. Also, as shown in Figures 2 and 4(b), the back cover 10b has protrusions 16a to 16d between each of the screw holes 15a to 15d. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3(b), recesses 17a to 17d are provided on the bottom surface of the main case 10a at positions opposite to the protrusions 16a to 16d. The protrusions 16a to 16d of the back cover 10b are designed to fit into the recesses 17a to 17d of the main case 10a, respectively. At this time, the sizes of the protrusions 16a and 16d and their corresponding recesses 17a and 17d are different from the sizes of the protrusions 16b and 16c and their corresponding recesses 17b and 17c, making it possible to uniquely determine the mounting direction. Therefore, even if there is an engraving on the visible surface of the back cover 10b that determines the assembly direction, it is possible to prevent the back cover 10b from being assembled in the wrong direction. In addition, the fitting of the protrusions 16a to 16d of the back cover 10b with the recesses 17a to 17d of the main case 10a prevents the back cover 10b from shifting.

[0012] Typically, in wristwatches, a protrusion is provided on the main case 10a, and the metal case back is fitted into this protrusion to prevent it from shifting. In contrast, in the sauna wristwatch 1 of this embodiment, a resin case back 10b is used, prioritizing heat resistance, which allows for a complex shape to be molded for the case back 10b. Therefore, by providing protrusions 16a to 16d on the case back 10b and fitting them into recesses 17a to 17d on the main case 10a, the resin case back 10b is prevented from shifting. As a result, the main case 10a can be made the same size (diameter) as the case back 10b, making it possible to miniaturize the main case 10a.

[0013] Here, the method of fixing the back cover 10b with screws will be explained in detail. Figure 5(a) shows a cross-sectional view of A-A' shown in Figure 4(a), and Figure 5(b) shows the state in which a screw 30b is inserted into the screw hole 15b (the state in which the back cover 10b is fixed to the bottom of the main case 10a). Note that Figures 5(a) and (b) only show the screw hole 15b of the back cover 10b, but the other screw holes 15a, 15c, and 15d have a similar structure. As shown in Figure 4(a), the screw holes 15a to 15d in the back cover 10b have counterbores with a predetermined depth machined from the surface of the back cover 10b so that the heads 31a to 31d of the screws 30a to 30d do not protrude from the outer surface of the back cover 10b. Furthermore, when the back cover 10b is fixed to the main case 10a, the heads (exposed parts) 31a to 31d of the screws 30a to 30b are exposed to the outside, as shown in Figure 5(b). More specifically, as shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), the back cover 10b on which the screws 30b are placed has a counterbore machined to a depth such that the heads 31b of the screws 30b do not protrude from the outer surface of the back cover 10b. The thickness of the flat parts (first flat parts) 18a to 18d of the screw fixing part is thinner than the thickness of the uncountered part (other part) of the back cover 10b. Figure 5(a) shows that the thickness D2 of the flat part 18b of the screw fixing part is thinner than the thickness D1 of the uncountered part (other part) of the back cover 10b. Furthermore, around the screw holes 15a to 15d, raised portions 19a to 19d are formed in the direction opposite to the direction in which the back cover 10b is fixed (downward in the drawing; outward), and are raised to be higher than the height of the screw heads 31a to 31d of the screws 30a to 30d.

[0014] The raised portions 19a to 19d are formed to surround the screw holes 15a to 15d, except on the outer circumference side of the case back 10b. If the case back 10b were simply countersunk to the extent that the heads 31a to 31d of the screws 30a to 30d were hidden, the thickness of the flat portion 18a to 18d of the screw fixing area would become too thin, potentially resulting in insufficient strength. Therefore, in this embodiment, the depth of the countersinking is made relatively shallow to ensure that the thickness of the flat portion 18a to 18d of the screw fixing area is sufficient to avoid insufficient strength. To compensate for the insufficient depth of the countersinking, raised portions 19a to 19d are provided around the screw holes 15a to 15d, raised to a height higher than the height of the heads 31a to 31d of the screws 30a to 30d. Furthermore, the raised portions 19a to 19d are U-shaped so that the outer circumference side of the case back 10b is open. This design has the effect of preventing water, sweat, etc. from accumulating in the screw fixing area, as water, sweat, etc., can be easily drained through the open parts even if they get inside, thus preventing corrosion (rust) of the screws.

[0015] As shown in Figure 6, when the case back 10b is fixed to the main case 10a, the heads 31b of the screws 30b do not protrude from the outer surface (raised portion 19b) of the case back 10b. As a result, even if the metal screws 30a to 30d used to fix the case back 10b become hot or cold, the heads 31a to 31d of the screws 30a to 30d are less likely to come into contact with the user's skin, thus preventing discomfort to the user. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, by positioning the screw holes 15a (first through hole) and 15c (second through hole), which are the screw fixing parts, at the band attachment parts 12a and 12b where gaps tend to occur between the case back 10b and the user's skin, the user's arm is further less likely to come into contact with the heads 31a and 31c of the screws 30a and 30c. This ensures the strength of the screw fixing part of the case back 10b, while preventing discomfort to the user even if the metal screws 30a to 30d become hot or cold.

[0016] As described above, the wearable device (sauna wristwatch 1) according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a housing (watch body 10), a back cover 10b having through holes 15a to 15d and formed of a material with a lower thermal conductivity than metal, and metal connection members 30a to 30d inserted into the through holes to fix the back cover to the housing. The connection members have exposed portions 31a to 31d that are exposed to the outside while fixing the back cover to the housing. The back cover has raised portions 19a to 19d that are raised higher than the height of the exposed portions of the connection members in a direction opposite to the direction in which the back cover is fixed, around the through holes. Thus, when fixing the resin back cover 10b with the metal screws 30a to 30d, counterboring is performed on the screw fixing portion, and raised portions 19a to 19c are provided around the screw fixing portion so as to be higher than the height of the heads 31a to 31d of the screws 30a to 30d. This makes it difficult for the heads 31a to 31d of the screws 30a to 30d to contact the skin of the user wearing the sauna wristwatch 1. Therefore, even if the metal screws 30a to 30d become high or low in temperature, it is possible not to give discomfort to the user. Also, when the sauna wristwatch 1 is worn on the wrist, at the positions of the band attachment portions 12a and 12b where a gap is likely to form between the back cover 10b and the user's skin due to the band hitting the wrist, screw fixing portions (screw holes 14a, 14c, screw holes 15a, 15c), and raised portions 19a (first raised portion) and 19c (second raised portion) are arranged. This further makes it difficult for the user's wrist to contact the screws, and even if the metal screws become high or low in temperature, it is possible not to give discomfort to the user.

[0017] Also, regarding the detailed configurations and operations of the components of the sauna wristwatch 1 in the above embodiment, it is needless to say that they can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0018] 1…Sauna watch, 10a…Main case, 10b…Back cover, 12a, 12b…Band attachment area, 15a~15d…Screw holes, 30a~30d…Screws, 31a~31d…Screw heads, 18a~18c…Flat part of screw fixing area, 19a~19d…Raised part, 20…Band

Claims

1. The casing and The case back has through holes and is made of a material with lower thermal conductivity than metal, A metal connecting member for fixing the back cover to the housing by being inserted into the through hole, Equipped with, The connecting member has an exposed portion that is exposed to the outside while the back cover is fixed to the housing, The case back has a raised portion around the through hole that is higher than the height of the exposed portion of the connecting member, in the direction opposite to the direction in which the case back is fixed. A wearable device characterized by the following:

2. The case back has a first flat portion between the through hole and the raised portion that is thinner than the rest of the case back. The wearable device according to feature 1.

3. With additional bands, The housing has a band attachment portion for attaching the band, The metal connecting member and the through hole are positioned in a location corresponding to the band attachment portion when the back cover is fixed to the housing. The wearable device according to feature 1.

4. The raised portion is formed to surround the periphery of the through hole, excluding the outer circumference of the back cover. The wearable device according to feature 1.

5. The case back has a plurality of through holes and a plurality of raised portions provided around each of the plurality of through holes, Of the plurality of through holes and the plurality of raised portions, the first through hole and the first raised portion are located on one end of the wearable device, and the second through hole and the second raised portion are located on the other end of the wearable device. The housing has a plurality of band attachment portions, Of the plurality of band attachment portions, the first band attachment portion is located on one end side, and the second band attachment portion is located on the other end side. The wearable device according to feature 3.

6. The aforementioned back cover is made of a resin material. The wearable device according to feature 1.

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