Push button device and clock

Abstract

To provide a push button device capable of inhibiting the ingress of foreign matters, and a watch equipped with the push button device.SOLUTION: A push button device includes a case body 2, which is a support member provided with a through hole 15, an operation member 16 having a shaft 20 slidably inserted into the through hole 15 and a head 21 provided at the outer end of the shaft 20, and an elastic porous member 18 placed in a contracted and deformed state between the head 21 and the case body 2 and further contracted and deformed in response to operation of the operation member 16. Therefore, the elastic porous member 18, which is an elastic member, is placed in the contracted and deformed state between the head 21 and the case body 2, and this elastic porous member 18 is further contracted and deformed in response to the operation of the operation member 16. Thus, the ingress of foreign matters such as mud or sand can be inhibited by the elastic porous member 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a push button device and a timepiece equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in the push button device of a wristwatch, as described in Patent Document 1, a cylindrical member is provided in a through hole in the wristwatch case, the shaft of an operating member is inserted into this cylindrical member, the head of this operating member protrudes outside the wristwatch case, and by pressing this protruding head, a contact switch inside the wristwatch case is operated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-256067

[0004] This type of push button device for a wristwatch has a storage recess on the outer surface of the wristwatch case into which the head of the operating member is inserted, a coil spring is placed within this storage recess, and the spring force of this coil spring pushes the head of the operating member outward from the wristwatch case. This push button device also has multiple waterproof members attached to the outer periphery of the shaft of the operating member, which slide while pressed against the inner circumferential surface of a tubular member. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with such a push button device, foreign matter such as mud or sand can enter the storage recess of the watch case between the inner surface of the storage recess of the watch case and the outer surface of the head of the operating member, and this foreign matter can affect the elastic deformation of the coil spring, resulting in a problem of reduced operability of the operating member.

[0006] The problem to be solved by this invention is:Decreased operability The present invention provides a push button device that can suppress such a problem, and a timepiece equipped with the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention provides a support member having a through hole; The operating member has a shaft portion slidably inserted into the through hole and a head portion provided at the outer end of the shaft portion; a biasing member which is a leaf spring that is pressed against the inner end of the shaft portion and biases the operating member toward the outside of the support member; and when the operation member is not pressed against the head, at least a part of the plurality of bubbles is collapsed. and an elastic member, and the operating member is Signature When the pressing operation is released from a pressing state, the pressing button device returns to the non-pressing state due to the biasing force of the biasing member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to this invention, Decreased operability can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an enlarged front view showing a first embodiment of a wristwatch to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 2] 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a first push button device of the wristwatch shown in FIG. 1, taken along the line AA. [Figure 3] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which an operating member of the first push button device shown in FIG. 2 is pressed. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an enlarged front view showing a second embodiment of a wristwatch to which the present invention is applied. [Figure 5] 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a second push button device of the wristwatch shown in FIG. 4, taken along the arrow BB. [Figure 6] 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a state in which an operating member of the second push button device shown in FIG. 5 is pressed. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] (First embodiment) A first embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a wristwatch will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, this wristwatch has a wristwatch case 1. This wristwatch case 1 has a main case 2, an upper case 3, and an exterior member 4. The main case 2 is made of a metal such as stainless steel or a hard synthetic resin. Like the main case 2, the upper case 3 is also made of a metal such as stainless steel or a hard synthetic resin.

[0011] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, this wristwatch case 1 is configured such that an upper case 3 is placed on a main case 2 via a waterproof ring 2a, and in this state, the upper case 3 is attached to the main case 2 with a plurality of screw members 3a. In this case, a crystal 5 is attached to the inside of the upper case 3 via a packing 5a. In addition, a parting member 6 is provided on the upper case 3, protruding from the underside of the crystal 5 toward the inside of the upper case 3.

[0012] 1 to 3, exterior member 4 is made of synthetic resin and is disposed to cover the outer periphery of case main body 2 and the upper outer periphery of upper case 3. That is, exterior member 4 includes first bezels 4a disposed on the 1 o'clock, 5 o'clock, 7 o'clock, and 11 o'clock sides of upper case 3, second bezels 4b disposed on band attachment portions 11 (described below) provided on the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides of case main body 2, and third bezels 4c disposed on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides of case main body 2 and upper case 3.

[0013] In this case, the first bezel 4a and the second bezel 4b are integrally formed from synthetic resin, with the first bezel 4a connected to both sides of the second bezel 4b, as shown in Fig. 1. As a result, the first bezel 4a and the second bezel 4b are configured so that when the first bezel 4a is attached to the case main body 2 together with the upper case 3 by a plurality of screw members 3a, the second bezel 4b is attached to the band attachment portion 11. The third bezel 4c is attached to the case main body 2 by a plurality of screw members (not shown), with the third bezel 4c disposed on each of the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides of the case main body 2.

[0014] 2 and 3, a back cover 7 is attached via a waterproof packing 7a to the bottom of wristwatch case 1, i.e., the bottom of case body 2. A clock module 8 is provided inside case body 2. Although not shown, clock module 8 is equipped with various components necessary for clock functions, such as a clock movement that moves the hands to indicate and display the time, a display unit that electro-optically displays various information necessary for clock functions such as the time and date, and a circuit unit that electrically drives and controls these components.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, band attachment sections 11, to which a watch band 10 is attached, protrude from the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock sides of the watch case 1. First push button devices 12 are also provided on the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of the watch case 1. Second push button device 13 is provided on the 6 o'clock side of the watch case 1, and a switch device 14, such as a crown, is provided on the 3 o'clock side of the watch case 1.

[0016] In this case, each of the first push button devices 12 on the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of the watch case 1 is a side switch provided on the side of the watch case 1, and all have the same structure, as shown in Figures 1 to 3. That is, of these first push button devices 12, for example, the first push button device 12 on the 4 o'clock side comprises an operating member 16 that is inserted into and attached to a through hole 15 provided in the side wall of the case body 2, a protective cover 17 that is an intermediate member that protects this operating member 16, and an elastic porous member 18 that is an elastic member that deforms in response to the operation of the operating member 16.

[0017] 2 and 3, the operating member 16 includes a shaft 20 slidably inserted into a through-hole 15 provided in a side wall of the case body 2, and a head 21 provided at the outer end of the shaft 20. In this case, a plurality of waterproof rings 20a are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 20. These plurality of waterproof rings 20a are configured so that the outer peripheral surfaces of the respective waterproof rings 20a slide against the inner peripheral surface of the through-hole 15 while pressing against it, thereby achieving waterproofing between the shaft 20 and the through-hole 15.

[0018] 2 and 3, the inner end of the shaft 20 protrudes into the inside of the case body 2, and a retaining member 20b such as an E-ring is attached to this protruding inner end. The retaining member 20b is configured to be able to come into and out of contact with the inner circumferential surface of the case body 2. As a result, the retaining member 20b abuts against the inner circumferential surface of the case body 2, so that the operating member 16 is prevented from slipping out of the case body 2.

[0019] 2 and 3, the inner end of this shaft 20 is pressed against the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9 provided in the watch module 8 inside the case main body 2. As a result, the spring force of the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9 urges the shaft 20 so that the operating member 16 is pushed out towards the outside of the case main body 2. In this case, the leaf spring 9a is provided along the outer circumferential surface of the watch module 8. For this reason, the leaf spring 9a is formed long enough to extend along the outer circumferential direction of the watch module 8, thereby ensuring sufficient spring force.

[0020] 2 and 3, head 21 is formed in a disk shape that is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of shaft portion 20. That is, head 21 is formed so that its outer diameter is approximately the same as the vertical length (height) of case body 2. Head 21 is integrally provided with shaft portion 20 at its center, and is configured so that when shaft portion 20 is pushed out of case body 2, it is positioned away from the outer surface of case body 2 toward the outside.

[0021] 2 and 3, the protective cover 17 is an intermediate member disposed between the case body 2 and the head 21, and includes a disk portion 22 disposed on the outer surface of the case body 2, a large-diameter guide tube portion 23 provided on the disk portion 22, and a small-diameter cylindrical stroke limiting portion 24 provided on the disk portion 22 to limit the operating stroke S1 of the operating member 16. The disk portion 22 has a shaft hole 22a at its center that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the shaft portion 20. The disk portion 22 is formed with an outer diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the head 21.

[0022] 2 and 3, the large-diameter guide tube portion 23 is a cylindrical portion, and is formed so that its inner diameter is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the outer diameter of the head portion 21. In this case, the outer diameter of the guide tube portion 23 is formed so that it is the same as the outer diameter of the disk portion 22. Furthermore, the axial length of the guide tube portion 23 is formed so that it is approximately the same as the sliding length of the shaft portion 20. In this case, the sliding length of the shaft portion 20 is set sufficiently longer than the operation stroke S1 of the operating member 16, which will be described later.

[0023] 2 and 3, stroke restricting portion 24 is a small-diameter cylindrical portion with an outer diameter that is sufficiently smaller than the inner diameter of guide cylindrical portion 23 and an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the inner diameter of shaft hole 22a, which is larger than the outer diameter of shaft portion 20. Stroke restricting portion 24 is formed so that its axial length is approximately half the sliding length of shaft portion 20.

[0024] 2 and 3, when head 21 is pushed and shaft 20 slides toward the inside of case body 2, the inner surface of head 21 abuts against the outer end of stroke restricting portion 24 located on the outside of case body 2. In this way, stroke restricting portion 24 is configured to restrict the sliding length of head 21 of operating member 16 and set the operating stroke S1 of head 21.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the elastic porous member 18 is formed in a circular ring shape (e.g., a thickness of 2.0 mm or more, an outer diameter of 8.2 mm, and an inner diameter of 5.1 mm) and is configured to be placed between the large-diameter guide tube portion 23 and the small-diameter stroke restricting portion 24 of the protective cover 17. This elastic porous member 18 is made of an elastic material such as silicone rubber, urethane rubber, or elastomer, with many air bubbles formed in it. Furthermore, for example, the elastic porous member 18 has a density of 270 kg / mm3 ±5%, a 25% compression load of 0.056 MPa ±5%, and a compression residual strain of 5.0 ±5%.

[0026] That is, the elastic porous member 18 is a sponge-like structure in which an elastic material is foamed with a foaming agent to form numerous bubbles in the elastic material. In this case, highly durable silicone rubber is preferable as the elastic material. Furthermore, the numerous bubbles formed in the elastic material are preferably interconnected pores, but they may also have non-interconnected pores.

[0027] 2 and 3, the elastic porous member 18 is formed so that its length in the axial direction of the operating member 16 is longer than the operation stroke S1 of the head 21 of the operating member 16 and is approximately the same as the sliding length of the shaft 20. As a result, the elastic porous member 18 is arranged between the head 21 and the disk portion 22 of the protective cover 17, and is configured to contract slightly in the initial state surrounded by the large-diameter guide tube portion 23 and the small-diameter tube stroke restricting portion 24.

[0028] 2 and 3, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed, it hardly deforms in the radial direction, but further contracts and deforms in response to the pressing of the head 21. In other words, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that the axial length of the operating member 16 in its natural, free state with no load applied is approximately the same as the sliding length of the shaft 20.

[0029] 2 and 3, this elastic porous member 18 is configured to be slightly contracted and deformed when it is initially disposed between the head 21 and the disk portion 22 of the protective cover 17. Furthermore, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed against the spring force of the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9 and the shaft portion 20 slides toward the inside of the case body 2, this elastic porous member 18 is pushed by the head 21 and further contracts and deforms.

[0030] 2 and 3, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that its radial size in the initial state is approximately the same as its radial size when the head 21 is pressed. Therefore, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that almost no repulsive force is applied to the head 21 when it is pressed by the head 21 and further contracts and deforms.

[0031] 2 and 3, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed against the spring force of the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9 and further contracts and deforms, the elastic porous member 18 is structured so that the numerous air bubbles contained in the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18 are crushed. Therefore, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that, by deforming in such a way that the numerous air bubbles are crushed, foreign matter such as small particles of mud or sand that have entered the air bubbles is expelled from the air bubbles, preventing the air bubbles from becoming clogged with foreign matter.

[0032] 2 and 3, when the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 is pressed by the spring force of the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9, causing the shaft 20 to slide outward from the case body 2 and the head 21 to return to its initial position, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that it slowly returns to its original shape, following or slightly lagging behind the returning movement of the head 21. In other words, the elastic porous member 18 is set so that the restoring force or repulsive force in the initial state before the operating member 16 is operated is approximately the same as that in the operated state after the operating member 16 is operated.

[0033] In this case, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 is pressed by the spring force of the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9, the head 21 is pushed out toward the outside of the case body 2, and the elastic porous member 18 slowly restores its original shape, so that the numerous air bubbles in the elastic porous member 18 also expand and deform so as to slowly expand back to their original shape.

[0034] For this reason, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, when the air bubbles expand and deform so as to slowly inflate, the elastic porous member 18 is configured to prevent foreign matter such as mud or sand having large particles from entering the air bubbles, even if small particles of mud or sand slowly enter the air bubbles.

[0035] Next, the operation of the first push button device 12 in such a wristwatch will be described. In this first push button device 12, the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 is normally pushed out of the case body 2 by the spring force of the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9 of the watch module 8 provided inside the case body 2. In this case, a retaining member 20b provided at the inner end of the shaft 20 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the case body 2, and the operating member 16 is pushed out without slipping out of the case body 2.

[0036] 2, the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pushed out from within the large-diameter guide tube portion 23 of the protective cover 17 toward the outside of the case body 2. As a result, the elastic porous member 18 is positioned between the head 21 and the disk portion 22 of the protective cover 17 in its initial shape, i.e., a slightly contracted and deformed shape, and is also positioned and surrounded between the large-diameter guide tube portion 23 and the stroke limiting portion 24 of the small-diameter tube portion. In this case, the leaf spring 9a separates from the contact switch 9, and the contact switch 9 is turned off.

[0037] When the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed against the spring force of the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9, the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 slides toward the inside of the case body 2. At this time, the elastic porous member 18 is pressed by the head 21 and is contracted and deformed. In this case, when the elastic porous member 18 is pressed by the head 21 and is further contracted and deformed from its initial shape, the repulsive force of the elastic porous member 18 is hardly applied to the head 21.

[0038] Furthermore, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed and the elastic porous member 18 contracts and deforms, the elastic porous member 18 does not deform in a radial direction but deforms in a manner that crushes the numerous air bubbles contained within the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18. At this time, small particles of dirt, sand, and other foreign matter that have entered the air bubbles are expelled from the air bubbles. This prevents the air bubbles from becoming clogged with dirt, sand, and other foreign matter. This allows the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 to slide smoothly.

[0039] Then, when the inner surface of head 21 abuts against stroke restricting portion 24 of protective cover 17, the pressing operation of head 21 is stopped. At this time, retaining member 20b provided at the inner end of shaft 20 moves away from the inner circumferential surface of case body 2 toward the inside of case body 2, and the inner end of shaft 20 flexes and deforms leaf spring 9a of contact switch 9, turning on contact switch 9.

[0040] In this state, when the pressure on head 21 is released, shaft 20 is pushed out by the spring force of leaf spring 9a of contact switch 9, and head 21 slides in the direction returning to its original initial position. At this time, the restoring force of elastic porous member 18 in the initial state of operating member 16 is approximately the same as that in the operating state in which head 21 of operating member 16 is pressed, so elastic porous member 18 slowly returns to its original shape following the returning movement of head 21 or with a slight delay.

[0041] Therefore, when the elastic porous member 18 slowly returns to its original shape, the numerous air bubbles contained within the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18 undergo expansion and deformation, slowly expanding to their original shape. At this time, even if small particles of mud, sand, or other foreign matter that has entered between the head 21 and the protective cover 17 slowly enter the air bubbles, large particles of mud, sand, or other foreign matter are prevented from entering the air bubbles. As the elastic porous member 18 returns to its original shape, the operating member 16 slides smoothly and is pushed out. This causes the leaf spring 9a to separate from the contact switch 9, turning the contact switch 9 into the OFF state.

[0042] Thus, the first push button device 12 in this wristwatch comprises a case body 2 which is a support member with a through hole 15, an operating member 16 which has an axis portion 20 slidably inserted into the through hole 15 and a head portion 21 provided at the outer end of the axis portion 20, and an elastic porous member 18 which is an elastic member that is arranged between the head portion 21 and the case body 2 and is contracted and deformed, and which further contracts and deforms in response to operation of the operating member 16, thereby making it possible to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter such as mud and sand.

[0043] In other words, in the first push button device 12 of this wristwatch, an elastic porous member 18 is arranged between the head 21 and the case body 2 in a contracted and deformed state, and this elastic porous member 18 further contracts and deforms in response to the operation of the operating member 16, so that the elastic porous member 18 can prevent foreign matter such as mud and sand from entering from the outside of the head 21 to the inside.

[0044] In this case, in the first push button device 12 of this wristwatch, the elastic porous member 18 has a structure in which an elastic material is foamed to form numerous air bubbles in the elastic material, and the restoring force in the initial state before the operating member 16 is operated is approximately the same as that in the operating state after the operating member 16 is operated.As a result, even if the elastic porous member 18 contracts or expands in response to the operation of the operating member 16, it does not affect the operating force of the operating member 16, thereby improving the operability of the operating member 16.

[0045] That is, in this first push button device 12, the elastic porous member 18 has a structure in which a large number of air bubbles are formed in an elastic material, so that the elastic porous member 18 can be formed in a sponge-like manner, and as a result, even if the elastic porous member 18 is deformed by contracting or expanding in response to the operation of the operating member 16, it does not affect the operating force of the operating member 16, and as a result, the elastic porous member 18 can be slowly restored to its original shape following the return movement of the head 21 or with a slight delay.

[0046] Therefore, in this first push button device 12, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed and the elastic porous member 18 contracts and deforms, the numerous air bubbles contained in the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18 are deformed so as to be crushed, allowing small particles of mud, sand, and other foreign matter that have entered the air bubbles to be expelled from the air bubbles. This prevents the air bubbles from becoming clogged with foreign matter such as mud and sand, allowing the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 to slide smoothly.

[0047] Furthermore, in this first push button device 12, when elastic porous member 18 slowly returns to its original shape, the numerous air bubbles contained in the elastic material of elastic porous member 18 expand and deform so as to slowly swell back to their original shape, so that even if small particles of mud, sand, or other foreign matter that has entered between head 21 and protective cover 17 slowly enter the air bubbles, large particles of mud, sand, or other foreign matter can be effectively prevented from entering the air bubbles. This improves the durability of elastic porous member 18 and the operability of operating member 16.

[0048] Furthermore, in this first push button device 12, the length of the elastic porous member 18 in the operating direction of the operating member 16 is longer than the operating stroke S1 of the operating member 16, so that the elastic porous member 18 can be contracted and deformed in an initial state and positioned between the head 21 and the case body 2, and the elastic porous member 18 can be further contracted and deformed in response to the operation of the operating member 16, so that the elastic porous member 18 can reliably and effectively prevent the intrusion of foreign matter such as mud and sand.

[0049] Furthermore, this first push button device 12 is provided with a stroke regulating section 24 that regulates the operating stroke S1 of the operating member 16, and this stroke regulating section 24 allows the operating stroke S1 of the operating member 16 to be set accurately and favorably, thereby keeping the contraction and expansion deformation of the elastic porous member 18 constant and allowing the elastic porous member 18 to contract and expand accurately and favorably.

[0050] In this case, in the first push button device 12, the stroke restricting portion 24 is provided on the protective cover 17, which is an intermediate member provided between the case body 2 and the head 21. The stroke limiting portion 24 provided on the protective cover 17 can accurately limit the axial movement length of the head 21 of the operating member 16 when the head 21 is pressed.

[0051] Furthermore, in this first push button device 12, the elastic porous member 18 is arranged over almost the entire area between the head 21 and the case body 2, except for the stroke regulating portion 24, thereby making it possible to increase the overall volume of the elastic porous member 18, and thereby enabling the elastic porous member 18 to significantly suppress the intrusion of foreign matter such as mud and sand.

[0052] Furthermore, this first push button device 12 is provided with a leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9, which is a biasing member that biases the operating member 16 toward the outside of the case body 2, and when this leaf spring 9a is pressed against the inner end of the shaft portion 20, the spring force of the leaf spring 9a can reliably push the head 21 of the operating member 16 out of the case body 2. Therefore, there is no need to provide a coil spring (not shown) on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 20 located inside the head 21, which reduces the number of parts and prevents a decrease in the operability of the operating member 16 due to deterioration of the coil spring caused by the intrusion of foreign matter such as mud or sand.

[0053] In the first embodiment described above, the operating member 16 is urged toward the outside of the case body 2 only by the leaf spring 9a of the contact switch 9, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a coil spring may be provided on the outer periphery of the shaft portion 20 located inside the head portion 21, that is, on the inner diameter side of the elastic porous member 18, and the spring force of this coil spring may be used to urge the operating member 16 toward the outside of the case body 2.

[0054] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the case where the protective cover 17, which is an intermediate member, is provided has been described, but the present invention does not necessarily require the protective cover 17 to be provided, nor does it necessarily require the guide tube portion 23 of the protective cover 17 to be provided. In this case, it is sufficient that the stroke restricting portion 24 is provided on either the outer surface of the case body 2 or the inner surface of the head 21.

[0055] (Second embodiment) Next, a second embodiment of a wristwatch to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 6. Note that the same parts as those in the first embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 3 will be denoted by the same reference numerals. As shown in FIG. 4, this wristwatch case 1 is equipped with a first push button device 12, a second push button device 13, and a switch device 14, similar to the first embodiment.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, the first push button devices 12 are provided on the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of the watch case 1, as in the first embodiment. The second push button device 13 is provided on the 6 o'clock side of the watch case 1, as in the first embodiment, and the switch device 14 is provided on the 3 o'clock side of the watch case 1.

[0057] Meanwhile, second push button device 13 provided on the 6 o'clock side of wristwatch case 1 is an upper surface switch, as shown in Figures 4 to 6. That is, this second push button device 13 is equipped with an operating member 16 that is inserted into a through-hole 30 provided at an angle in the side wall portion on the 6 o'clock side of case main body 2 and attached at an angle, a coil spring 31 that is a biasing member that biases this tilted operating member 16 toward the outside of case main body 2, and an elastic porous member 18 that deforms in response to the operation of operating member 16.

[0058] 5 and 6, a protruding inclined portion 2b is provided at a location located above the band attachment portion 11 on the 6 o'clock side of the case body 2. The through-hole 30 includes a small diameter portion 30a and a large diameter portion 30b, which are inclined obliquely upward at an angle of approximately 30° from the inner peripheral surface of the case body 2 toward the outer surface of the inclined portion 2b.

[0059] 5 and 6, similarly to the first embodiment, the operating member 16 includes a shaft portion 20 slidably inserted into the through-hole 30 of the case body 2, and a head portion 21 provided at the outer end of the shaft portion 20. In this case, the shaft portion 20 is formed with an axial length that allows it to be placed inside the small diameter hole portion 30a and the large diameter hole portion 30b of the through-hole 30.

[0060] 5 and 6, this shaft portion 20 is configured to be inserted into the through-hole 30 and slide at an angle, with the remainder of the configuration being substantially the same as in the first embodiment. In this case, the inner end of the shaft portion 20 is pressed against a contact plate 9b of a contact switch 9 provided in a timepiece module 8 inside the case body 2. This contact plate 9b is provided upright in the vertical direction on the outer periphery of the timepiece module 8, and is configured to be able to come into and out of contact with the contact portion of the contact switch 9, turning the contact switch 9 on and off.

[0061] 5 and 6, head 21 is formed in a disk shape that is sufficiently larger than the outer diameter of shaft 20. That is, head 21 is formed so that its outer diameter is approximately the same length as the inclined surface that is the outer surface of inclined portion 2b of case body 2. In this case, head 21 is inclined parallel to the inclined surface that is the outer surface of inclined portion 2b of case body 2, and a base 21a with which shaft 20 is integrally provided is provided in the center of head 21.

[0062] 5 and 6, the outer diameter of pedestal portion 21a is formed to be approximately the same as the inner diameter of large diameter portion 30b of through hole 30. Furthermore, the axial length of pedestal portion 21a is formed to be approximately half the axial length of large diameter portion 30b of through hole 30. As a result, pedestal portion 21a is configured to slide obliquely inside large diameter portion 30b of through hole 30.

[0063] 5 and 6, the operation stroke S2 of the head 21 is set by a stroke limiting portion 32 provided on the inclined surface of the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2. That is, the stroke limiting portion 32 is a cylindrical portion provided on the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2, and the inner diameter thereof is formed to be the same as the inner diameter of the large-diameter hole portion 30b of the through-hole 30. The axial length of the stroke limiting portion 32 is formed to be slightly shorter than the axial length of the base portion 21a of the head 21.

[0064] 5, when the operating member 16 is pushed outward from the case body 2, a part of the inner end of the base portion 21a is positioned within the large diameter hole portion 30b of the through hole 30, and the inner surface of the head portion 21 is separated from the stroke restricting portion 32, so that the head portion 21 is positioned protruding outward from the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2. Furthermore, when the operating member 16 is pushed into the case body 2, as shown in FIG.

[0065] 5 and 6, the coil spring 31 biases the operating member 16 toward the outside of the case body 2, and is disposed within the large diameter hole portion 30b of the through-hole 30. That is, one end of the coil spring 31 abuts against the inner end surface of the large diameter hole portion 30b, and the other end abuts against the inner end surface of the base portion 21a of the head portion 21. In this state, the coil spring 31 biases the head portion 21 in a direction that pushes it toward the outside of the case body 2.

[0066] 5 and 6, similar to the first embodiment, the elastic porous member 18 is formed in a substantially circular ring shape, and with the cylindrical stroke restricting portion 32 inserted therein, is disposed between the inclined surface of the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2 and the inner surface of the head 21. Similar to the first embodiment, this elastic porous member 18 is a sponge-like member formed by foaming an elastic material with a foaming agent to form numerous bubbles in the elastic material.

[0067] 5 and 6, similarly to the first embodiment, the elastic porous member 18 is formed so that its length in the axial direction of the operating member 16 is longer than the operation stroke S2 of the head 21 of the operating member 16 and is approximately the same as the sliding length of the shaft 20. As a result, the elastic porous member 18 is slightly contracted and deformed in the initial state in which it is disposed between the head 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2, and is configured so that when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed, it undergoes further contraction and deformation in response to the pressing of the head 21, with almost no radial deformation.

[0068] 5 and 6, the axial length of the elastic porous member 18 in a natural, free state with no load applied is set to be approximately the same as the sliding length of the shaft portion 20. Therefore, the elastic porous member 18 is configured to be slightly contracted and deformed when it is initially disposed between the head portion 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2.

[0069] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, similarly to the first embodiment, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed against the spring force of the coil spring 31 and the shaft portion 20 slides toward the inside of the case main body 2, it is pressed by the head 21 and further contracts and deforms.

[0070] 5 and 6, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that its radial size in the initial state is approximately the same as its radial size when the head 21 is pressed. As a result, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that almost no repulsive force is applied to the head 21 when it is pressed by the head 21 and further contracts and deforms.

[0071] 5 and 6, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed against the spring force of the coil spring 31 and further contracts and deforms, the elastic porous member 18 is structured so that the numerous air bubbles contained in the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18 are crushed. Therefore, the elastic porous member 18 is configured so that, by deforming so as to crush the numerous air bubbles, foreign matter such as small particles of mud or sand that have entered the air bubbles is expelled from the air bubbles, preventing the air bubbles from becoming clogged with foreign matter.

[0072] 5 and 6, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed by the spring force of the coil spring 31, the shaft 20 slides toward the outside of the case body 2, and the head 21 returns to its initial position, the elastic porous member 18 is configured to return to its original shape immediately after or slightly after the return movement of the head 21. In other words, the elastic porous member 18 is set so that the restoring force or repulsive force in the initial state of the operating member 16 is approximately the same as that in the operated state of the operating member 16.

[0073] In this case, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed by the spring force of the coil spring 31 and the elastic porous member 18 slowly returns to its original shape, the elastic porous member 18 is structured to expand and deform so that the numerous air bubbles in the elastic porous member 18 also slowly expand to their original shape.

[0074] Therefore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, when the air bubbles expand and deform so as to slowly inflate, the elastic porous member 18 is configured to prevent foreign matter such as mud or sand that has entered between the head 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case main body 2 from infiltrating into the air bubbles, even if small particles of mud or sand slowly infiltrate into the air bubbles. It is structured as follows.

[0075] Next, the operation of the second push button device 13 in such a wristwatch will be described. In this second push button device 13, the head 21 of the operating member 16 is normally pushed out in a tilted state to the outside of the case body 2 by the spring force of the coil spring 31. At this time, the retaining member 20b provided at the inner end of the shaft 20 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the case body 2, and the operating member 16 is pushed out in a tilted state without slipping out to the outside of the case body 2.

[0076] 5, the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pushed outward in a tilted state from the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2. Accordingly, the elastic porous member 18 is arranged in its initial shape, that is, in a slightly contracted and deformed state, between the head 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2. In this case, the contact plate 9b of the contact switch 9 is separated from the contact portion of the contact switch 9, and the contact switch 9 is in the OFF state.

[0077] When the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed against the spring force of the coil spring 31, the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 slides in a tilted state toward the inside of the case body 2. At this time, the elastic porous member 18 is pushed by the head 21 and undergoes contraction deformation. In this case, as in the first embodiment, when the elastic porous member 18 is pushed by the head 21 and further contracts and deforms from its initial shape, almost no repulsive force of the elastic porous member 18 is applied to the head 21.

[0078] Furthermore, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed and the elastic porous member 18 contracts, as in the first embodiment, the elastic porous member 18 does not expand radially, but instead deforms so that the numerous air bubbles contained within the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18 are crushed. At this time, small particles of dirt, sand, and other foreign matter that have entered the air bubbles are expelled from the air bubbles. This prevents the air bubbles from becoming clogged with dirt, sand, and other foreign matter. This allows the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 to slide smoothly.

[0079] Then, when the inner surface of head 21 abuts against stroke restricting portion 24 provided on inclined portion 2b of case body 2, the pressing operation of head 21 is stopped. At this time, retaining member 20b provided on the inner end of shaft 20 moves away from the inner circumferential surface of case body 2 toward the inside of case body 2, and the inner end of shaft 20 is pressed against contact plate 9b of contact switch 9, turning on contact switch 9.

[0080] In this state, when the pressure on head 21 is released, head 21 is pushed out in a tilted state by the spring force of coil spring 31, and head 21 slides in a tilted state in the direction of returning to its original initial position. At this time, the restoring force of elastic porous member 18 in the initial state of operating member 16 is approximately the same as that in the operated state of operating member 16, so elastic porous member 18 slowly returns to its original shape following the returning movement of head 21 or with a slight delay.

[0081] Therefore, as the elastic porous member 18 slowly returns to its original shape, the numerous air bubbles contained within the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18 undergo expansion and deformation, slowly expanding to their original shape, as in the first embodiment. Even if small particles of mud or sand that have entered between the head 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2 slowly penetrate into the air bubbles, the penetration of larger particles of mud or sand into the air bubbles is prevented. As such, when the elastic porous member 18 returns to its original shape, the operating member 16 smoothly slides out. This causes the contact plate 9b to separate from the contact portion of the contact switch 9, turning the contact switch 9 off.

[0082] Thus, the second push button device 13 in this wristwatch comprises a case body 2 which is a support member with an inclined through hole 30, an axis portion 20 which is inserted at an angle so as to be slidable into the through hole 30, an operating member 16 which has a head portion 21 provided at the outer end of the axis portion 20, and an elastic porous member 18 which is an elastic member which is arranged in a contracted and deformed state between the head portion 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2 and which further contracts and deforms in response to operation of the operating member 16, thereby making it possible to prevent the intrusion of foreign matter such as mud and sand, as in the first embodiment.

[0083] That is, in the second push button device 13 of this wristwatch, as in the first embodiment, an elastic porous member 18 is contracted and deformed and arranged between the head 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2, and this elastic porous member 18 further contracts and deforms in response to operation of the operating member 16, thereby enabling the elastic porous member 18 to prevent foreign matter such as mud and sand from entering between the head 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case body 2.

[0084] In this case, in the second push button device 13 of this wristwatch, the elastic porous member 18 has a structure in which an elastic material is foamed to form numerous air bubbles in the elastic material, and the restoring force is approximately the same in the initial state before the operating member 16 is operated and in the operating state after the operating member 16 is operated.As a result, as with the first embodiment, even if the elastic porous member 18 contracts or expands in response to the operation of the operating member 16, it does not affect the operating force of the operating member 16, thereby improving the operability of the operating member 16.

[0085] That is, in this second push button device 13, the elastic porous member 18 has a structure in which a large number of air bubbles are formed in an elastic material, so that, as in the first embodiment, the elastic porous member 18 can be formed in a sponge-like form, and as a result, even if the elastic porous member 18 is caused to contract or expand in response to the operation of the operating member 16, it does not affect the operating force of the operating member 16, and as a result, the elastic porous member 18 can be slowly restored to its original shape following the return movement of the head 21 or with a slight delay.

[0086] Therefore, in this second push button device 13, when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed and the elastic porous member 18 contracts and deforms, the numerous air bubbles provided in the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18 are deformed so as to be crushed, so that, as in the first embodiment, foreign matter such as mud or sand with small particles that has entered the air bubbles can be expelled from the air bubbles. This prevents the air bubbles from becoming clogged with foreign matter such as mud or sand, allowing the shaft 20 of the operating member 16 to slide smoothly.

[0087] Furthermore, in this second push button device 13, when the elastic porous member 18 slowly returns to its original shape, the numerous air bubbles contained in the elastic material of the elastic porous member 18 expand and deform so as to slowly swell back to their original shape, so as in the first embodiment, even if small particles of mud, sand, or other foreign matter that has entered between the head 21 and the sloped portion 2b of the case body 2 slowly enter the air bubbles, it is possible to prevent large particles of mud, sand, or other foreign matter from entering the air bubbles. This improves the durability of the elastic porous member 18 and the operability of the operating member 16.

[0088] Furthermore, in this second push button device 13, the length of the elastic porous member 18 in the operating direction of the operating member 16 is longer than the operating stroke S2 of the operating member 16, so that the elastic porous member 18 can be contracted and deformed in an initial state and positioned between the head 21 and the inclined portion 2b of the case main body 2, and the elastic porous member 18 can be further contracted and deformed in response to the operation of the operating member 16, so that the elastic porous member 18 can reliably and effectively prevent the intrusion of foreign matter such as mud and sand.

[0089] Furthermore, this second push button device 13 is provided with a stroke regulating section 32 that regulates the operating stroke S2 of the operating member 16, and this stroke regulating section 32 allows the operating stroke S2 of the operating member 16 to be set accurately and favorably, thereby keeping the contraction and expansion deformation of the elastic porous member 18 constant and allowing the elastic porous member 18 to contract and expand accurately and favorably.

[0090] In this case, in this second push button device 13, the stroke regulating portion 32 is provided on the outer surface of the inclined portion 2b of the case main body 2, so that this stroke regulating portion 32 can accurately regulate the axial movement length of the head 21 when the head 21 of the operating member 16 is pressed, and since the protective cover 17, which is the intermediate member used in the first embodiment, is not required, the number of parts can be reduced.

[0091] Furthermore, in this second push button device 13, the elastic porous member 18 is arranged over almost the entire area between the head 21 and the case body 2, except for the stroke regulating portion 32, thereby making it possible to increase the overall volume of the elastic porous member 18, and thereby, as in the first embodiment, the elastic porous member 18 can significantly suppress the intrusion of foreign matter such as mud and sand.

[0092] Furthermore, this second push button device 13 is provided with a coil spring 31 which is a biasing member that biases the operating member 16 at an angle toward the outside of the case body 2, and the spring force of this coil spring 31 can reliably push the head 21 of the operating member 16 out of the case body 2. In this case, even if the spring force of the contact plate 9b of the contact switch 9 is weak and sufficient spring force cannot be ensured, the coil spring 31 can ensure sufficient spring force.

[0093] In this case, in this second push button device 13, the coil spring 31 is arranged in the large diameter hole portion 30b of the through hole 30 provided at an angle in the case main body 2, and the elastic porous member 18 is arranged on the outer periphery of the coil spring 31, so that this elastic porous member 18 can prevent foreign matter such as mud and sand from entering the coil spring 31, and therefore, even when the coil spring 31 is used, deterioration of the coil spring 31 due to the entry of foreign matter such as mud and sand can be prevented.

[0094] In the second embodiment described above, the stroke regulating portion 32 is provided on the outer surface of the inclined portion 2b of the case main body 2, but the present invention is not limited to this and may also have a structure in which the stroke regulating portion 32 is provided on the inner surface of the head 21, for example.

[0095] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the present invention is described as being applied to a wristwatch, but it does not necessarily have to be a wristwatch, and can be applied to various types of clocks, such as travel watches, alarm clocks, table clocks, wall clocks, etc. Furthermore, the present invention does not necessarily have to be a clock, and can be applied to electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants, for example.

[0096] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these and includes the inventions set forth in the claims and their equivalents. The inventions described in the claims of this application are as follows:

[0097] (Addendum) The invention described in claim 1 is a push button device characterized by comprising a support member having a through hole, an operating member having a shaft portion slidably inserted into the through hole and a head portion provided at the outer end of the shaft portion, and an elastic member that is arranged in a contracted and deformed state between the head portion and the support member and that further contracts and deforms in response to operation of the operating member.

[0098] The invention described in claim 2 is a push button device described in claim 1, characterized in that the elastic member has a structure in which an elastic material is foamed to form a large number of air bubbles in the elastic material, and the restoring force in the initial state before the operating member is operated is approximately the same as that in the operating state after the operating member is operated.

[0099] The invention described in claim 3 is a push button device described in claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the elastic member is formed so that the length in the operating direction of the operating member is longer than the operating stroke of the operating member.

[0100] The invention as set forth in claim 4 is the push button device as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises a stroke restricting portion that restricts the operation stroke of the operating member.

[0101] A fifth aspect of the present invention provides the push button device of the fourth aspect, wherein the stroke restricting portion is provided on one of the support member and the head portion.

[0102] The invention described in claim 6 is a push button device described in claim 4, characterized in that the stroke regulating portion is provided on an intermediate member provided between the support member and the head.

[0103] The invention described in claim 7 is a push button device described in any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the elastic member is arranged over almost the entire area between the head and the support member, except for the stroke regulating portion.

[0104] The invention described in claim 8 is a push button device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it includes a biasing member that biases the operating member toward the outside of the support member.

[0105] A ninth aspect of the present invention is the push button device of the eighth aspect, characterized in that the biasing member is a leaf spring of a contact switch that is pressed against the end of the shaft portion.

[0106] The invention described in claim 10 is a push button device described in claim 8 or claim 9, characterized in that the biasing member is a coil spring that biases the head toward the outside of the support member.

[0107] The invention described in claim 11 is a timepiece characterized by including a push button device described in any one of claims 1 to 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1 watch case 2 Case body 2a Waterproof ring 2b Slope 3 Upper case 3a Screw member 4 Exterior materials 4a First bezel 4b Second bezel 4c Third bezel 5. Watch Glass 6. Trim material 7 Back cover 8 Clock Module 9-contact switch 9a Leaf spring 9b Contact plate 10. Watch Bands 11 Band attachment part 12 First push button device 13 Second push button device 14 Switching device 15, 30 through holes 16 Operating member 17 Protective cover 18 Elastic porous material 20 Shaft 20a waterproof ring 20b Pull-out prevention member 21 Head 21a Base 22 Disc section 23 Guide tube 24, 32 Stroke restriction part 30a Small diameter hole 30b Large diameter hole 31 Coil spring S1, S2 operating stroke

Claims

1. a support member having a through hole; an operating member having a shaft portion slidably inserted into the through hole and a head portion provided at an outer end of the shaft portion; a biasing member that is a leaf spring that is pressed against an inner end of the shaft portion and biases the operating member toward the outside of the support member; an elastic member having a plurality of bubbles, at least some of the bubbles being crushed when the operating member is not pressed against the head; When the pressing operation is released from the pressed state, the operating member returns to the non-pressed state by the biasing force of the biasing member. Push button device.

2. A support member having a through hole; an operating member having a shaft portion slidably inserted into the through hole and a head portion provided at an outer end of the shaft portion; a biasing member that is a leaf spring that is pressed against an inner end of the shaft portion and biases the operating member toward the outside of the support member; an elastic member having a plurality of cells; a stroke limiting portion that limits the operation stroke of the operating member, When the pressing operation of the operating member on the head is released from the pressed state, the operating member returns to the non-pressed state by the biasing force of the biasing member, The elastic member is formed so that the length in the direction in which the operating member is pressed is longer than the operating stroke of the operating member, and is disposed over almost the entire area between the head and the support member except for the stroke regulating portion. Push button device.

3. A support member having a through hole; an operating member having a shaft portion slidably inserted into the through hole and a head portion provided at an outer end of the shaft portion; a biasing member that is a leaf spring that is pressed against an inner end of the shaft portion and biases the operating member toward the outside of the support member; an elastic member having a plurality of cells; an intermediate member between the support member and the head, the intermediate member including at least a plate portion disposed on the outside of the support member and a guide wall portion provided on the plate portion; When the pressing operation of the operating member on the head is released from the pressed state, the operating member returns to the non-pressed state by the biasing force of the biasing member, The elastic member abuts against the guide wall portion before and after the pressing operation of the operating member. Push button device.

4. the elastic member includes communicating holes through which the plurality of cells communicate with each other, or non-communicating holes through which the plurality of cells do not communicate with each other. The push button device according to claim 1 .

5. the plurality of bubbles are deformed so as to be crushed in a direction in which the operating member is pressed, in accordance with the pressing operation of the operating member and the contraction of the elastic member; the elastic member has a size that does not change substantially in a radial direction of the operating member that intersects with a direction in which the operating member is pressed, between a state in which the operating member is not pressed and a state in which the operating member is pressed; The push button device according to claim 1 .

6. The stroke restricting portion is provided on one of the support member and the head portion. The push button device according to claim 2.

7. The stroke restricting portion is provided on an intermediate member provided between the support member and the head portion. The push button device according to claim 2.

8. the elastic member is a member in which the plurality of bubbles are formed in an elastic material selected from the group consisting of silicone rubber, urethane rubber, and elastomer; The push button device according to claim 1 .

9. A push button device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 is provided. clock.

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