Abstract:
The rotary vessel is structured having a function movable generally vertical relative to a plane of a wristwatch case, and divided with a plurality of stop points in a movable range in a vertical direction, i.e. a stop point for securing stop stability of rotation and a stop point for rotating the rotary vessel. Due to this, in the case that the rotary vessel is in a rotatable state, rotation torque can be minimized.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a wristwatch case having a rotary vessel.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the prior Art  
           [0004]    It has been possible for the wristwatch case attached with a conventional rotary vessel to rotate the rotary vessel. However, the rotary vessel could not have been moved in a vertical direction.  
           [0005]    The wristwatch case attached with a conventional vessel has following problems.  
           [0006]    (1): Despite having a function to rotate the rotary vessel, vessel rotation torque had to be heavy in order to secure stability in a stop state of the rotary vessel.  
           [0007]    (2): Because of (1), large concave-convex form must have been structured on a surface of the rotary vessel.  
           [0008]    (3): When operating the rotary vessel by the finger, a pain is felt in the finger.  
           [0009]    In the present invention, it is a problem to provide a wristwatch case attached with a rotary vessel which solves the foregoing problem and is easy to rotate without the necessity of heavy rotation torque and concave-convex form on the rotary vessel surface while securing stability in a stop state of the rotary vessel.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    The rotary vessel is structured having a function movable generally vertical relative to a plane of a wristwatch case, and divided with a plurality of stop points in a movable range in a vertical direction, i.e. a stop point for securing stop stability of rotation and a stop point for rotating the rotary vessel. Due to this, in the case that the rotary vessel is in a rotatable state, rotation torque can be minimized.  
           [0011]    According to the present invention, in a stop point for securing stop stability of rotation, the gear-formed concave-convex provided on the rotary vessel engages the rotation regulating portion of a concave-convex-formed gear of the rotation regulating ring. In a stop point for rotation, engagement is released from the rotation regulating portion of the rotation regulating ring, minimizing rotation torque. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    A preferred form of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a principal-structure fragmentary sectional view of a rotary-vessel lower stop point of the present invention;  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a principal-structure fragmentary sectional view of a rotary-vessel upper stop point of the invention;  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 3 is a principal-structure fragmentary sectional view of the rotary-vessel lower stop point of the invention;  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 4 is an A-A arrow direction fragmentary sectional view in a rotary-vessel lower stop point of the invention;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 5 is a principal-structure fragmentary sectional view of a rotary-vessel upper stop point of the invention;  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 6 is a B-B arrow direction fragmentary sectional view in a rotary-vessel upper stop point of the invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 7 is a plan view of a ring elastic member part of the invention; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 8 is a principal-structure fragmentary sectional view of a conventional rotary vessel. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    An embodiment of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawings.  
         [0022]    The present invention is structured, as shown in FIG. 1, by a degree-contact step  11 , a positioning groove  12  holding a positioning elastic member  5 , a rotary vessel  1  having a gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  arbitrary divided relative to a planar form, a vessel degree-contact surface  26 , a case barrel  2  having a positioning protrusion  25 , a rotation-stop dowel  43  engaged in a rotation-stop hole  23 , and a rotation regulating ring  4  having a rotation regulating portion  41  corresponding to the gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  and fixed on the case barrel  2 . A glass  3  is attached to the case barrel  2 .  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 1 shows a state that a rotary-vessel bottom surface  14  is in contact with a rotary-vessel receiving surface  21  of the case barrel  2 , the state of which is defined as a lower stop point. The rotary vessel  1  can stop at the lower stop point by the positioning elastic member  5  held by the positioning groove  12  of the rotary vessel  1  and the positioning protrusion  25  of the case barrel  2 .  
         [0024]    The rotation regulating ring  4  does not rotate due to the engagement of the rotation stop dowel  43  possessed by the rotation regulating ring  4  with rotation stop hole  23  in singular or plurality opened in the case barrel  2 . At this time, engagement is made between the gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  of the rotary vessel  1  and the rotation regulating portion  41  of the rotation regulating ring  4  fixed on the case barrel  2 , whereby the rotation vessel  1  is secured with stop stability and not rotated.  
         [0025]    The rotation regulating portion  41  of the rotation regulating ring  4  fixed on the case barrel  2  is provided singular or in plurality.  
         [0026]    By the contact of the chatter preventing elastic member  6  fitted in the fixing groove  24  of the case barrel  2  with the elastic contact surface  15  of the rotary vessel  1 , the rotary vessel  1  is further secured with stop stability.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 2 shows a state that, by putting the finger on the finger-putting slant surface  16  to vertically move the rotary vessel  1 , the positioning elastic member  5  held by the positioning groove  12  of the rotary vessel  1  is deflected and gotten over the positioning protrusion  25  of the case barrel  2 . At this time, the positioning elastic member  5  held by the positioning groove  12  of the rotary vessel  1  interferes with a protrusion upper surface  27  of the case barrel  2 , whereby the rotary vessel  1  is allowed to stop at the upper stop point. Thus, the rotary vessel  1  is allowed to rotate stably in the upper stop point.  
         [0028]    In this state, the engagement between the gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  of the rotary vessel  1  and the rotation regulating portion  41  of the rotation regulating ring  4  fixed on the case barrel  2  is completely released to allow the rotary vessel  1  to rotate freely.  
         [0029]    In order to prevent the rotation regulating ring  4  fixed on the case barrel  2  from moving together with the rotary vessel  1  to the upper stop point when the rotary vessel  1  is moved to the upper stop point, the rotation regulating ring  4  has a removal preventing protrusion  42 . Due to the interference between the removal preventing protrusion  42  of the rotation regulating ring  4  and a circumferential groove upper wall  22  of the case barrel  2 , the rotation regulating ring  4  does not move to the upper stop point.  
         [0030]    In the upper stop point, meshing is made between the gear concave portion  17  of the gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  of the rotary vessel  1  and a click elastic protrusion  45  provided in a click elastic portion  44  of the rotation regulating ring  4  fixed on the case barrel  2 .  
         [0031]    When the rotary vessel  1  is rotated, the click elastic protrusion  45  provided in the click elastic portion  44  of the rotation regulating ring  4  radially moves due to a rotation force and intermittently interferes with the gear-formed concave-convex portion  13 , providing a click feel to the rotary vessel  1 .  
         [0032]    The rotation regulating portion  41  of the rotation regulating ring  4  and the click elastic protrusion  45  are alternately arranged with respect to a plane.  
         [0033]    Also, the rotation regulating portion  41  of the rotation regulating ring  4  and the click elastic protrusion  45  are arranged in upper and lower surfaces with respect to a direction of the plane.  
         [0034]    The click elastic portion  44  of the rotation regulating ring  4  and the click elastic protrusion  45  are provided in a single or a plurality of positions.  
         [0035]    In order to prevent the rotary vessel  1  from disengaging from the case barrel  2  upon moving the rotary vessel  1  in the upper direction, the rotary vessel  1  has a degree-contact step  11  and the case barrel  2  has a vessel degree-contact portion  26 .  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 3 shows the rotary vessel  1  in the lower stop point, and FIG. 4 is a sectional view along line A-A in FIG. 3. The gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  having the gear concave portion  17  and the gear convex portion  18  engages the rotation-regulating portion  41  of the rotation regulating ring  4  on a plane, so the rotary vessel  1  does not rotate.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 5 shows the rotary vessel  1  in the upper stop point, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view along line B-B in FIG. 5.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 7 shows a plan view of the rotation regulating ring  4 . FIG. 7 shows a state in which the rotation-regulating portion  41  and the click elastic protrusion  45  are alternately arranged on a plane.  
         [0039]    In this invention, as described above, a rotary vessel structure for a wristwatch case having a rotation function of the rotary vessel  1  different depending on a stop position was realized, wherein, when the rotary vessel  1  is positioned in the lower stop point, the gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  engages the rotation regulating portion  41  of the rotation regulating ring  4  to prohibit the rotary vessel  1  from rotating, while, when the rotary vessel  1  is positioned in the upper stop point, the meshing is released between the gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  and the rotation regulating portion  41  of the rotation regulating ring  4  to allow the rotary vessel  1  to rotate freely.  
         [0040]    As a result of this, stop stability and rotation operationality are both provided in the conventional rotary vessel structure having no vertical change of position. As a result, contrary to the current situation that the rotary vessel requires heavy rotation torque and concave-convex form is unavoidably required on a surface or peripheral portion of the rotary vessel to obtain sufficient rotation torque upon rotating the rotary vessel by the finger, as shown in FIG. 8, a wristwatch case having a rotary vessel was realized assuring stop stability and rotation ability without the necessity of providing a concave-convex form on a surface or peripheral portion of the rotary vessel. Also, because the rotation torque can be minimized, no pain is felt in the finger during actuating rotation. Also, the design restriction of the rotary vessel requiring a concave-convex form is eliminated thus providing a great effect of increasing design freedom.  
         [0041]    As shown in FIG. 5, it is possible to provide a click feel to free rotation of the rotary vessel  1  by causing slight interference due to the gear-formed concave-convex portion  13  and the click elastic protrusion  45  provided in the click elastic portion  44  in a state that the rotary vessel  1  is positioned in the upper stop point.