Portable timepiece with a crown protection and locking device

Even if a lock member impeding a crown from being excessively pull-moved is carelessly moved, its recovery is easy, and a function for stopping a careless movement of the crown, by the lock member, is maintained for a long period. A wristwatch possesses a case band, a crown, a protector, and a lock mechanism. A winding stem pipe is attached to the case band. The crown has a crown head having non connection relation with the winding stem pipe. This crown is supported to the winding stem pipe so as to be movable in an axial direction of this pipe. The protector is attached to the case band while facing on an end face of the crown head so as to allow an operation of this crown head. The lock mechanism is provided operably in the protector. The lock mechanism has a screw body, and a lock member linearly moving in a direction contacted with and separated from the end face of the crown head by a rotation of the screw body. The lock mechanism moves the lock member between a lock position allowing an operation in which the crown is pull-moved and a lock release position restricting the operation in which the crown is pull-moved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a timepiece used while being carried like a wristwatch, a pocket watch or the like.

2. Description of the Related Art

Hitherto, generally in the wristwatch, in a case where there is performed a crown operation such as time setting, a crown is rotation-operated after it is pull-moved. Therefore, in the wristwatch, there is adopted a contrivance for making such that the crown is not moved carelessly in a direction along which the crown is pull-moved by an impact exerted on the wristwatch when it falls or the like.

As one example of this contrivance, there is known a crown structure of a thread lock type. In this crown structure, a male thread part is formed in an outer periphery of a case band outside pipe end part protruding from a case band outer face of a winding stem pipe attached to the case band, and a female thread part is formed in an inner periphery of a crown head that the crown attached to the winding stem pipe so as to be movable in an axial direction of the winding stem pipe has. And, the crown is locked by the fact that the female thread part is meshed with the male thread part by rotating the crown in its tightening direction, and a pull movement of the crown and a rotation operation after it are made possible by rotating the crown in its loosening direction reversely to the former, thereby releasing the above mesh (e.g., refer to JP-UM-A-7-26792 Gazette (paragraphs 0001-0012, FIG. 1-FIG. 2)).

Further, as other example of the above contrivance, there is known a timepiece in which a push movement member is disposed coaxially in regard to the crown, a stirrup shape member forming a loop around the crown and the push movement member is attached to a case band side, and one end of a lever is rotatably attached to the stirrup shape member by a pin. The lever is used in order to control a chronograph function by push-moving the push movement member. An intermediate part of this lever has a contact point for cooperating with the push movement member, and the other end of the lever is made an operation part having a concave face. In this timepiece, since the intermediate part of the lever contacts with the crown capable of being pull-moved on the occasion of the time setting, by this lever the crown can be suppressed from carelessly moving in a pull-moving direction (e.g., refer to JP-T-2004-502925 Gazette (claim, paragraphs 0001-0024, FIG. 1-FIG. 2) (the term “JP-T” as used herein means a published Japanese translation of a PCT patent application)).

In the timepiece described in the Patent Document 1, there is considered the fact that its user erroneously drops the timepiece under a state in which the crown is rotation-operated for the time setting or the like by releasing a lock by loosening the crown. In a case where the timepiece undergoes the impact in this manner, there is the fact that the crown is excessively moved in the direction along which it is pull-moved carelessly and there is considered a fear that, following upon it, the crown or the like is injured.

Further, in the timepiece described in the Patent Document 2, although a force retaining the lever to a stationary state such that the crown is not moved carelessly depends on a friction engagement force in a rotation slide part between the lever and the pin or a friction engagement force in a rotation slide part between the pin and the stirrup shape member, an abrasion in the rotation slide part gradually proceeds following upon a rotation operation of the lever. By it, in a case where there becomes a state in which the friction engagement force decreases by, e.g., a use for a long term or the like, it is difficult to recover the friction engagement force unless a repair is performed. And, if the timepiece undergoes the impact under such a condition, since the lever is rotated at once, it is impossible to impede the crown from being excessively moved following upon it in the direction along which it is pull-moved carelessly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an aspect of the present invention is to provide a timepiece in which, even if there is carelessly moved a lock member making such that the crown is not pull-moved excessively, its recovery is easy, and a function for stopping the careless movement of the crown, by the lock member, can be maintained for a long period.

The present invention possesses a case band to which a winding stem pipe is attached, a crown supported to the winding stem pipe so as to be movable in an axial direction of this pipe while having a crown head having no connection relation with the winding stem pipe, a protector attached to the case band while facing on an end face of the crown head so as to allow an operation of this crown head, and a lock mechanism provided operably in the protector, having a screw body and a lock member linearly moving in a direction contacted with and separated from the end face of the crown head by a rotation of the screw body, and moving the lock member between a lock position allowing an operation in which the crown is pull-moved and a lock release position restricting the operation in which the crown is pull-moved.

In the present invention, by an operation of the lock mechanism, since the lock member disposed in the lock position approaches to or contacts with the end face of the crown head, when the portable timepiece undergoes the impact by the fact that it falls or the like, the crown is impeded from carelessly moving in a direction along which it is pull-moved. Since the lock member disposed in the lock release position by the operation of the lock mechanism is separated from the end face of the crown head so as to allow the operation in which the crown is pull-moved, under this state it is possible to rotation-operate the crown by being pulled out. And, in a case where, on the occasion of this crown operation, the impact is exerted on this timepiece by the fact that it erroneously falls, since a maximum pulling-out quantity of the crown is restricted by the lock member in the lock release position, the crown is impeded from being excessively moved in the direction along which the crown is pull-moved.

Since the lock member linearly moves by the rotation of the screw body, suppositively even if the screw body is carelessly rotated by a vibration, the impact or the like, a motion of the lock member following upon that rotation is very small while depending on a pitch of a screw of the screw body. By this, there is no fact that the lock member is moved at once. Accordingly, there is suppressed the fact that the crown becomes a state in which it can be carelessly moved in the direction along which it is pull-moved, so that the function for stopping the careless movement of the crown, by the lock member, can be maintained for the long period.

Moreover, by linearly moving the lock member by rotating the screw body, it is possible to easily change a position of the lock member. Therefore, in a case where the lock member is carelessly moved from the lock position, the lock member can be returned to the lock position by rotating the screw body. That is, in the case where the lock member is carelessly moved, this lock member can be easily returned.

In a desirable mode of the present invention, there can be made a constitution in which a rotation-stop part is provided in the protector, and the lock mechanism has a circular operation part of a manually rotating type, which is rotatably attached to the protector with a movement in the direction contacting with and separating from the end face of the crown head being restricted, the screw body connected to the operation part, and the lock member meshed with the screw body and rotation-stopped by the rotation-stop part.

Additionally, in a desirable mode of the present invention, there suffices if a width of the protector along a height direction of the case band is made smaller than a diameter of the crown head, and a diameter of the operation part is made below the width of the protector.

In a desirable mode of the present invention, there suffices if an elastic member is attached to an end face of the lock member or the end face of the crown head.

According to the present invention, since the lock mechanism having the screw body and the lock member linearly moving in the direction contacted with and separated from the end face of the crown head by the rotation of the screw body to thereby make such that the crown is not pull-moved excessively, is provided operably in the protector, it is possible to provide a timepiece in which, even if the lock member is carelessly moved, its recovery is easy, and the function for stopping the careless movement of the crown, by the lock member, can be maintained for the long period.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereunder one embodiment of the present invention is explained by referring toFIG. 1-FIG.5.

InFIG. 1, a reference numeral10denotes a portable timepiece, e.g., a wristwatch used while being worn to an arm. As shown inFIG. 2andFIG. 3, in a timepiece armor assembly11that this wristwatch10possesses, there are accommodated a timepiece movement13driving indication hands12, a dial14attached to this timepiece movement13, a frame-like member15retaining the timepiece movement13to the timepiece armor assembly11, and the like.

As shown inFIG. 1-FIG.3, the timepiece armor assembly11possesses a case band16which is desirably made of a metal and annularly made, a cover glass18is fluid-tightly mounted to an annular bezel17connected to one face (front face) in a thickness direction of the case band16, and a case back19is formed in the other face (back face) in the thickness direction of the case band16while being detachably meshed. The indication hands12and the dial14are visible through the cover glass18. Incidentally, inFIG. 2andFIG. 3, a reference numeral20denotes an annular waterproof gasket such as O-ring having elasticity.

As shown inFIG. 1, in each of a 12 o'clock direction and a 6 o'clock direction of the timepiece armor assembly11, member attachment convex parts16aare monolithically, protrusively provided from the case band16and, to these member attachment convex parts16a, there are respectively attached arm wear members21such as band or belt.

Between the member attachment convex parts16ain the 12 o'clock direction and the 6 o'clock direction, e.g., in a 3 o'clock direction of the timepiece armor assembly11, there is formed a through-hole16bpenetrating through the case band16from its inside to outside. A winding stem pipe denoted by a reference numeral22inFIG. 2-FIG.4is inserted to the through-hole16bunder a state in which its one part is protruded to the outside of the case band16, and attached to the case band16. Although the winding stem pipe22is fixed, e.g., by being pushed-in from the outside of the case band16toward the inside, instead of this it, can be blazed by using a brazing filler metal, or it may be fixed by being screwed to the through-hole16bwhile jointly using an adhesive.

InFIG. 1-FIG.4, a reference numeral25denotes a crown made of a metal. The crown25is formed by a crown axle26, and a circular crown head27formed monolithically in one end part of the former. An annular waterproof gasket28comprising an elastically deformable material is mounted to an outer periphery of the crown axle26. An annular groove27ais formed between an inner periphery of the crown head27and an outer periphery of a crown head27side site of the crown axle26.

The crown25is supported so as to be movable in an axial direction and rotatable in a circumferential direction in regard to the winding stem pipe22with the crown axle26being inserted to the winding stem pipe22from the outside of the case band16. Under this support state, the waterproof gasket28is closely contacted with an inner periphery face of the winding stem pipe22while being elastically deformed, and the annular groove27ais loosely fitted to a case band outside protrusion end part22aof the winding stem pipe22. Accordingly, the crown head27has no connection relation with the case band outside protrusion end part22aof the winding stem pipe22.

A winding stem29is connected to the crown axle26of the crown25by a mesh for instance, and this winding stem29is connected to the timepiece movement13. Through this winding stem.29, it is possible to give an operation, in which the crown25is pull-moved, and an operation, in which it is rotated, to the timepiece movement13. By it, in a case where the crown25is rotated by being pulled out by one stage from a reference position shown inFIG. 2andFIG. 3for instance, a time setting can be performed. Additionally, in the wristwatch10in which there is made such that the crown25can be pulled out by more one stage (the crown25can be pulled out by two stages from the above reference position), it is possible to perform a setting of a day of the week by a rotation operation of the crown25in a pulled-out position of the second stage. Further, in a case where it is the mechanical wristwatch10in which the timepiece movement13has a mainspring, it is possible to wind up the mainspring by the rotation operation of the crown25in the above reference position (referred to also as a zero position).

As shown inFIG. 1and the like, a protector31for guarding the crown25is attached to the case band16by using screws32. The protector31comprises a monolithically molded article of a metal or the like, and is made, e.g., in an approximately U-shape, by an end face cover part31a, and one pair of side face cover parts31bcontinuing from both ends of the end face cover part31aso as to be bent.

The protector31is screw-fixed so as to protrude from an outer face of the case band16by being disposed so as to strive over the crown head27with its one pair of side face cover parts31bbeing disposed in a 12 o'clock-6 o'clock direction of the timepiece armor assembly11. By it, the end face cover part31ais disposed in a position covering an end face of the crown head27with an interstice being provided between it and the above end face, and one pair of side face cover parts31bare disposed in a position covering a circumference face of the crown head27from the 12 o'clock-6 o'clock direction of the timepiece armor assembly11with an interstice being provided between it and the above circumference face.

As shown inFIG. 5, upper and lower parts of the end face cover part31aare protruded like a circular arc and, by it, a width B (refer toFIG. 4) of the end face cover part31aalong a thickness direction of the timepiece armor assembly11forms a maximum width of the protector31. Accordingly, a width of the side face cover part31balong the thickness direction of the timepiece armor assembly11is narrower than the width B of the end face cover part31a. The protector31is one allowing an operation of the crown25and, therefore, a width of each part of the protector31along the thickness direction of the timepiece armor assembly11becomes narrower than a diameter A (refer toFIG. 4) of the crown head27.

As shown inFIG. 4, in the end face cover part31a, there are formed a rotation-stop part33for providing a lock mechanism35in the protector31so as to be operable, and a fixation hole34. As exemplified inFIG. 5, the rotation-stop part33is formed by a square hole, concretely, a non-circular hole of regular hexagon. This rotation-stop part33is provided while being biased to a crown head27side within a thickness of the end face cover part31aalong a 9 o'clock-3 o'clock direction of the timepiece armor assembly11. The fixation hole34comprises a circular hole of a larger diameter than the rotation-stop part33. The rotation-stop part33and the fixation hole34mutually continue to thereby form a stepped hole, and this hole penetrates the end face cover part31ain its thickness direction.

The lock mechanism35is formed while possessing an operation part36, a screw body,37, and a lock member38.

As shown inFIG. 4and the like, the operation part36is one of a manually rotating type, has a circular shape like a dial for instance, and is formed with a stepped attachment axle36abeing protrusively provided in its center part. The screw body37is formed with a male thread being provided in an outer periphery of a cylinder. This screw body37is attached to an outer periphery of a small diameter axle part of the attachment axle36awhile being pushed-in and, in this pushed-in, positioned in an axial direction by a large diameter axle part of the attachment axle36a. An outer diameter of the screw body37is larger than the large diameter axle part of the attachment axle36a.

The operation part36and the screw body37rotatably attached to the protector31with a movement in a direction contacting with and separating from an end face of the crown head27being restricted. For it, a retention member39is used. The retention member39is fixed to an inner periphery of the fixation hole34by a pushing-in, and has a center hole39afitting to an outer periphery of the large diameter axle part of its center part attachment axle36a. A diameter C (refer toFIG. 4) of the operation part36is below a width of the protector31, concretely, the width B of the end face cover part31a.

Next, procedures for attaching the operation part36and the screw body37to the end face cover part31aare explained. First, the retention member39is pushed-in to the fixation hole34. After this, the attachment axle36aof the operation part36is inserted to the center hole39aof the retention member39, thereby fitting the large diameter axle part of this attachment axle36ato the center hole39a. Finally, the screw body37is pushed-in to the small diameter axle part of the attachment axle36atill this screw body37butts against the large diameter axle part of the attachment axle36aand thus is positioned. By this, although there is allowed a certain amount of movement corresponding to a difference between a length of the large diameter axle part of the attachment axle36aand a plate thickness of the retention member39, there is assembled to a state in which the movement more than it is impeded with the retention member39being made a stopper.

The center hole39ais a circular hole, the outer periphery of the large diameter axle part of the attachment axle36ais a circular shape, and the operation part36and the screw body37connected monolithically with the former are rotatable with the center hole39abeing made a center. The lock member38is formed by a cylindrical metal-made nut having in its inner periphery a female thread part, and meshed with an outer periphery of the screw body37. An outer periphery of the lock member38is formed in a non-circular hole, e.g., a regular hexagon (refer toFIG. 5), coinciding with a shape of the rotation-stop part33. This lock member38is fitted to the rotation-stop part33.

Accordingly, by the fact that the operation part36is manually rotated, the lock member38is linearly moved in an axial direction of the screw body37, in other words, in a direction along which it is contacted with and separated from the end face of the crown head27. There is made such that, by this linear movement, the lock member38is moved between a lock position shown inFIG. 2and a lock release position shown inFIG. 3. The lock position is a position restricting an operation in which the crown25is pull-moved, and the lock release position is a position allowing the operation in which the crown25is pull-moved. In the lock position, a tip of the lock member38is approached to the end face of the crown head27. Incidentally, there may be butted against it.

An end face of the lock member38is covered by an elastic member40attached to the end face. The elastic member40may be mounted to an end face of the crown head27instead of the end face of the lock member38. Further, it is also possible to omit the elastic member40. However, providing the elastic member40is desirable in the following points. There is the fact that, when a user disposes the lock member38to the lock position, the operation part36is excessively rotation-operated. In this case, since the elastic member40is nipped between the crown head27and the lock member38, it is possible to prevent an injury of the end face of the crown head27. Additionally, by an elastic deformation of the elastic member40following upon the nip, since the lock member38undergoes a pushing-back force to thereby vanish a mesh interstice in a mesh part, the lock member38is suppressed from being carelessly rotated in a loosing direction by the vibration or the like, so that the lock member38can be prevented from being carelessly moved to a lock release position side.

Normally, the lock member38of the wristwatch10possessing the above constitution is disposed in the lock position depicted in an upside of a center line F-F inFIG. 2andFIG. 4. Under this disposition state, if there is attempted to pull-move the crown25, since there becomes such that it butts at once against the lock member38through the elastic member40, it is impossible to pull-move the crown25more than it. Therefore, even if the wristwatch10falls and undergoes the impact at a usual use time, it is possible to prevent the crown25from carelessly protruded by it from the case band16in a direction along which the user pull-moves the crown.

In the present embodiment, in the above lock state, since a slight interstice is formed between the elastic member40and the end face of the crown head27and thus a rotation of the crown head27is not restrained, it is possible to rotation-operate the crown head27of the crown25disposed in the reference position (zero stage position). Therefore, in a case where, e.g., it is the mechanical wristwatch10in which the timepiece movement13has the mainspring, as represented by the fact that the mainspring can be wound up by the rotation operation of the crown25, a timepiece function given in the above reference position can be brought about by the rotation operation of the crown25. Further, suppositively even in a case where the elastic member40butts against the crown head27, after the operation part36is somewhat rotation-operated in a direction along which the screw body37loosens, in other words, a direction separating from the crown head27, similarly it is possible to rotation-operate the crown25in the reference position.

Incidentally, like the above, since the crown25is locked by attaching the lock mechanism35to the protector31of the crown25, a thread lock structure for locking the crown25becomes unnecessary. Accordingly, it is desirable in a point that a winding stem pipe and a crown, which have a thread part whose working is troublesome, may not be used.

In a case of performing the time setting or the like, first by manually rotation-operating the operation part36, the lock member38is moved in a direction separating from the crown head27and disposed in the lock release position depicted in a downside of the centerline F-F inFIG. 3andFIG. 4. By this, since there is formed a space of a length shown by a dimension D inFIG. 4, it is possible to rotate the crown25after the crown head27is pull-moved to this space by one stage or two stages.

In a case where, on the occasion of this operation, the wristwatch10is dropped erroneously, although the crown25can move in a range of the above space, the crown25is impeded from moving more than it so as to protrude from the case band16because the crown head27butts against the lock member38through the elastic member40.

Like the above, by the lock mechanism35attached to the protector31, even if the lock member38exists in any of the lock position or the lock release position, the crown25can be prevented from being abnormally protruded carelessly by an action of the impact in a direction along which the user pull-moves it.

And, as already mentioned, in the lock mechanism35, since there is adopted a constitution in which the lock member38linearly moves by the rotation of the screw body37rotated by the operation part36, suppositively even if the screw body37is carelessly rotated by the vibration, the impact or the like, the motion of the lock member38following upon that rotation is small while depending on the pitch of the screw of the screw body37, so that there is no fact that the lock member38is moved at once. Therefore, the crown25is suppressed from becoming a state capable of being carelessly moved in the direction along which it is pull-moved, so that the function for stopping the careless movement of the crown25, by the lock member38, can be maintained for the long period.

Moreover, by linearly moving the lock member38by rotating the screw body37, it is possible to easily change the position of the lock member38. Therefore, in a case where the lock member38is moved in a direction deviating even slightly from the lock position, it is possible to return the lock member37to the lock position by operating the operation part36to thereby rotate the screw body37in the tightening direction, in other words, a direction approaching the crown head27. Accordingly, in the case where the lock member38is carelessly moved, this lock member38can be easily returned.

Further, as already mentioned, among the diameter A of the crown head27, the width B of the end face cover part31aof the protector31and the diameter C of the operation part36, there is a relation of C≦B<A. Therefore, in an operation for pull-moving the crown25and an operation for rotating the crown25, the end face cover part31aand the operation part36are difficult to become hindrances, and can be easily operated.

Additionally, since the operation part36of the lock mechanism35forms a circular dial shape not a lever, in a case where the wristwatch10is put-out and put-in from and to, e.g., a pocket of a clothing or the like, the operation part36is difficult to be caught to a stitch or the like of the pocket. Similarly, since the lock member38of the lock mechanism35is placed in an inside of the U-shaped protector31, also in this point, the lock mechanism35is difficult to be caught to the stitch or the like of the pocket.

Moreover, since the operation part36and the screw body37of the lock mechanism35is restricted in an axial direction movement, also when the lock member38is disposed in the lock position and also when it is disposed in the lock release position, there is no changes in the positions of the operation part36and the screw body37. Therefore, even if there is the fact that it is carried under a state in which the lock member38is erroneously disposed in the lock release position intact, the operation part36is difficult to become the hindrance and, even if it is put-out and put-in from and to the pocket or the like, the operation part36is difficult to be caught to the stitch or the like of the pocket.

Incidentally, for a manufacturer of the wristwatch, in a case where, in the case bands of plural kinds, under a common specification there are previously provided thread holes to each of which the screw32becomes possible to be screwed and, in the protectors31of plural kinds in dimensions, shapes and colors differing in compliance with a movement function (e.g., a function in which the crown25can be pulled out by one stage from the reference position, a function in which the crown25can be pulled out by one stage and-two stages from the reference position, or the like) of the crown25of the timepiece movement13, under a common specification there are previously provided thread holes to each of which the screw32is inserted, it is possible to develop the wristwatches10of various commodity forms by a selective combination of the protector31in regard to the case band16. Together with this, the protector31with the lock mechanism35can be provided to the user as an option component. Further, for the user plurally having the wristwatches10of the above specifications, it becomes also possible to use them by replacing the protector31suitable to TPO.

FIG. 6shows other embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, sites corresponding to the side face cover parts of the above one embodiment are protrusively provided monolithically with an outer face of the case band16, and these sites are made screw reception parts16d. And, the protector31is formed only by a site corresponding to the end face cover part of the above one embodiment, and both-end parts of this protector31are fixed to the screwing parts16dby the screws32.

Since the constitutions except the points explained above are the same as the above one embodiment while including the portions not shown inFIG. 6, the same reference numeral as *the above one embodiment is applied to the same portion and its explanation is omitted. Accordingly, also in this other embodiment, the problem of the present invention can be solved by attaching the lock mechanism35to the protector31.

Incidentally, in the present invention, means for rotation-stopping the lock member38is not limited to the above one embodiment. For example, by making an outer periphery of the lock member38into a circular shape and providing plurally, in this outer periphery, a rotation-stop convex part such as linear convex stripe or a linear rotation-stop groove stripe, there may be provided plurally, also in the circular hole of the protector31to which the lock member38is fitted, the linear rotation-stop groove stripe or the rotation-stop convex part such as linear convex stripe. Between the rotation-stop convex part and the rotation-stop groove stripe, at least the rotation-stop groove stripe is formed while extending in the direction contacting with and separating from the end face of the crown head27, and the rotation-stop convex part and the rotation-stop groove stripe are fitted so as to be mutually slidable.