Push button and timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11181867-B2
Application number	US-201916591831-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 3, 2019
Priority date	Oct 3, 2018
Publication date	Nov 23, 2021
Grant date	Nov 23, 2021

Abstract

A push button capable of improving shock resistance and a timepiece equipped therewith are provided. This push button includes an operation member having a shaft section inserted into a through hole of a case and a head section provided on the outer end of the shaft section, and an elastic member which presses the head section toward the outside of the case or is elastically deformed, and this elastic member includes a buffer section that buffers a pressure externally applied to the head section which is greater than a predetermined pressure. Accordingly, when a pressure greater than the predetermined pressure is applied to the head section, the head section comes in contact with the buffer section while elastically deforming the elastic member so as to buffer the pressure. By this structure, shock resistance is improved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A push button comprising:
a case provided with a through hole;
an operation member comprising:
a shaft section inserted into the through hole of the case; and
a head section provided on an outer end of the shaft section; and

an elastic member comprising:
a first surface section provided with an insertion hole into which the shaft section is inserted, wherein the first surface section comes in contact with an inner surface of the head section;
a second surface section that comes in contact with the case;
an elastic deformation section connecting the first surface section and the second surface section, wherein the elastic deformation section is configured to elastically deform in response to a pressure applied to the head section from outside and to press which presses the head section toward outside of the case; and
a buffer section provided on the second surface section and configured to come in contact with the head section and be elastically deformed when the pressure applied to the head section from outside is greater than a predetermined pressure.

2. The push button according to claim 1 ,
wherein the elastic member is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape.

3. The push button according to claim 1 ,
wherein the buffer section is provided on an entire circumference of the second surface section, or is plurally provided thereon at intervals.

4. The push button according to claim 1 ,
wherein the buffer section is plurally provided at intervals along a circumferential direction of the second surface section, and rotates the head section in one direction when the pressure greater than the predetermined pressure is applied to the head section.

5. The push button according to claim 4 ,
wherein the buffer section has a surface inclined along the circumferential direction of the second surface section.

6. The push button according to claim 1 ,
wherein the head section comprises a rim section provided on the inner surface of the head section, and
wherein the buffer section is provided on the second surface section and configured to come in contact with the rim section when the pressure greater than the predetermined pressure is applied to the head section from outside.

7. The push button according to claim 2 ,
wherein the head section comprises a rim section provided on the inner surface of the head section, and
wherein the buffer section is provided on the second surface section and configured to come in contact with the rim section when the pressure greater than the predetermined pressure is applied to the head section from outside.

8. The push button according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a cylindrical member comprising:
a first cylinder section which is fitted into the through hole and which the shaft section is inserted into; and
a second cylinder section which is provided on an outer end of the first cylinder section and which the elastic member and the head section are arranged in.

9. The push button according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a cylindrical member comprising:
a first cylinder section which is fitted into the through hole and which the shaft section is inserted into; and
a second cylinder section which is provided on an outer end of the first cylinder section and which the elastic member and the head section are arranged in.

10. The push button according to claim 1 ,
wherein the head section comprises a groove section provided on the inner surface of the head section,
wherein the first surface section is arranged by being fitted into the groove section, and
wherein a contact area of the head section and the first surface section is substantially same between when pressure is externally applied to the head section and when no pressure is applied thereto, and a contact area of the second cylinder section and the second surface section is substantially same between when pressure is externally applied to the head section and when no pressure is applied thereto.

11. The push button according to claim 1 ,
wherein the pressure greater than the predetermined pressure is a pressure to the head section which is applied in a direction parallel to the shaft section and is greater than a minimum pressure required to operate the push button.

12. A timepiece comprising the push button according to claim 1 .

13. A timepiece comprising the push button according to claim 2 .

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hitsumoto Shin

Classifications

• G04B3/001

  by push button (crown combined with push button G04B3/046; construction of push button G04B3/048; waterproof push buttons G04B37/106) · CPC title

• G04G21/08

  Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces · CPC title

• G04B3/048 Primary

  Operation exclusively by axial movement of a push-button, e.g. for chronographs (winding up by push button G04B3/001; hermetically sealed push button G04B37/106) · CPC title

• H01H13/14 Primary

  Operating parts, e.g. push-button · CPC title

• G04B37/106 Primary

  of push buttons (winding up by push button G04B3/001; crown in the form of push button G04B3/046; construction of push buttons G04B3/048) · CPC title