Timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9581968-B2
Application number	US-201514845002-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 3, 2015
Priority date	Sep 9, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

The present invention improves the weathering performance of a stopper structure preventing inadvertent rotation or a rotated body accommodated in a case. An operation member having a head portion rotated outside the case and a shaft portion inserted into a pipe so as to be movable between a first position and a second position that is outer than the first position. A stopper structure is provided inside the case to prevent rotation of the head portion when the operation member is positioned at the second position, whereas the stopper structure allows rotation of the head portion when the operation member is positioned at the first position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A timepiece comprising:
a case having a through-hole formed therein in a first direction;
a rotatable body having a driven gear portion and rotatably accommodated in the case;
a pipe fixed in the through-hole and having an inner end surface at an inner end of the pipe located inside the case, the inner end surface being configured to form a first part of stopper structure facing towards inside the case in the first direction;
an operation member having a head arranged outside the case for rotational operation and a shaft being inserted in the pipe for rotation, the shaft having an inner end portion protruding out from the inner end surface of the pipe towards inside the case in the first direction, the shaft being movable inside the pipe in the first direction to position the operation member between a first position and a second position located outer than the first positon in the first direction;
an urging member arranged inside the case and configured to urge the operation member towards the second position;
a drive gear fixedly mounted to the inner end portion of the shaft and constantly held in mesh with the driven gear portion; and
a second part of the stopper structure fixedly provided to the inner end portion of the shaft inside the case, the second part of stopper structure facing outside the case in the first direction and kept engaged with the first part of stopper structure formed in the inner end surface of the pipe, when the operation member is positioned at the second position, to thereby prevent rotation of the head portion of the operation member, whereas when the operation member is positioned at the first position against the urging member, the second part of stopper structure is disengaged from the first part of stopper structure to allow rotation of the head portion of the operation member.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the first part of stopper structure includes at least one tapered detent formed in the inner end surface of the pipe, and
the second part of stopper structure includes at least one tapered projection formed in an outer end surface of the drive gear facing towards outside the case in the first direction and configured to be engaged with and disengaged from the at least one tapered detent of the first part of stopper structure as the operation member reciprocates between the first position and the second position.

3. The timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one tapered detent of the first part of stopper structure has a pair of side oblique surfaces a distance between which reduces towards outside the case in the first direction.

4. The timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the at least one tapered projection of the second part of stopper structure has a pair of side oblique surfaces a distance between with reduces towards outside the case in the first direction.

5. The timepiece according to claim 4 , wherein a plurality of the tapered detents are provided in series in the inner end surface of the pipe in a circumferential direction of the pipe, and a plurality of the tapered projections are provided in series in the same number as the tapered detents in the outer end surface of the drive gear in the circumferential direction of the pipe.

6. The timepiece according to claim 5 , wherein the second part of stopper structure is formed integral with the drive gear.

7. The timepiece according to claim 6 , wherein the plurality of tapered projections protrude from the outer end surface of the drive gear.

8. The timepiece according to claim 1 , further comprising a disc-like dial accommodated in the case, and the rotatable body is a ring-like display body arranged for rotation along an outer peripheral edge of the disc-like dial.

Assignees

• Seiko Instr Inc

Inventors

• Hiranuma Haruki
• Ishida Masahiro

Classifications

• G04B19/283

  on rotatable rings, i.e. bezel (for graduations on the bezels G04B19/18) · CPC title

• G04B3/043 Primary

  Locking of the operating element, also by mounting in a concealed place · CPC title

• G04B3/041 Primary

  Construction of crowns for rotating movement; connection with the winding stem; winding stems · CPC title

• G04B13/028

  wheels in which the teeth are conic, contrate, etc; also column wheels construction (start-stop mechanisms with column wheels G04F7/0847) · CPC title

• G04B37/10

  of winding stems {(construction of winding crowns G04B3/041; in combination with hermetic sealing G04B37/081)} · CPC title