Watch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9753434-B2
Application number	US-201414893540-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2014
Priority date	Jun 20, 2013
Publication date	Sep 5, 2017
Grant date	Sep 5, 2017

Abstract

Facilitate operations to release a bezel from a rotation prevented state and to rotate the bezel and avoid erroneously releasing the rotation prevented state. A timepiece includes a restrictor having engaging teeth and being movable between a restricted position and a release position by engaging/disengaging the engaging teeth with teeth of the bezel. The timepiece also has a holding mechanism holding the restrictor between a held state, i.e., restricted position and a non-held state. i.e., the release position. The holding mechanism includes two push-buttons and a release mechanism including a spring bar and engaging hole. The release mechanism switches the restrictor to the non-held state irrespective of a continuance of applying the pressing operation forces after the pressing operation forces are applied simultaneously to the two push-buttons.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A timepiece comprising:
a case member containing a movement of a timepiece;
a bezel rotatably provided in the case member, including an engaged portion;
a restrictor including an engaging portion which prevents the bezel from rotating when engaged with the engaged portion and allows the bezel to rotate when disengaged from the engaged portion, the restrictor being movable between a restricted position in which the engaging portion is engaged with the engaged portion and a release position in which the engaging portion is disengaged from the engaged portion; and
a holding mechanism which switchably holds the restrictor between a held state and a non-held state, the held state in which the restrictor is held in the restricted position, the non-held state in which the restrictor is moved to the release position,
wherein the holding mechanism includes two operation input units to which independent pressing operation forces are respectively applied, and a release mechanism which moves the restrictor by moving a moving amount independent from a moving amount of the operation input units to switch the restrictor from the held state to the non-held state irrespective of a continuance of applying the pressing operation forces once the pressing operation forces are concurrently applied to the two operation input units.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the restrictor is rotatable around a shaft, and
the restrictor is moved between the restricted position and the release position by being rotated around the shaft.

3. The timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the release mechanism includes an elastic operation member containing an elastic member and having a pair of end portions biased by the elastic member to be axially extended, and an engaging members having engaging holes into which the pair of end portions are respectively fitted when the restrictor is held in the restricted position, and
the two operation input units are respectively placed on extension lines of the end portions of the elastic operation member.

4. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein each of the engaging members includes a taper on an edge of each of the engaging holes.

5. The timepiece according to claim 4 ,
wherein the case includes a pair of legs,
terminal ends of the elastic operation member are in direct contact with the pair of legs, and
the engaging members are separately formed from the pair of legs and attached to the legs respectively.

6. The timepiece according to claim 3 , wherein the restrictor is returned to the held state when the pair of end portions of the elastic operation member are respectively fitted into the engaging holes by receiving an operation force to move the restrictor from the release position to the restricted position.

7. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism includes a restriction-release biasing member which biases the restrictor to the release position when the restrictor is held in the restricted position.

8. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the two operation input units are provided to receive the pressing operation force from a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the restrictor.

9. The timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the engaged portion includes a plurality of protrusions and depressions formed along a circumference of a bottom surface of the bezel, and
the restrictor includes at least one of convexes that engage with the depressions or concaves that engage with the protrusions.

10. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the restrictor includes a release-state indicator which is at least partially hidden from view when the restrictor is in the restricted position and is viewable when the restrictor is in the release position.

11. The timepiece according to claim 1 ,
wherein the restrictor is placed in a position of the case member corresponding to 9 o'clock of the timepiece,
the two operation input units are provided on a 9 o'clock side of the timepiece and are separately arranged below and above the 9 o'clock position on the timepiece, and
the two operation input units are placed more inside the case member than a 12 o'clock-side end and a 6 o'clock-side end of the timepiece in plan view.

12. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism moves the restrictor in a direction to apart from the operation input units.

Assignees

• Citizen Watch Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Michiyuki

Classifications

• G04B19/286 Primary

  with locking means to prevent undesired rotations in both directions · CPC title

• G04B19/22

  Arrangements for indicating different local apparent times; Universal time pieces {(indicating by means of numbers or signs disposed on moving devices G04B19/20; illumination of dials or hands G04B19/30; combination with a terrestial globe in general G04B47/02; electronic time-zone watches G04G9/0076)} · CPC title

• G04B19/18

  Graduations on the crystal or glass, on the bezel, or on the rim · CPC title

• G04B19/223

  with rotary disc, rotary bezel, or rotary dial · CPC title

• G04B19/225

  driving mechanism for the bezel · CPC title