Switch device and timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9952560-B2
Application number	US-201615245639-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 24, 2016
Priority date	Oct 21, 2015
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A switch device including a case which is provided with a through hole and has a built-in module, a cylindrical member which is attached to the through hole of the case and whose inner end portion protrudes inside the case and is held in the module and outer end portion protrudes outside the case, and an operation member including a shaft section which is arranged inside the cylindrical member in a manner to be slidable in an axial direction of the cylindrical member so as to operate the module and a head section which is provided on an outer end portion of the shaft section and covers and slidably holds the outer end portion of the cylindrical member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A switch device comprising:
a case which is provided with a through hole and has a built-in module;
a cylindrical member which is attached to the through hole of the case, and which includes an inner end portion that protrudes inside the case and is held in the module and an outer end portion that protrudes outside the case; and
an operation member including (i) a shaft section which is arranged inside the cylindrical member in a manner to be slidable in an axial direction of the cylindrical member so as to operate the module, and (ii) a head section which is provided on an outer end portion of the shaft section and which covers and slidably holds the outer end portion of the cylindrical member,
wherein an inner circumferential surface of the head section of the operation member comprises a tapered surface,
wherein the cylindrical member includes a mounting groove which is annularly provided,
wherein an elastic retaining member is mounted in an outer circumference portion of the mounting groove, and
wherein a notched groove section is formed in the cylindrical member along an axial direction of the cylindrical member and through a position at an inner circumferential side of the elastic retaining member.

2. The switch device according to claim 1 , wherein the cylindrical member includes (i) a small diameter cylindrical section which is inserted into and held in the through hole of the case, and which has an inner end portion that protrudes inside the case and is held in the module, and (ii) a large diameter cylindrical section which is provided on an outer end portion of the small diameter cylindrical section and is held by the head section of the operation member.

3. The switch device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a circulation path which communicates between the outside of the case and a space located inside the head section and enclosed by the outer end portion of the cylindrical member and the head section of the operation member.

4. The switch device according to claim 2 , wherein the mounting groove is provided in an outer circumference of the large diameter cylindrical section of the cylindrical member, and
wherein the elastic retaining member is mounted in the mounting groove in a manner to protrude in a diameter direction of the large diameter cylindrical section, and has a protruding outer circumference portion that comes in elastic contact with the inner circumferential surface of the head section so as to hold the large diameter cylindrical section of the cylindrical member.

5. The switch device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a buffer member which is arranged between an inner end surface inside the head section of the operation member and an outer end surface of the cylindrical member.

6. The switch device according to claim 5 , further comprising:
an elastic contact adjustment section which is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the head section of the operation member, and which adjusts the elastic contact between the elastic retaining member and the inner circumferential surface of the head section such that an elastic force of the elastic retaining member when the operation member is located at a second position by being pulled out toward the outside of the case is smaller than an elastic force of the elastic retaining member when the operation member is located at a first position by being pressed toward the inside of the case.

7. The switch device according to claim 6 , wherein:
the elastic contact adjustment section is formed on the tapered surface of the inner circumferential surface of the head section of the operation member; and
an inner diameter of the head section of the operation member at the tapered surface gradually becomes larger from a position at which the elastic retaining member contacts the inner circumferential surface when the operation member is located at the first position toward another position located closer to the case.

8. The switch device according to claim 4 , further comprising:
an elastic contact adjustment section which is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the head section of the operation member, and which adjusts the elastic contact between the elastic retaining member and the inner circumferential surface of the head section such that an elastic force of the elastic retaining member when the operation member is located at a second position by being pulled out toward the outside of the case is smaller than an elastic force of the elastic retaining member when the operation member is located at a first position by being pressed toward the inside of the case.

9. The switch device according to claim 8 , wherein:
the elastic contact adjustment section is formed on the tapered surface of the inner circumferential surface of the head section of the operation member; and
an inner diameter of the head section of the operation member at the tapered surface gradually becomes larger from a position at which the elastic retaining member contacts the inner circumferential surface when the operation member is located at the first position toward another position located closer to the case.

10. The switch device according to claim 9 , wherein the elastic contact adjustment section is configured such that the tapered surface of the inner circumferential surface of the head section of the operation member is inclined within a range of a protrusion length of the elastic retaining member from an outer circumference of the outer end portion of the cylindrical member.

11. The switch device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a buffer member which is arranged between an inner end surface inside the head section of the operation member and an outer end surface of the cylindrical member.

12. The switch device according to claim 11 , wherein:
the elastic retaining member comes in elastic contact with the inner circumferential surface of the head section so as to hold the large diameter cylindrical section of the cylindrical member; and
the switch device further comprises an elastic contact adjustment section which is provided on the inner circumferential surface of the head section of the operation member, and which adjusts the elastic contact between the elastic retaining member and the inner circumferential surface of the head section such that an elastic force of the elastic retaining member when the operation member is located at a second position by being pulled out toward the outside of the case is smaller than an elastic force of the elastic retaining member when the operation member is located at a first position by being pressed toward the inside of the case.

13. The switch device according to claim 12 , wherein:
the elastic contact adjustment section is formed on the tapered surface of the inner circumferential surface of the head section of the operation member; and
an inner diameter of the head section of the operation member at the tapered surface gradually becomes larger from a position at which the elastic retaining member contacts the inner circumferential surface when the operation member is located at the first position toward another position located closer to the case.

14. The switch device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a buffer member which is arranged between an inner end surface inside the head section of the operation member and an outer end surface of the cylindrical member.

15. The switch device according to claim 14 , wherein:
the elastic retaining member comes in elastic contact with the inner circumferential surface of the head section so as

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd
• Casio Comuter Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suzuki Junichiro

Classifications

• G04B37/06 Primary

  Forming the passage for the winding stem through the case; Divided winding stems {(watertight protection means for the winding stem G04B37/10; fixing the knob to the case G04B37/1466; winding and setting the hands with the winding stem with clutch wheel G04B27/04, with rocking bar G04B27/06)} · CPC title

• G04B37/08

  Hermetic sealing of openings, joints, passages or slits {(covers or protecting devices which can be directly removed, or by sliding or turning G04B37/005; hermetic sealing of watch or crystal with special pieces G04B39/02; hermetically-sealed electrical switches H01H23/06)} · CPC title

• G04C3/007 Primary

  Electromechanical contact-making and breaking devices acting as pulse generators for setting · CPC title

• G04G17/06

  Electric connectors, e.g. conductive elastomers · CPC title

• G04B43/00

  Protecting clockworks by shields or other means against external influences, e.g. magnetic fields {(demagnetising apparatus G04D9/00)} · CPC title