U.S. patent application number 09/767507 was filed with the patent office on 2001-08-09 for battery lid structure for a timepiece case and a timepiece case.
Invention is credited to Terasawa, Dai, Yokote, Takasuke.
Application Number | 20010012577 09/767507 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 18554143 |
Filed Date | 2001-08-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010012577 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Terasawa, Dai ; et
al. |
August 9, 2001 |
Battery lid structure for a timepiece case and a timepiece case
Abstract
The problem is to provide a battery lid structure for a
timepiece case, which does not require complicate machining, such
as for slant surfaces and stoppers, in an inner surface of a back
lid or case bottom surface, and can reduce a thickness. The back
lid has, at an immediately underneath the battery accommodating
hole, a different-shaped battery hole having a pair of
larger-diameter arcs and a pair of smaller-diameter arcs in an
alternate fashion. A battery lid is fitted in the battery hole in a
manner described later. The battery lid has arcuate penthouses
provided in plurality corresponding to the larger-diameter arcs on
an inner side of the timepiece and having a smaller radius than a
radius of the larger-diameter arc to have walls at ends thereof,
different-shaped barrels continuing from a timepiece-outer side of
the arcuate penthouse and having a radius smaller than the radius
of the smaller-diameter arc, straight barrels continuing from a
timepiece-outer side of the different-shaped barrel and having a
radius greater than the radius of the arcuate penthouse, and a
larger-diameter flange continuing from a timepiece-outer side of
the straight barrels and having a radius greater than the radius of
the larger-diameter arc to provide a rectangular groove in its
outer surface. An elastic O-ring for waterproof seal is clamped
between a timepiece-interior-side surface of the larger-diameter
flange and a timepiece-exterior-side surface of the back lid or
case bottom surface. The arcuate penthouse has tapered portions
formed at circumferential tips on a wall-opposed side, and the
arcuate penthouse has an arcuate protrusion in part of a surface on
the timepiece-exterior side.
Inventors: |
Terasawa, Dai; (Chiba-shi,
JP) ; Yokote, Takasuke; (Chiba-shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Adams & Wilks
31st Floor
50 Broadway
New York
NY
10004
US
|
Family ID: |
18554143 |
Appl. No.: |
09/767507 |
Filed: |
January 23, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
429/97 ;
429/100 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01M 50/216 20210101;
Y02E 60/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
429/97 ;
429/100 |
International
Class: |
H01M 002/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 7, 2000 |
JP |
2000-28791 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A battery lid structure for a timepiece case comprising: a case
battery hole circumferentially having a plurality of alternate
larger-diameter arcs and smaller-diameter arcs in a bottom surface
of a back lid of a timepiece case having a back lid or an
integral-type timepiece case; arcuate penthouses provided in number
corresponding to the large-diameter arcs in the battery lid at a
timepiece-interior side and having a radius smaller than a radius
of the larger-diameter arcs to have a wall portion at an end
thereof; a different-shaped barrel portion continuing from a
timepiece-exterior side of the arcuate penthouse and having a
radius smaller than a radius of the small-diameter arc; a straight
barrel portion continuing from a timepiece-exterior side of the
different-shaped barrel portion and having a radius greater than a
radius of the small-diameter arc; a large-diameter flange portion
continuing from an timepiece-exterior side of the straight barrel
portion and having a radius greater than a radius of the
large-diameter arc to provide a rectangular groove in an outer
surface thereof; and a sealing elastic O-ring clamped between a
timepiece-interior-side surface of the large-diameter flange
portion and a timepiece-exterior-side surface of the back lid or
the case bottom surface; wherein a circumferential tip of the
arcuate penthouse at a wall-opposed side is formed as a tapered
portion; the arcuate penthouse in part of the
timepiece-exterior-side surface having an arcuate protrusion; and
the battery lid being fitted between the timepiece-exterior-side
surface of the arcuate penthouse of the battery lid and the
timepiece-interior-side surface of the straight barrel portion, in
a manner clamping the small-diameter arc portion of the battery
hole.
2. A battery lid structure for a timepiece case as claimed in claim
1, wherein a rib is provided which horizontally protrudes from an
entire periphery of an inner surface of the sealing elastic
O-ring.
3. A timepiece case comprising: a case battery hole
circumferentially having a plurality of alternate larger-diameter
arcs and smaller-diameter arcs in a bottom surface of a back lid of
a timepiece case having a back lid or an integral-type timepiece
case; arcuate penthouses provided in number corresponding to the
large-diameter arcs in the battery lid at a timepiece-interior side
and having a radius smaller than a radius of the larger-diameter
arcs to have a wall portion at an end thereof; a different-shaped
barrel portion continuing from a timepiece-exterior side of the
arcuate penthouse and having a radius smaller than a radius of the
small-diameter arc; a straight barrel portion continuing from a
timepiece-exterior side of the different-shaped barrel portion and
having a radius greater than a radius of the small-diameter arc; a
large-diameter flange portion continuing from an timepiece-exterior
side of the straight barrel portion and having a radius greater
than a radius of the large-diameter arc to provide a rectangular
groove in an outer surface thereof; and a sealing elastic O-ring
clamped between a timepiece-interior-side surface of the
large-diameter flange portion and a timepiece-exterior-side surface
of the back lid or the case bottom surface; wherein a
circumferential tip of the arcuate penthouse at a wall-opposed side
is formed as a tapered portion; the arcuate penthouse in part of
the timepiece-exterior-side surface having an arcuate protrusion;
and the battery lid being fitted between the
timepiece-exterior-side surface of the arcuate penthouse of the
battery lid and the timepiece-interior-side surface of the straight
barrel portion, in a manner clamping the small-diameter arc portion
of the battery hole.
4. A timepiece case as claimed in claim 3, wherein a rib is
provided which horizontally protrudes from an entire periphery of
an inner surface of the sealing elastic O-ring.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a timepiece and a battery
lid structure for a timepiece case.
[0003] 2. Related Art
[0004] Conventionally, there have been those using bayonet
mechanisms as a method for fitting a timepiece-case battery lid to
a timepiece-case back lid having a back lid or a bottom-surface
battery hole of an integral-type timepiece case.
[0005] The forgoing method for fitting a battery lid using a
bayonet mechanism involves the following problems.
[0006] (1) Manufacture cost is high because of the necessity of
complicate machining, such as for slant surfaces or stoppers, on an
inner bottom surface of a back lid or case on a side to which the
battery lid is to be fitted.
[0007] (2) In order to fit with and positively hold a battery lid,
the bottom surface of the back lid or case requires a thickness
greater than a predetermined thickness resulting in increase of
timepiece overall thickness.
[0008] It is an object of the present invention to provide a
battery lid structure for a timepiece case which solves the
problems possessed by the related art and can reduce the thickness
of the bottom surface of the back lid or case without the necessity
of complicate machining, such as for slant surfaces or stops, in a
bottom inner surface of the back lid or case with a result that the
timepiece overall can be reduced in thickness.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A first form of the present invention solved the above
problem is a battery lid structure comprising: a case battery hole
circumferentially having a plurality of alternate larger-diameter
arcs and smaller-diameter arcs in a bottom surface of a back lid of
a timepiece case having a back lid or an integral-type timepiece
case; arcuate penthouses provided in number corresponding to the
large-diameter arcs in the battery lid at a timepiece-interior side
and having a radius smaller than a radius of the larger-diameter
arcs to have a wall portion at an end thereof; a different-shaped
barrel portion continuing from a timepiece-exterior side of the
arcuate penthouse and having a radius smaller than a radius of the
small-diameter arc; a straight barrel portion continuing from a
timepiece-exterior side of the different-shaped barrel portion and
having a radius greater than a radius of the arcuate penthouse; a
large-diameter flange portion continuing from an timepiece-exterior
side of the straight barrel portion and having a radius greater
than a radius of the large-diameter arc to provide a rectangular
groove in an outer surface thereof; and a sealing elastic O-ring
clamped between a surface of the large-diameter flange portion at
the timepiece-interior side and a surface of the back lid or the
case bottom surface at the timepiece-exterior side; wherein a
circumferential tip of the arcuate penthouse at a wall-opposed side
is formed as a tapered portion; the arcuate penthouse in part of a
surface at the timepiece-exterior side having an arcuate
protrusion; and the battery lid being fitted between the surface of
the arcuate penthouse of the battery lid at the timepiece-exterior
side and the surface of the straight barrel portion at a
timepiece-interior side, in a manner clamping the small-diameter
arc portion of the battery hole.
[0010] A second form of the invention solved the above problem is a
battery lid structure for a timepiece case that, in the first form,
a rib is provided which horizontally protrudes from an entire
periphery of an inner surface of the sealing elastic O-ring.
[0011] The structure as in the first form provides the following
effect.
[0012] That is, the battery lid is assembled matched to the form of
the different-shaped battery hole provided in the timepiece-case
back lid or case bottom surface, and a coin or the like is inserted
in the rectangular groove in the outer surface of the battery lid
and the battery lid is rotated. Thereupon, the small-diameter arc
portion around the battery hole in the back lid or case bottom
surface enters from the tapered portion at the circumferential tip
of the arcuate penthouse at a wall-opposed side to between a
timepiece-exterior side surface of the arcuate penthouse and the
timepiece inner side surface of the straight barrel portion. The
abutment of the tip of the smaller-diameter arc portion against an
end wall of the smaller-diameter arcuate penthouse regulates the
battery lid from rotating furthermore. Also, the battery lid is
prevented from vertically chattering by an elastic force of the
O-ring clamped between a timepiece-exterior-side surface of the
back lid or case bottom surface and the timepiece-interior-side
surface of the larger diameter flange portion of the battery lid.
Furthermore, interference occurs between an arcuate protrusion
provided in part of the timepiece-exterior-side surface of the
arcuate penthouse and the smaller-diameter arcuate portion around
the battery hole in the back lid or case bottom surface. Heavy
tightening is made upon rotating the battery lid thus preventing
against disengagement due to natural reverse rotation.
[0013] When removing the battery lid, a coin or the like is
inserted in the rectangular groove in the outer surface of the
battery lid to rotate the battery lid in a direction reverse to the
forgoing case. As a result, the arcuate penthouse of the back lid
comes to a position corresponding to the larger-diameter arc
portion of the battery hole in the back lid or case bottom surface.
The smaller-diameter arc portion is released from clamping by the
timepiece-exterior-side surface of the arcuate penthouse of the
battery lid and the timepiece-interior-side surface of the straight
barrel portion, enabling the battery lid to be removed.
[0014] The structure as in the second form provides the following
operation, besides the operation of the first embodiment.
[0015] That is, the rib protruding horizontally from the entire
periphery of the inner surface of the sealing elastic O-ring is
clamped between the arcuate penthouse and the straight barrel
portion of the battery lid. Accordingly, when the battery lid is
removed from the battery hole of the timepiece case, the sealing
elastic O-ring will not be disengaged from the battery lid. As a
result, there is no possibility that the sealing elastic O-ring be
fallen out and lost.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an overall structure that
a battery lid structure for a timepiece case of the invention is
applied to a timepiece case with a back lid;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a shape of a battery hole of a
back lid in one embodiment of the invention;
[0018] FIGS. 3 show positional relationships between the battery
hole and the battery lid in a state the battery lid is ready for
removal, wherein
[0019] FIG. 3A is a plan view as viewed from a timepiece-interior
side,
[0020] FIG. 3B is a sectional view on line A-A in FIG. 3A,
[0021] FIG. 3C is a sectional view on line B-B in FIG. 3A, and
[0022] FIG. 3D is a backside view as viewed from a
timepiece-exterior side;
[0023] FIGS. 4 show positional relationships between the battery
hole and the battery lid in a state the battery lid is closed and
not to be removed, wherein
[0024] FIG. 4A is a plan view as viewed from a timepiece-interior
side,
[0025] FIG. 4B is a sectional view on line C-C in FIG. 4A,
[0026] FIG. 4C is a sectional view on line D-D in FIG. 4A, and
[0027] FIG. 4D is a backside view as viewed from a
timepiece-exterior side;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a magnifying view of FIG. 4C;
[0029] FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an overall structure in a
second embodiment that a battery lid structure for a timepiece case
of the invention is applied to a timepiece case with a back
lid;
[0030] FIGS. 7 show positional relationships between the battery
hole and the battery lid in a state the battery lid is ready for
removal, wherein
[0031] FIG. 7A is a plan view as viewed from a timepiece-interior
side,
[0032] FIG. 7B is a sectional view on line E-E in FIG. 7A,
[0033] FIG. 7C is a sectional view on line F-F in FIG. 7A, and
[0034] FIG. 7D is a backside view as viewed from a
timepiece-exterior side;
[0035] FIGS. 8 show positional relationships between the battery
hole and the battery lid in a state the battery lid is closed and
not to be removed, wherein
[0036] FIG. 8A is a plan view as viewed from a timepiece-interior
side,
[0037] FIG. 8B is a sectional view on line G-G in FIG. 8A,
[0038] FIG. 8C is a sectional view on line H-H in FIG. 8A, and
[0039] FIG. 8D is a backside view as viewed from a
timepiece-exterior side; and
[0040] FIG. 9 is a magnifying view of FIG. 8C.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
First Embodiment
[0041] A first embodiment of the present invention will be
explained below with reference to the drawings.
[0042] FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an overall structure that
a battery lid structure for a timepiece case of the invention is
applied to a timepiece case having a back lid. FIG. 2 is a plan
view showing a shape of a battery hole in the back lid. FIGS. 3
show positional relationships between the battery hole and the
battery lid in a state the battery lid is to be removed, wherein
FIG. 3A is a plan view as viewed from a timepiece-interior side,
FIG. 3B is a sectional view on line A-A in FIG. 3A, FIG. 3C is a
sectional view on line B-B in FIG. 3A and FIG. 3D is a backside
view as viewed from a timepiece-exterior side. Meanwhile, FIGS. 4
show relationships in position between the battery hole and the
battery lid in a state the battery lid is closed and not to be
removed, wherein FIG. 4A is a plan view as viewed from a
timepiece-interior side, FIG. 4B is a sectional view on line C-C in
FIG. 4A, FIG. 4C is a sectional view on line D-D in FIG. 4A and
FIG. 4D is a backside view as viewed from a timepiece-exterior
side. FIG. 5 is a magnifying view of FIG. 4C.
[0043] A timepiece case 1 of the present embodiment is structured,
as shown in FIG. 1, by a barrel 2 encompassing around in a
periphery, a back lid 3 fixed at a lower end of the barrel 2, and a
glass 4 attached on an upper end of the barrel 2. A battery 7 is
accommodated in a battery accommodating portion 7h surrounded by a
main plate 5 and a second main plate 6 thereon in the timepiece
case 1. A dial 8 is accommodated on the second main plate, and
hands 9a to 9c are rotatably arranged in a space between the dial 8
and an inner surface of the glass 4.
[0044] The back lid 3 has, at the immediately underneath the
battery accommodating hole 7h, a different-shaped battery hole 10
having a pair of larger-diameter arcs 11b and a pair of
smaller-diameter arcs 11s in an alternate fashion, as shown in FIG.
2. A battery lid 12 is fitted in the battery hole 10 in a manner
described later.
[0045] The battery lid 12 has arcuate penthouses 13 provided in
plurality (one pair in this embodiment) corresponding to the
larger-diameter arcs 11b on an inner side of the timepiece and
having a smaller radius than a radius of the larger-diameter arc
11b to have walls 13w at ends thereof, different-shaped barrels 14
continuing from a timepiece-outer side of the arcuate penthouse 13
and having a radius smaller than the radius of the smaller-diameter
arc 11s, straight barrels 15 continuing from a timepiece-outer side
of the different-shaped barrel 14 and having a radius greater than
the radius of the arcuate penthouse 13, and a larger-diameter
flange 16 continuing from a timepiece-outer side of the straight
barrels 15 and having a radius greater than the radius of the
larger-diameter arc 11b to provide a rectangular groove 17 in its
outer surface.
[0046] Incidentally, the battery lid 12 of this embodiment is made
of hard plastic, such as polycarbonate.
[0047] An elastic O-ring 18 for seal is clamped between a
timepiece-interior-side surface of the larger-diameter flange 16
and a timepiece-exterior-side surface of the back lid or case
bottom surface. The arcuate penthouse 13 has tapered portions 13t
formed at circumferential tips on a wall-opposed side, and the
arcuate penthouse 13 has an arcuate protrusion 19 in part of a
surface on the timepiece-exterior side.
[0048] Described hereunder is the procedure of attaching and
detaching the battery lid 12 to and from the battery hole 10 in the
present embodiment of the invention and the operation of the
present embodiment.
[0049] A. Attaching the Battery Lid 12
[0050] (1) As shown in FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D, the elastic O-ring 18
for seal is rested on the larger-diameter flange 16 of the battery
lid 12 and positioned such that the arcuate penthouse 13 of the
battery lid 12 positions to the larger-diameter arc 11b of the
battery hole 10. The battery lid 12 is pushed in the battery hole
10 to a position where the tip of the tapered portion 13t of the
arcuate penthouse 13 of the battery lid 12 positions closer to the
timepiece interior than a surface level of the battery hole 10 on
the timepiece-interior side.
[0051] (2) A coin at its edge is inserted in the rectangular groove
17 in the outer surface of the battery lid 12, to rotate the
battery lid 12 in a direction of an arrow A in FIG. 3A, or
direction of an arrow B in FIG. 3D. As a result, as shown in FIG.
4C to FIG. 5, the smaller-diameter arc 11s of the battery hole 10
is inserted between the tapered portion 13t of the arcuate
penthouse 13 of the battery lid 12 and the timepiece-interior-side
surface of the straight barrel 15 of the battery lid 12. The
smaller-diameter arc 11s at an end face contacts a wall 13w in an
end of the arcuate penthouse, to stop the rotation of the battery
lid 12. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C and FIG. 5, the
battery lid 12 is urged toward the below in FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C and
FIG. 5 (a timepiece-exterior side) by an elastic force of the
sealing elastic O-ring clamped between the larger-diameter flange
16 of the battery lid 12 at the timepiece-interior side and an
outer surface in a periphery of the battery hole 10 of the back lid
3. As a result, the timepiece-exterior-side surface of the arcuate
penthouse 13 of the battery lid 12 is strongly contacted with the
smaller-diameter arc 11s, so that the battery lid 13 is stably held
in the battery hole 10.
[0052] Furthermore, an arcuate protrusion 19 provided in part of
the arcuate penthouse 13 at the timepiece-exterior side interferes
with the smaller-diameter arc 11s in the periphery of the battery
hole 10 of the back lid 3. This provides heavy tightening when
rotating the battery lid 12, preventing against disengagement due
to natural reverse rotation.
[0053] B. Removal of the Battery Lid 12
[0054] In a state the battery lid is closed shown in FIG. 4A to
FIG. 4D, a coin at its edge is inserted in the rectangular groove
17 in the outer surface of the battery lid 12 to rotate the battery
lid 12 in a direction of an arrow C in FIG. 4A or an arrow D in
FIG. 4D. As a result, the battery lid 12 and the battery hole 10
become a positional state shown in FIG. 3A to FIG. 3D, so that the
battery lid 12 can be removed by its own weight.
Second Embodiment
[0055] A second embodiment of the invention will be explained below
with reference to the drawings.
[0056] FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing an overall structure of a
second embodiment that a battery lid structure for a timepiece case
of the invention is applied to a timepiece case having a back lid.
FIGS. 7 show positional relationships between the battery hole and
the battery lid in a state the battery lid is to be removed,
wherein FIG. 7A is a plan view as viewed from a
timepiece-interior-side, FIG. 7B is a sectional view on line E-E in
FIG. 7A, FIG. 7C is a sectional view on line F-F in FIG. 7A, and
FIG. 7D is a backside view as viewed from a timepiece-exterior
side. Meanwhile, FIGS. 8 show relationships in position between the
battery hole and the battery lid in a state the battery lid is
closed and not allowed for removal, wherein FIG. 8A is a plan view
as viewed from a timepiece-interior side, FIG. 8B is a sectional
view on line G-G in FIG. 8A, FIG. 8C is a sectional view on line
H-H in FIG. 8A, and FIG. 8D is a backside view as viewed from a
timepiece-exterior side. FIG. 9 is a magnifying view of FIG.
8C.
[0057] The structure of the present embodiment is the same as the
first embodiment except for the following points.
[0058] That is, a rib 18r is provided which protrudes horizontally
from an entire periphery of an inner surface of the sealing elastic
O-ring 18.
[0059] By this structure, the rib 18r protruding horizontally from
the entire periphery of the inner surface of the sealing elastic
O-ring 18 is clamped between the arcuate penthouse 13 and the
straight barrel 15 of the battery lid 12. Accordingly, when the
battery lid 12 is removed from the battery hole 10 of the timepiece
case, the sealing elastic O-ring 18 will not be disengaged from the
battery lid 12. As a result, there is no possibility that the
sealing elastic O-ring 18 is fallen out and lost.
[0060] The procedure of attaching and detaching the battery lid 12
to and from the battery hole 10 in the second embodiment of the
invention is the same as the procedure of attachment and detachment
in the first embodiment of the invention, omitting duplicated
explanations.
[0061] In the above, the structural embodiments of the battery lid
of the timepiece case of the invention were explained. However, the
present invention is not limited to these.
[0062] For example, in the foregoing embodiments, the battery lid
12 used hard-plastic-make one. However, the larger-diameter flange
16 of the hard-plastic battery lid 12 in its outer and side surface
may be covered with a metal thin sheet or the entire battery lid 12
may be made of metal. With such structure, the rigidity of the
battery lid 12 is improved and the rectangular groove in the outer
surface is less damaged thus improving outer appearance.
[0063] Meanwhile, although the foregoing embodiment was described
for the case the invention was applied to the timepiece case having
a back lid, the invention is applicable similarly to an
integral-type timepiece case.
[0064] The present invention provides the following excellent
effects.
[0065] (1) because complicate machining, such as for slant surfaces
and stops, is not required in an inner surface of a back lid or
case bottom surface, the back lid or case bottom surface can be
reduced in thickness with a result that the timepiece overall can
be made thin.
[0066] (2) in addition to the effect of (1), when the battery lid
is removed from the timepiece-case battery hole, there is no
possibility that the sealing elastic O-ring be disengaged from the
battery lid, preventing the sealing elastic O-ring from falling and
being lost.
* * * * *