Timepiece
AssigneeSeiko Instruments Inc.
InventorsHaruki Hiranuma, Masahiro Ishida
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims8
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.