The present application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-197436 filed on Dec. 6, 2021 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-197439 filed on Dec. 6, 2021, whose descriptions, claims, abstracts, and drawings are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The present disclosure relates to a connecting structure and a wearable device.
Conventionally, there has been known various kinds of connecting structures used for connecting a device body and a band of a wearable device such as a wristwatch to each other, or for connecting a plurality of pieces constituting the band to each other. In a typical connecting structure, two members of a connecting object are connected by a connecting pin inserted into through holes in the respective two members. A connecting structure of this kind disclosed in JP 2007-82597 A includes: an engaging recess that is located in the center of a connecting pin in its longitudinal direction and circles its circumference; and a pin catch that is provided in a storage space of one of the two members and moves in a direction perpendicular to the connecting pin. The engaging recess engages the tip of the pin catch, so that the connecting pin is caught so as not to come off the through holes.
In order to solve the above problems, according to an example of the present disclosure, there is provided a connecting structure including:
a connecting pin that has a first portion, a second portion thicker than the first portion, and a step between the first portion and the second portion and connects the connecting object and the connected object to each other by being inserted into a first insertion hole of a connecting object and a second insertion hole of a connected object;
a pin catch that moves in a recess in one of the connecting object and the connected object in moving directions that are not parallel to an extending direction of an insertion hole of the one of the connecting object and the connected object and has a pin engagement portion that engages the step of the connecting pin, the insertion hole being one of the first insertion hole and the second insertion hole;
a biasing member that biases the pin catch in a direction among the moving directions; and
a holder that is provided on the one of the connecting object and the connected object and transitions, in response to user operation, to one of a first state in which the holder holds the pin catch in cooperation with the biasing member and a second state in which the pin catch is detachable from the recess.
In order to solve the above problems, according to an example related to the present disclosure, there is provided a wearable device including:
a device body as the connecting object;
a band as the connected object that attaches the device body to an object; and
the connecting structure according to an example of the present invention.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The timepiece 1 (wearable device) is a wristwatch having a device body 2 and a band 3 used when worn on a wrist. The device body 2 has an outer member (case) and various components (for example, a dial, hands, mechanisms and circuits for operating the hands, and the like) incorporated in this outer member. In the following, the side of the device body 2 on which the hands are located is referred to as a front surface, and the side opposite to the front surface is referred to as a back surface. The device body 2 has band attachments 2a to which the band 3 is attached at respective portions corresponding to the 12 o'clock position and 6 o'clock position of the dial on an outer circumference of the outer member. On the other hand, the band 3 has attachment ends 3a that are attached to the respective two band attachments 2a. Each of the attachment ends 3a may be, for example, one of a plurality of pieces constituting the band 3. The timepiece 1 has band connecting structures 100 (connecting structures) that each connect one of the band attachments 2a and one of the attachment ends 3a of the band 3 to each other. In other words, the band connecting structure 100 connects the device body 2 and the band 3 to each other. There are two band connecting structures 100 corresponding to the two band attachments 2a. Each of the band connecting structures 100 connects the device body 2 (band attachment 2a) and the band 3 (attachment end 3a) and can be attached and detached in response to user operation. Therefore, the user can replace the band 3 according to his/her preference or situation. In the present embodiment, the device body 2 corresponds to a connecting object by the band connecting structures 100, and the band 3 corresponds to a connected object by the band connecting structure 100.
In the connecting structure disclosed in JP 2007-82597 A, the pin catch is prevented from falling by being stored in the storage space of one of the two members such that it cannot be removed from the storage space. Therefore, once pin catch is stored in the storage space, it is not possible to repair or replace the stored pin catch and other parts. Thus, there are problems related to maintenance, which requires a lot of time and money. The connecting structure of the band for solving this problem is described below.
The band attachment 2a of the device body 2 is on the outer circumference of the device body 2 and protrudes to form a connection protrusion. On the other hand, the attachment end 3a of the band 3 has a connection recess 3b shaped such that the band attachment 2a fits into the connection recess 3b. A pair of tips 3c of the attachment end 3a that are separated because of the connection recess 3b have respective band-side insertion holes 22 ((second) insertion hole) extending in the width direction of the band 3. The band attachment 2a has a body-side insertion hole 21 ((first) insertion hole) extending in the width direction of the band 3. When the band attachment 2a fits into the connection recess 3b of the attachment end 3a, the body-side insertion hole 21 and the two band-side insertion holes 22 are on a single line and communicate with each other, to form a single communicating insertion hole 20 through the band attachment 2a and the attachment end 3a. The band connecting structure 100 includes a connecting pin 10 that is inserted into this communicating insertion hole 20 and connect the band attachment2a and the attachment end 3a. When the connecting pin 10 is detached from the communicating insertion hole 20, the connection between the band attachment 2a and the attachment end 3a can be released.
With reference to
The band connecting structure 100 includes the connecting pin 10, a pin catch 30, a lid 50 (holder), and a spring 60 (biasing member). Among these, the spring 60 is omitted in
The spring 60 is, for example, a compression coil spring, located between the bottom of the recess 40 and the pin catch 30, and biases the pin catch 30 toward the lid 50 (toward the opening of the recess 40). When no force is externally applied to the pin catch 30, the pin catch 30 biased by the spring 60 keeps abutting on the lid 50. Thus, the lid 50 holds the pin catch 30 in cooperation with the spring 60. The lid 50 has an opening 53 through which the inside and the outside of the recess 40 are communicated (that is, the opening 53 penetrates the lid 50). Through the opening 53, the pin catch 30 can be pushed (moved) in the −Z direction against the elastic force of the spring 60. That is, the pin catch 30 can move in moving directions (Z direction, −Z direction) that are not parallel to the extending direction in which the insertion hole 20 extends (the direction of the insertion axis A1; X direction). The pin catch 30 has a pin insertion path 30a (cutout) at a portion where the insertion axis A1 passes having a size that allows the connecting pin 10 inserted into the body-side insertion hole 21 (communicating insertion hole 20) to pass through. The connecting pin 10 has an almost round bar shape and has a first portion 11 and second portions 12 that are located on both sides of the first portion 11 and have a larger diameter than the first portion 11 (thicker than the first portion).
As shown in
On the other hand, as shown in
Hereinafter, detailed configurations of the recess of the band attachment 2a and each part of the band connecting structure 100 are described.
As shown in
In
The opening edge 41 of the recess 40 has a circular shape in a view from the central axis A2 direction, which fits into the outer circumference of the lid 50. As shown in
As shown in
The lid 50 is an approximately cylindrical member having a base 51 and a protrusion 52. The base 51 has the opening 53. The protrusion 52 protrude from the base 51 outwardly in the moving direction (+Z direction) of the pin catch 30. The opening 53 penetrates the base 51 in the Z direction so that the inside and outside of the recess 40 are communicated. The opening 53 is at the center of the lid 50 in a view from the Z direction. The sidewall surface of the opening 53 shown in
The side surface of the base 51 has a thread ridge 55 that fits into the thread groove on the sidewall of the opening edge 41 of the recess 40. This thread ridge 55 allows the base 51 of the lid 50 to be screwed into the opening edge 41 of the recess 40. The lid 50 is thus detachably attached to the opening edge 41 of the recess 40. The state in which the lid 50 is attached to the opening edge 41 is a “first state” in which the lid 50 holds the pin catch 30 in cooperation with the spring 60.
On a top surface 50a (end surface in the +Z direction) that is opposite to a surface facing the spring 60 (on the side of the recess 40), the protrusion 52 has a groove 54 that fits a tool (such as a screwdriver) used to rotate the lid 50 when attaching the lid 50 to the opening edge 41 of the recess 40 and when detaching the lid 50 from the opening edge 41. In the present embodiment, the groove 54 is formed in the X and Y directions to be a cross-shaped groove 54 that fits a Phillips screwdriver or the like, but is not limited to this. The groove 54 may have a straight line shape that fits a flat-blade screwdriver or the like, or may be a groove shaped to fit any other suitable tool (for example, a hexagonal wrench). Upon manufacture of the timepiece 1, the lid 50 is attached to the opening edge 41 while the pin catch 30 and the spring 60 are stored in the recess 40. When there is a problem (failure, deterioration, and the like) with the pin catch 30 and/or the spring 60, the pin catch 30 and/or the spring 60 can be taken out with the lid 50 removed, which allows for easy maintenance such as repair or replacement. The state in which the lid 50 is detached from the opening edge 41 is a “second state” in which the pin catch 30 can be detached from the recess 40. The lid 50 is in the first state when attached to the device body 2 and is in the second state when detached from the device body 2. That is, the lid 50 can be selectively operated to be in the first state and in the second state.
As shown in
The pin catch 30 includes a main body 31, a pusher 32 located on the +Z direction of the main body 31, and an abutment 33 located on the −Z direction of the main body 31. The central axis A2 of the pin catch 30 is illustrated in
The main body 31 has a shape of an oval pillar which is oval in a view from the central axis A2 direction, having the pin insertion path 30a (cutout). As shown in
As shown in
The pusher 32 has a cylindrical shape and has a diameter smaller than the minor axis of the oval of the main body 31. The diameter of the pusher 32 is sized so as to pass through the opening 53 of the lid 50. When the pin catch 30 moves in the recess 40 in the Z direction, the pusher 32 moves in the opening 53 of the lid 50 in the Z direction.
As shown in
As shown in
The end surface 32a of the pusher 32 has a hole that is deeper toward the center. This hole makes it easier to push the center of the end surface 32a of the pusher 32 through the opening 53 with a thin rod member or the like.
The abutment 33 has a cylindrical shape, and the diameter of the abutment 33 is smaller than the short axis of the oval of the main body 31. The diameter of the abutment 33 is smaller than the inner diameter of the spring 60, which is a compression coil spring, and the abutment 33 is located inside the spring 60. When the pin catch 30 is in the second position, the abutment 33 abuts on the bottom 40a of the recess 40. In other words, in response to user operation of pushing and moving the pin catch 30 (pusher 32) in the −Z direction until the abutment 33 abuts on the bottom 40a of the recess 40, the pin catch 30 can be in the second position and in a connection pin releasing state.
The pin catch 30 in such a shape limits the rotation of the main body 31 around the central axis A2, because the shape of the main body 31 in a view from the central axis A2 direction is only slightly smaller than the sidewall surface of the major portion 42 of the recess 40, and is not a perfect circle but an oval. That is, the recess 40 and the pin catch 30 have a shape that limits the rotation of the pin catch 30 around the central axis A2 in the recess 40. In detail, the recess 40 and the pin catch 30 are shaped so as to limit the rotation of the pin catch 30 in the recess 40 around a virtual axis extending in the moving directions of the pin catch 30 (Z direction) and passing through the pin catch 30 to a range that allows the edge(s) 30b (pin engagement portion) of the pin insertion path 30a to engage the step(s) 13 of the connecting pin 10. The virtual axis corresponds to the central axis A2 of the pin catch 30 in the following example, but may not correspond to the central axis A2.
As shown in
Here, the pin catch 30 is shaped so as to pass the first portions 11 and the second portions 12 of the connecting pin 10 through the pin insertion path 30a when in the second position, as long as the direction of the major axis of the pin catch 30 is within the rotatable range R. That is, in any state between the state in which the direction of the major axis of the pin catch 30 is B1 as shown in
At a part of one or both ends of the rotatable range R, the connecting pin 10 may be configured not to pass through the pin insertion path 30a. As the connecting pin 10 can pass through the pin insertion path 30a in most of the rotatable range R even in such a configuration, the direction of the pin catch 30 can be adjusted with ease to some extent. In this case, the end surface 32a of the pin catch 30 may have a groove that fits a tool for rotating the pin catch 30.
As shown in
By inserting the connecting pin 10 into the communicating insertion hole 20 while the pin catch 30 and the spring 60 are stored in the recess 40 covered with the lid 50, the connecting pin catching state shown in
Instead of the above, the connecting pin 10 may be inserted through the pin insertion path 30a in a state where the pin catch 30 (pusher 32) is pushed from outside of the recess 40 through the opening 53 of the lid 50 in the −Z direction in response to user operation and moves to the second position or a position between the first position and the second position.
When the connecting pin 10 is pushed in the -X direction until the first portion 11 of the connecting pin 10 comes to the position of the pin insertion path 30a as shown in
When the pin catch 30 (pusher 32) in the connecting pin catching state is pushed in response to user operation in the −Z direction from outside the recess 40 through the opening 53 in the lid 50 to move until the abutment 33 abuts on the bottom 40a of the recess 40, the pin catch 30 is in the second position shown in
Next, Variation Example 1 of the above embodiment is described. Variation Example 1 differs from the above embodiment in the shapes of the recess 40 and the pin catch 30. In the following, the differences from the above embodiment are described, and the common points to the above embodiment are omitted.
The major portion 42 (the portion abutting on the pin catch 30) of the recess 40 according to Variation Example 1 has a rotationally asymmetric shape in a view from the central axis A2 direction. Here, having the rotationally asymmetric shape means that the major portion 42 has the same shape as the original when rotated around the central axis A2 by an angle of 360°/n only when n is 1. In detail, the outline of the major portion 42 in a view from the central axis A2 direction consists of a part of a circumference of a circle and a string of the circle. That is, the sidewall surface of major portion 42 has a curved portion which is a part of a side surface of a cylinder and a plane 42f that is parallel to and does not intersect the central axis A2. The plane 42f and the curved portion of the sidewall surface of the major portion 42 may be smoothly connected so as not to form a sharp ridge.
The main body 31 (the portion abutting on the recess 40) of the pin catch 30 according to Variation Example 1 has a rotationally asymmetric shape in a view from the central axis A2 direction. In detail, the outline of the main body 31 in a view from the central axis A2 direction consists of a part of a circumference of a circle and a string of the circle. That is, the main body 31 has a curved portion which is a part of a cylinder cut at a plane 31f that is parallel to and does not intersect the central axis A2. The plane 31f and the curved portion of the side surface of the main body 31 may be smoothly connected so as not to form a sharp ridge. In order for the pin catch 30 to move smoothly in the recess 40 in the Z direction, the shape of the main body 31 in a view from the central axis A2 direction is one size smaller than the sidewall surface of the major portion 42 such that a certain gap can be secured between the main body 31 and the sidewall surface of the major portion 42 of the recess 40.
Thus, by making the recess 40 and pin catch 30 each rotationally asymmetric, the pin catch 30 can enter the recess 40 only when it is in a certain orientation. (However, deviation in the rotatable range due to the gap mentioned above is allowed) In other words, the orientation of the pin catch 30 within the recess 40 can be limited to a certain orientation. The plane 42f of the recess 40 faces the plane 31f of the pin catch 30 in the above certain orientation. When the pin catch 30 in this certain orientation is located in the recess 40, the pin insertion path 30a is located in a position and a range so as to be connected to the body-side insertion hole 21 (communicating insertion hole 20). As a result, by adjusting the pin catch 30 to be in the certain orientation to enter the recess 40 and by storing the pin catch 30 in the recess 40, it is possible to easily align the pin insertion path 30a and the body-side insertion hole 21. For example, when the pin catch 30 in
The shape of the recess 40 and the pin catch 30 may be any rotationally asymmetric shape in a view from the central axis A2 direction, and are not limited to those shown in
Next, Variation Example 2 of the above embodiment is described. Variation Example 2 differs from the above embodiment in that the recess 40 is formed at the attachment end 3a and the like. Variation Example 2 may be combined with Variation Example 1.
In Variation Example 2, the attachment end 3a of the band 3 forms the connection protrusion, and the band attachment 2a of the device body 2 has a connection recess shaped to fit the attachment end 3a of the band 3. The attachment end 3a has the band-side insertion hole 22, and a pair of tips of the band attachment 2a have respective body-side insertion holes 21. The body-side insertion holes 21 and the band-side insertion hole 22 communicate with each other to form a communicating insertion hole 20 through which the connecting pin 10 is inserted. In Variation Example 2, the attachment end 3a has the recess 40. This recess 40 stores the pin catch 30 and the spring 60, and the lid 50 is attached to the opening edge 41 of the recess 40. The structure of the band connecting structure 100 according to Variation Example 2 is the same as that of the above embodiment, except for the position of the recess 40.
Next, Variation Example 3 of the above embodiment is described. Variation Example 3 differs from the above embodiment in the structure of the lid 50. Variation Example 3 may be combined with at least one of Variation Example 1 and Variation Example 2.
As shown in
The lid 50 is not limited to one that pivots on the hinge 56, but may be, for example, a sliding shutter that can slide in a direction parallel to the XY plane in
As described above, the band connecting structure 100 as the connecting structure of the present embodiment includes: the connecting pin 10 that has the first portion 11 and the second portion(s) 12 thicker than the first portion with the step(s) 13 between the first portion 11 and the second portion(s) 12 and that is inserted into the body-side insertion hole 21 of the device body 2 as the connecting object and the band-side insertion hole 22 of the band 3 as the connected object to connect the device body 2 and the band 3 to each other; the pin catch 30 that moves in the recess 40 in the device body 2 in the moving directions (Z direction, −Z direction) that are not parallel to the extending direction in which the body-side insertion hole 21 of the device body 2 extends and that has the edge(s) 30b (pin engagement portion) of the pin insertion path 30a that engages the step(s) 13 of the connecting pin 10; the spring 60 as the biasing member that biases the pin catch 30 in one direction among the above moving directions; and the lid 50 as a holder that is provided on the device body 2 and transitions, in response to user operation, to one of the first state in which the lid holds the pin catch 30 in cooperation with the spring 60 or the second state in which the pin catch 30 can be detached from the recess 40.
According to such a configuration, the pin catch 30 and/or the spring 60 stored in the recess 40 can be taken out when the lid 50 is set to be in the second state. Therefore, the pin catch 30 and/or the spring 60 can be easily repaired or replaced, and the band connecting structure 100 can be easily maintained.
The lid 50 detachably attached to the device body 2 enters the first state by being attached to the device body 2 and enters the second state by being detached from one of the connecting object and the connected object. Since the lid 50 is configured to be completely detachable from the device body 2, the pin catch 30 and/or the spring 60 can be easily taken out. Also, the lid 50 can be replaced easily.
The lid 50 in the first state is screwed to the device body 2. This allows the lid 50 to be attached or detached with a simple operation of rotating the lid 50.
The lid 50 has, on the surface opposite to the surface facing the spring 60, the groove 54 that is configured to fit a tool used to rotate the lid 50 when attaching the lid 50 to the device body. This allows the lid 50 to be firmly fixed using the tool, and the firmly fixed lid 50 to be easily detached using the tool.
In a view from a longitudinal direction of the body-side insertion hole 21 (communicating insertion hole 20), the central axis A2 passing the center of the cross section perpendicular to the moving directions of the pin catch 30 does not intersect the insertion axis A1 passing the center of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The pin engagement portion that engage the connecting pin 10 at the step 13 is the edge 30b of the pin insertion path 30a (cutout) in the pin catch 30, and the cutout is formed at least at a portion where the insertion axis A1 passes. According to this configuration, the pin catch 30 can be downsized due to its smaller maximum width in the direction perpendicular to the central axis A2 compared to the configuration where the central axis A2 intersects the insertion axis A1 at a single point and the pin engagement portion is the edge of a hole through the pin catch 30. Also, since the diameter of the connecting pin 10 is not limited to less than the maximum width of the pin catch 30, the connecting pin 10 can be designed freely.
The pin catch 30 can move in the recess 40 in the moving directions between the first position and the second position, where the second position is different from the first position. When the pin catch 30 is in the first position in response to the cooperation of the spring 60 and the lid 50, the connecting pin 10 engages the edge 30b of the pin insertion path 30a at the step 13. When the pin catch 30 is in the second position in response to user operation against the biasing force by the spring 60, the second portion 12 can pass through the edge 30b of the pin insertion path 30a.
This allows the connecting pin 10 caught by the pin catch 30 to be released with a simple operation of moving the pin catch 30 against the biasing force by the spring 60. By removal of the released connecting pin 10 from the insertion hole 20, the connection between the device body 2 and the band 3 is released and the band 3 can be replaced. Therefore, the band 3 can be replaced with a simple operation that does not require special tools or skills.
In addition, because of the structure of catching the connecting pin 10 in which the edge 30b of the pin insertion path 30a of the pin catch 30 hooks the step 13 between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 of the connecting pin 10, the contact area between the pin catch 30 and the connecting pin 10 can be large, which allows the connecting pin 10 to be caught more securely. Therefore, even when the band connecting structure 100 is subjected to a shock, the connecting pin 10 is not easily released. Therefore, it is possible to prevent unintentional detachment of the band 3.
The pin catch 30 has the abutment 33 which, when the pin catch 30 is in the second position, abuts on the bottom 40a (wall) of the recess 40 intersecting a line in the above moving directions through the recess at a point. This allows the pin catch 30 to move to the second position and to release the connecting pin 10 using a clear operation of pushing the pin catch 30 until the abutment 33 abuts on the bottom 40a of the recess 40.
When the elastic member is the spring 60, which is a compression coil spring, and the abutment 33 is located inside the spring 60, the spring 60 and the abutment 33 can be compactly stored in the recess 40. Therefore, the recess 40 and the band connecting structure 100 can be downsized.
The end surface 32a as the exposed surface of the surface of the pin catch 30 is exposed from the lid 50, and closer to the spring 60 than the top surface 50a of the lid 50 is. The top surface 50a is opposite to the surface of the lid 50 facing the spring 60.
Thus, since the end surface 32a of the pin catch 30 is closer to the spring 60 than the top surface 50a of the lid is, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of a problem in which the pin catch 30 is pushed in against the user's intention. As a result, the disconnection between the device body 2 and the band 3 due to mishandling can be less likely to occur.
When the pin catch 30 moves in the above moving direction, the end surface 32a as the exposed surface moves in the opening of the lid 50 in the above moving direction. As a result, for example, the end surface 32a can be pushed in by a simple method of inserting a rod or the like in the opening 53, such that the pin catch 30 can be moved to the second position. Also, since the position of the end surface 32a when it is pushed in is stabilized by being regulated by the inner wall surface of the opening 53, the end surface 32a can be easily pushed in.
The lid 50 has the base 51 and the protrusion 52. The base 51 has the opening 53. The protrusion 52 protrude from the base 51 outwardly in the above moving direction. When the connecting pin 10 engages the edge 30b of the pin insertion path 30a as the pin engagement portion at the step 13, the end surface 32a is located closer to the spring 60 than the top surface 50a of the protrusion 52 is. The top surface 50a is opposite to the surface facing the spring 60 of the protrusion 52. The protrusion 52 is located around the end surface 32a, in a view from the above moving directions. Thus, because of the protrusion 52 around the end surface 32a as the exposed surface, it is possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of a problem in which the pin catch 30 is pushed in against the user's intention.
The timepiece 1 as the wearable device of the present embodiment includes the device body 2 as the connecting object, the band 3 as the connected object for attaching the device body 2 to the object, and the band connecting structure 100 described above. As a result, the band 3 can be replaced with a simple operation. Also, the band connecting structure 100 can be easily maintained. Also, the disconnection between the device body 2 and the band 3 due to mishandling can be less likely to occur.
The descriptions in the above embodiments are merely examples of the connecting structure and the wearable device related to the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.
Examples of the wearable device include the timepiece 1, but are not limited to this. The wearable device may be any device that the user wears on the body, such as a health care device like an activity meter.
The connecting object is not limited to the device body 2 of the timepiece 1, and the connected object is not limited to the band 3 of the timepiece 1. For example, the connecting object and the connected object each may be one of a plurality of pieces constituting the band 3. In other words, the connecting structure may be used to connect the pieces that constitute the band 3.
The attachment method of the lid 50 to the device body 2 or the band 3 is exemplified by, but is not limited to, screwing. The attachment method can be any method that enables attachment and detachment without destroying the attachment site (opening edge 41 in the above embodiment) on the device body 2 or the band and the lid 50. For example, the lid 50 may be attached to the opening edge 41 of the recess 40 with a snap fit in which a protruding portion and a recessed portion respectively on the opening edge 41 and the lid 50 are fitted together.
The holder is not limited to the lid 50 attached to the opening edge 41 of the recess 40, but may be in any position and shape as long as it can limit the movement of the pin catch 30 in the recess 40. For example, the holder may be a member attached to the sidewall surface of the recess 40 or a projecting member on the sidewall surface of the recess 40.
The example shows the configuration in which the recess 40 extends in the Z direction, but does not limit the present invention. The direction in which the recess 40 extends may be inclined with respect to the Z direction.
Instead of the example showing a configuration in which the insertion axis A1 of the communicating insertion hole 20 does not intersect the central axis A2 of the pin catch 30 located in the recess 40, the insertion axis A1 may intersect the central axis A2 at a single point. In this case, the pin insertion path 30a is a hole through the pin catch 30 so that the connecting pin 10 inserted into the communicating insertion hole 20 can pass through the center of the pin catch 30 located in the recess 40.
The pin catch 30 has a pin insertion path 30a, and the edge 30b of the pin insertion path 30a corresponds to the pin engagement portion in the above example, but is not limited to this. For example, the pin catch may have a projecting pin engagement portion at the tip that engages the step 13 of the connecting pin 10.
The groove at the first portion 11 of the connecting pin 10 does not have to circle around the outer circumference, but may be provided partially on the outer circumference. For example, when the pin catch with the above-mentioned projecting pin engagement portion is used, the groove only needs to be at least large enough to allow engagement of the pin engagement portion.
The communicating insertion hole 20 is not necessarily a through hole through the band attachment 2a of the device body 2 and the attachment end 3a of the band 3. One end of the through hole (the farther end from the body-side insertion hole 21 of the ends of one of the band-side insertion holes 22 when the communicating insertion hole 20 is applied to the embodiment in
The biasing member is exemplified by the spring 60, which is a compression coil spring, but is not limited to this. The biasing member may be a spring having a shape other than a coil shape or a member made of an elastic material such as silicon. The biasing member may be a tensile spring provided between the pin catch 30 and the lid 50 and attached to both the pin catch 30 and the lid 50. In this case, the tensile spring may be detachable or non-detachable from both pin catch 30 and the lid 50. The biasing member may be one that magnetically biases the pin catch 30 toward the lid 50.
In order to move the pin catch 30 from the first position to the second position, in the method exemplified above, the pusher 30 of the pin catch 30 is pushed in the −Z direction. However, alternatively, the pin catch 30 may be pulled in the −Z direction from the side opposite to the lid 50 to move. To do this, for example, the bottom 40a of the recess 40 is partially penetrated in a direction opposite to the opening edge 41, and the pin catch 30 protrudes out of the through hole such that the user can pull it.
The wall of the recess 40 on which the abutment 33 of the pin catch 30 abuts is exemplified by the bottom 40a having a plane parallel to the X-Y plane, but is not limited to this. The wall may be in any shape on which the abutment 33 of the pin catch 30 can abut. A part of the bottom of the recess 40 may have a through hole that penetrates to the side opposite to the opening edge 41 of the recess 40.
The lid 50 is detachably attached in the above examples, but is not limited to this. The lid 50 may be fixed to the opening edge 41 of the recess 40 in a non-detachable manner. The lid 50 may be a part of the band attachment 2a (attachment end 3a in Variation Example 2: the same applies below). In other words, the lid 50 may be integral with the band attachment 2a.
It is of course possible to change the detailed configuration and detailed operation of the components of the timepiece 1 and the band connecting structure 100 in the above embodiment as appropriate as long as they do not depart from the gist of the present invention.
Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes the scope of the present invention described in the claims and the scope of their equivalents.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2021-197436 | Dec 2021 | JP | national |
2021-197439 | Dec 2021 | JP | national |