Waterproof device and portable timepiece

• US 8,920,022 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2014
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Instruments Incorporated (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Ishida, Masahiro, Hayashi, Masataka
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W
• Application Number:
  US14/182,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20140233359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 368288-290, 368319-321, 200/302.1, 200/302.2, 200/341, 200/345, 200/520, 200/537
• US Class Current: 368/290
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 37/106 of push buttons winding up by push button G04B3/001; crown in the form of push button G04B3/046; construction of push buttons G04B3/048
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 13/06 Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof or flameproof casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2013/066 using bellows
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2231/028 Watch
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/016 Application timepiece

Abstract

Provision of a waterproof device capable of improving waterproof property in a push-in operation portion formed by including an extensible member, a holding member and an operation shaft. A wrist watch (portable device) 11 includes an outer case (device outer housing) 12, an extensible member 32 with waterproof property, a holding member 41 attached to the case 12 and an operation shaft 51. The case 12 includes a seating portion 29 and a hole 30. The extensible member 32 includes a cylindrical portion 33 which can be extended/retracted in an axial direction, closing one end as well as opening the other end, and inserted into the hole 30, and a flange 35 projecting integrally from an outer periphery of the other end portion of the cylindrical portion and seated on the seating portion 29. The holding member 41 includes a presser portion 42 sandwiching the flange 35 with the seating portion 29 to thereby secure the waterproofing around the flange, and a through hole 44 connecting to the opening of the cylindrical portion 33. The operation shaft 51 includes a shaft end portion 52 protruding to the outside of the holding member 41 through the through hole 44. The operation shaft 51 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 33 and arranged in a state of being able to be pushed from the outside of the case 12 so as to allow the cylindrical portion 33 to extend.

Claims

1. A waterproof device comprising:

a device outer housing including a seating portion and a hole piercing the center of the seating portion;

an extensible member with waterproof property, including a cylindrical portion which can be extended/retracted in an axial direction, closing one end in the axial direction as well as opening the other end in the axial direction, and inserted into the hole, and a flange projecting integrally from an outer periphery of the other end portion of the cylindrical portion and seated on the seating portion from the outside of the device outer housing;

a holding member attached to the device outer housing, and including a presser portion sandwiching the flange with the seating portion in a thickness direction of the flange to thereby secure the waterproofing around the flange, and a through hole connecting to the opening; and

an operation shaft including a shaft end portion protruding to the outside of the holding member through the through hole, which is inserted into the cylindrical portion and arranged in a state of being able to be pushed from the outside of the device outer housing so as to allow the cylindrical portion to extend.

2. The waterproof device according to claim 1,

wherein the holding member can be removed from the device outer housing.

3. The waterproof device according to claim 1,

wherein the extensible member is made of a metal bellows which is integrally formed,

the presser portion has a sealing ring which can be elastically deformed, and

the sealing ring and the seating portion sandwich the flange to thereby waterproof around the flange.

4. The waterproof device according to claim 2,

wherein the extensible member is made of a metal bellows which is integrally formed,

the presser portion has a sealing ring which can be elastically deformed, and

the sealing ring and the seating portion sandwich the flange to thereby waterproof around the flange.

5. The waterproof device according to claim 3,

wherein the device outer housing has a housing concave portion into which the presser portion is inserted and including the seating portion as the bottom, and

an outer periphery of the sealing ring closely contacts an inner peripheral wall surface sectioning the housing concave portion.

6. The waterproof device according to claim 4,

wherein the device outer housing has a housing concave portion into which the presser portion is inserted and including the seating portion as the bottom, and

an outer periphery of the sealing ring closely contacts an inner peripheral wall surface sectioning the housing concave portion.

7. The waterproof device according to claim 1,

wherein the extensible member is made of a metal bellows which is integrally formed,

the seating portion has a sealing ring which can be elastically deformed, and

the sealing ring and the presser portion sandwich the flange to thereby waterproof around the flange.

8. The waterproof device according to claim 2,

wherein the extensible member is made of a metal bellows which is integrally formed,

the seating portion has a sealing ring which can be elastically deformed, and

the sealing ring and the presser portion sandwich the flange to thereby waterproof around the flange.

9. The waterproof device according to claim 1,

wherein the extensible member is made of a soft material in an integral manner, and

the seating portion and the presser portion sandwich the flange to thereby waterproof around the flange.

10. The waterproof device according to claim 2,

wherein the extensible member is made of a soft material in an integral manner, and

the seating portion and the presser portion sandwich the flange to thereby waterproof around the flange.

11. The waterproof device according to claim 1,

wherein the operation shaft is connected to the closed end of the cylindrical portion.

12. The waterproof device according to claim 11,

wherein the holding member includes a stopper portion narrowing down a hole diameter of the through hole,

the operation shaft includes an engaging portion engaged so as to contact the stopper portion from the inner side of the device outer housing when the operation shaft is in an unpushed state, and

the cylindrical portion can be elastically deformed and is elastically deformed in a state of allowing further elastic deformation when the operation shaft is in the unpushed state.

13. A portable timepiece formed by a waterproof device according to claim 1.

14. A portable timepiece formed by a waterproof device according to claim 11.

15. A portable timepiece formed by a waterproof device according to claim 12.