Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Combined with disparate device – Ambient condition detector
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-19
2001-08-21
Roskoski, Bernard (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Combined with disparate device
Ambient condition detector
Reexamination Certificate
active
06278659
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sensor-mounting structure, and an electronic apparatus and a wristwatch including the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a technique suitable as a structure for mounting a pressure sensor for detecting external pressure to a case partition wall for partitioning the inside and outside of the electronic apparatus and the wristwatch.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Hitherto, wristwatch-type diver's watches, diver's computers and the like especially designed for divers have been sold commercially. A pressure sensor for measuring water pressure to detect the depth of water during a dive is mounted to this type of wristwatch. The pressure sensor must be mounted in such a manner that a pressure-sensitive part for detecting the pressure outside the wristwatch is at least exposed to the outside, or is in communication with the outside. A structure in which the pressure-sensitive part is directly exposed to the outside may result in a damage to the sensor or in a design defect. Therefore, as a conventional pressure sensor-mounting structure, a structure has been often adopted in which a pressure sensor is placed inside an insertion hole formed in a wall surface (a partition wall for partitioning the inside and outside of a wristwatch) of a watch case of the wristwatch, and a sensor cover is attached from the outside of the watch case to thereby communicate a pressure-sensitive part indirectly with the outside while covering the pressure-sensitive part.
FIG. 7
shows an example of a pressure sensor-mounting structure in a conventional diver's watch. An insertion hole
10
a
for communicating the inside with the outside of a watch case and having a circular cross section is formed in a partition wall
10
of the watch case, and a stepped portion
10
b
facing the outside is formed near the inner end of the insertion hole
10
a.
A pressure sensor
11
is inserted from the inside of the partition wall
10
into the insertion hole
10
a
and engages with the inner opening edge of the insertion hole
10
a.
The inner end of the pressure sensor
11
is pressed and supported from the inside to the outside by a sensor-pressing member
12
that is fixed to the partition wall
10
by a bolt
13
and a nut
14
. A sensor protection plate
15
is set to the outer end of the pressure sensor
11
, and a sensor cover
16
is attached and fixed from the outside of the sensor protection plate
15
to the partition wall
10
by a fixing screw
17
.
In the sensor-mounting structure shown in
FIG. 7
, however, a pressure-sensitive part of the pressure sensor must be communicated with the outside, and water-resistance of the watch case must be ensured. Therefore, the number of components is increased, the component cost and assembly cost are increased, thereby increasing the cost of the product. Since a water-resistant structure of the bolt passing through the partition wall
10
to fix the pressure sensor is required in addition to a water-resistant structure of the pressure sensor, the number of water-resistant sections increases and reliability of the product with respect to the water-resistance deteriorates. Furthermore, since the water-resistance of the pressure sensor is secured by the sensor cover attached from the outside of the watch case, the water-resistance is easily degraded by removing the sensor cover from the outside, and the pressure sensor is easily damaged.
On the other hand, a structure for reducing the number of components and preventing the pressure sensor from being tampered from the outside is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 6-69882. In the structure disclosed in the official gazette, a cylindrical mounting pipe is mounted and fixed to an insertion hole formed in a partition wall, a pressure sensor is inserted into the mounting pipe from the inside to be engaged therewith, and a sensor-fixing thread ring for pressing the inner end of the pressure sensor is threadedly engaged with a sensor pipe. According to this method, however, since the sensor pipe and the sensor-fixing thread ring are fixed by a screw structure, there is a risk that the thickness and area of the threadedly engaged portion may increase to hinder a reduction in size of a portable apparatus, such as a wristwatch. In addition, since the sensor-fixing screw ring must be rotated around a rotation axis that is substantially parallel to an opening of the watch case, assembly operation becomes difficult, and it is difficult to automate assembly.
The present invention solves the above problems, and an object is to provide a novel sensor-mounting structure which is applicable to various apparatuses, such as electronic apparatuses and portable apparatuses, and which can reduce the number of components, simplify the assembly operation, prevent tampering from the outside, and reduce the cost of manufacturing.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to principles of the present invention a sensor-mounting structure comprises: an insertion part formed in a case partition wall constituting at least a part of a case body; a sensor engaged with the insertion part from the inside of the case partition wall; and a sensor-pressing member for pressing and supporting the inner end of the sensor from the inside of the case partition wall toward the insertion part; wherein an engaging part is provided on one side of the insertion part inside the case partition wall, and a fixing surface comprising a predetermined fixing structure is provided on the other side of the insertion part; and wherein one end of the sensor-pressing member is engaged and supported by the engaging part so as not to be disengaged from the insertion part, and the other end of the sensor-pressing member is superposed and fixed on the fixing surface.
According to the present invention, there is provided a structure in which the sensor engaged with the insertion part from the inside is pressed and supported by the sensor-pressing member from the inside. Therefore, the number of components is reduced, the sensor is difficult to access from the outside, and tampering and the like can be prevented. In addition, one end of the sensor-pressing member is engaged with the engaging part, and the other end is fixed to the fixing surface at the opposite side of the insertion part, whereby a component structure is simplified and the component cost can be reduced, and the assembly operation is simplified and assembly cost can be reduced.
According to one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable that the fixing surface have a surface along a plane crossing the inner wall face of the case partition wall, and the other end of the sensor-pressing member may have a shape conforming to the surface. Since the fixing surface has the surface along the plane crossing the inner wall face of the case partition wall, fixing operation of the sensor-pressing member can be easily performed. In this case, it is further preferable that the sensor-pressing member may be a plate-like member abutting against and pressing the inner end of the sensor. One end of the plate member may engage with the engaging part, and the other end of the plate member may be bent to form a fixing plate to be superposed on the fixing surface. The sensor-pressing member is the plate-like member and the above mounting structure is provided, whereby the mounting structure of the sensor-pressing member is simplified. In addition, a space occupied by the sensor-pressing member can be reduced, whereby the size of a portion of the sensor-mounting structure can be reduced, and a reduction in size of an apparatus or a device to which the sensor is mounted is not impeded. It is most preferable for the improvement of efficiency of assembly operation that the fixing surface intersects the inner wall face of the case partition wall at substantially 90 degrees.
Further, it is preferable that a sensor-accommodating frame for accommodating, engaging, and supporting the outer end of the sensor may b
Roskoski Bernard
Seiko Epson Corporation
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