Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Plural time zones
Patent
1989-11-16
1993-03-16
Miska, Vit W.
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Plural time zones
368 82, 368113, G04B 1926, G04C 1900
Patent
active
051950626
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a hand display device using a hand for display. More particularly, this invention relates to a technology for switching a single hand to display more than one function in the event of a small-sized hand display device such as an electronic hand display watch with limited space.
BACKGROUND
Hand display devices have a long history of growth, and they already existed before the hand has been electronically controlled. Taking a familiar example, a cooking spring scale for weighing cooking material was not electronically controlled, of course. Then with the advent of the electronics age, electronic control has been playing a major role. Among all, as a basic measuring instrument, there are hand indicating testers for measuring the value of resistance and the value of voltage. Since these hand indicating testers are compact, most of them are switched over to display either the value of resistance or the value of voltage by means of single hand. Also in the resistance measuring mode, a switch for changing the range is provided, and by using the different ranges depending on the magnitude of resistance of the object to be measured, the graduations are always easy to read by means of a hand, and also the mode can be distinguished by a direction pointed by a range control knob, thus having the user read the graduation corresponding to the mode. This hand indicating tester is an early instrument which has used a single hand by switching it for displaying more than one function. In addition, as a typical example of a compact hand display device using a single hand by switching it for displaying of more than one function, there is an electronic hand display watch.
In recent years, like electronic digital watches, electronic hand analog display watches are equipped with various functions, and multi-functioning has been advancing and realized. As already commercialized products, electronic hand display watches with an alarm function, a stopwatch function, a timer function, et cetera are available.
Furthermore, there is a demand for an electronic hand display watch with various functions, but there is a limit to the number of hands in its restricted space.
An electronic hand display watch in which a single hand displays more than one function has been devised, too.
One example of a hand display device of a conventional electronic hand display watch wherein a single hand displays more than one function will be described with reference to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11.
This example is an electronic hand display watch with a stopwatch (ST) function for measuring the stopwatch 1/10-seconds, stopwatch second, stopwatch minute and stopwatch hour. For measuring stopwatch second and stopwatch minute, a stopwatch second hand and a stopwatch minute hand are provided, respectively. However, for the two functions, the stopwatch 1/10-second and stopwatch hour, a single hand is used by switchover. Such a single hand displays stopwatch 1/10-seconds when the stopwatch measuring time is in the less than 60 minute mode and hours when in the 60 minute or more mode.
Within one second after 9 hours 59 minutes and 59 seconds of the stopwatch measuring time, the display returns to 0 minutes 0 seconds 0. At this time, the hand display function is switched again to the original stopwatch 1/10-second time display. A mode hand is provided, so that after the stopwatch function has ceased, the user can correctly determine whether he or she should read the graduation as the stopwatch 1/10-second in the less than 60 minute mode or as the stopwatch hour in the 60 minute or more mode.
First, FIGS. 9 and 10 are referred to. FIG. 9 is a view showing a dial 900 and hands which form the face of a conventional electronic hand display watch, and FIG. 10 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 9. On the dial 900, an hour hand 91, a minute hand 92 and a second hand 93 for displaying usual time are attached at the center, and around which a stopwatch second hand 94 for displaying the seconds, a stopwatch minute hand 95 for displayi
REFERENCES:
patent: 2910825 (1959-11-01), Kirkwood
patent: 4464058 (1984-08-01), Weller
patent: 4847819 (1989-07-01), Hong
Kiyotaka Igarashi
Masahiro Sase
Osa Takashi
Suzuki Noritoshi
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Miska Vit W.
LandOfFree
Display device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Display device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Display device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-355917