Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Display trains
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-07
2004-10-12
Miska, Vit W. (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Display trains
C368S322000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06804172
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an analog electronic timepiece including plural indicator wheels. The present invention particularly relates to an analog electronic timepiece including a plurality of indicator wheels coaxially rotated and attaching indicating members such as indicators to the respective indicator wheels.
The invention can realize an analog electronic timepiece having a high degree of freedom in designing an indicator and having a novel and easy-to-see indicating portion.
2. Background Information
Generally, a “movement (machine body)” of an analog electronic timepiece is provided with a main plate constituting a board of the movement. Further, a movement (machine body) contained in a wrist watch case is referred to as “complete”. A wrist watch case includes a case body, a “case back” and “glass”.
Further, in both sides of a main plate, a side having a dial is referred to as “back sides” of an analog electronic timepiece and in the both sides of the main plate, a side opposed to the dial is referred to as “top side” of an analog electronic timepiece. Further, a train wheel integrated to the top side of an analog electronic timepiece is referred to as “top train wheel” and a train wheel integrated to the back side of an analog electronic time piece is referred to as “back train wheel”.
Therefore, a “case back” of a wrist watch case is arranged to face the “top side” of an analog electronic timepiece and “glass” of a wrist watch case is arranged to face the “back side” of the analog electronic timepiece and is arranged to face a dial.
Further, numerals from “1” to “12” or the like are frequently described on a dial or an outer peripheral portion of a case (case body, bezel or the like) of an analog electronic timepiece. Therefore, respective directions along the outer peripheral portion of the analog electronic timepiece are expressed by using the numerals. For example, in the case of a wrist watch, an upper direction and an upper side of the wrist watch are respectively referred to as “12 o'clock direction” and “12 o'clock side”, a right direction and a right side of the wrist watch are respectively referred to as “3 o'clock direction” and “3 o'clock side”, a lower direction and a lower side of the wrist watch are respectively referred to as “6 o'clock direction” and “6 o'clock side” and a left direction and a left side of the wrist watch are respectively referred to as “9 o'clock direction” and “9 o'clock side”.
Generally, according to an analog electronic timepiece, a drive portion, a control portion and a top train wheel are integrated to a top side of the timepiece. Further, in the wrist watch, a switch portion may be integrated to the top side of the timepiece, may be integrated to the back side of the timepiece, or may be integrated to both of the top side and the back side of the timepiece.
A conventional three hands analog electronic timepiece is constituted such that by rotation of a rotor constituting a step motor, a second wheel & pinion (corresponding to a wheel for indicating second) is decelerated to rotate via rotation of a fifth wheel & train, by rotation of the second wheel & pinion, a center wheel & pinion (corresponding to a wheel for indicating minute) is decelerated to rotate via rotation of a third wheel & pinion and by rotation of the center wheel & pinion, an hour wheel (corresponding to a wheel for indicating hour) is decelerated to rotate via rotation of a minute wheel.
A rotational center of the second wheel & pinion, a rotational center of the center wheel & pinion and a rotational center of the hour wheel are arranged at the same position. That is, the second wheel & pinion, the center wheel & pinion and the hour wheel are constituted to rotate coaxially.
A cylindrical portion of the center wheel & pinion is arranged to penetrate a cylindrical portion of the hour wheel and a shaft portion of the second wheel & pinion is arranged to penetrate the cylindrical portion of the center wheel & pinion. A second hand is attached to the second wheel & pinion, a minute hand is attached to the center wheel & pinion and an hour hand is attached to the hour wheel. Further, in the case of a two hands analog electronic timepiece, a secondhand is not provided.
A structure of such a conventional analog electronic timepiece is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 86283/1978, Japanese Patent Laid-Open NO. 67678/1980, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 189577/1983 or the like.
Further, in Japanese Utility Model. Laid-Open No. 96489/1988, there is disclosed a structure of a timepiece having a cover member in a projected shape and arranged with an hour hand, a minute hand and a second hand bent to follow a shape of an inner side of the cover member in an order of proximity to a movement.
However, according to the conventional analog electronic timepiece, the cylindrical portion of the center wheel & pinion is arranged to penetrate the cylindrical portion of the hour wheel, the shaft portion of the second wheel & pinion is arranged to penetrate the cylindrical portion of the center wheel & pinion and therefore, a degree of freedom of designing a second hand, a minute hand and an hour hand is considerably restricted.
In other words, according to the conventional analog electronic timepiece, when the second wheel & pinion is attached with an indicator having large moment of inertia such as a thick indicator, a long indicator, or an indicator having a special shape, a value of the moment of inertia of the indicator is restricted and there poses a problem that an indicator having large moment of inertia cannot be attached to the second wheel & pinion.
Further, according to the conventional analog electronic timepiece, when an hour hand having a large moment of inertia (that is, having a large weight, three-dimensional shape or the like) is attached to a cylindrical portion of an hour wheel having a large rotation drive torque, an hour hand base seat constituting a base of the hour hand is attached to a cylindrical portion of the hour wheel and the hour hand having a large moment of inertia is attached to the hour hand base seat. By this construction, the operability for attaching and detaching the hour hand is difficult to accomplish.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide an analog electronic timepiece capable of attaching an hour hand not to a cylindrical portion but to a shaft portion.
It is another object of the invention to enhance a degree of freedom of designing a second hand, a minute hand and an hour hand in an analog electronic timepiece.
In order to resolve the above-described problem in the conventional art, according to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an analog electronic timepiece comprising a rotor constituting a motor, a first indicator wheel decelerated to rotate based on rotation of the rotor, a second indicator wheel decelerated to rotate based on rotation of the first indicator wheel, and a third indicator wheel decelerated to rotate based on rotation of the second indicator wheel.
According to the aspect of the electronic timepiece of the invention, the first indicator wheel includes a cylindrical portion, the second indicator wheel includes a cylindrical portion and the third indicator wheel includes a shaft portion, the first indicator wheel, the second indicator wheel and the third indicator wheel being constituted to coaxially rotate by making respective rotational centers thereof the same as each other.
Further, according to the aspect of the electronic timepiece of the invention, the cylindrical portion of the second indicator wheel is constituted to penetrate the cylindrical portion of the first indicator wheel and the shaft portion of the third indicator wheel is constituted to penetrate the cylindrical portion of the second indicator wheel.
In one example, the first indicator wheel is a second wheel & pinion, the second indicator wheel is a center wheel & pinion and the third ind
Jujo Koichiro
Matoge Akihiro
Adams & Wilks
Miska Vit W.
Seiko Instruments Inc.
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