Clocking device

Details Clocking device Clocking device

2000-06-20

2003-05-20

Miska, Vit (Department: 2841)

Horology: time measuring systems or devices

Chronological

With mechanical or electromechanical driven display

C368S110000, C368S113000, C368S223000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06567345

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-function timepiece having hands and to a time measuring method.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8
shows the display surface of an electronic watch as a conventional multi-function timepiece. In
FIG. 8
, an electronic watch
10
first includes an outer case
11
. The outer case
11
has a dial
12
in the inside thereof in the figure.
The dial
12
has an ordinary time display unit disposed thereon as the display unit of an ordinary time measuring section. Specifically, first, an ordinary second time display unit
13
is disposed at the position of an approximately 6 o'clock of the dial
12
. An ordinary second time small second hand
13
a
is disposed to the ordinary second time display unit
13
.
Further, an ordinary hour and minute time display unit
14
is located at the center of the dial
12
and includes an ordinary time hour hand
14
a
and an ordinary time minute hand
14
b.
The ordinary second time small second hand
13
a
, the ordinary time hour hand
14
a
, and the ordinary time minute hand
14
b
are hands disposed on the dial
12
to display an ordinary time. However, since the electronic watch
10
has multi-functions, component for exhibiting a chronograph function are disposed on the dial
12
in addition to the above hands.
As the components for exhibiting the chronograph function, first, a chronograph minute display unit
15
is disposed at an upper portion of the dial
12
. The chronograph minute display unit
15
is provided with a chronograph minute CG hand
15
a
. Further, a chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
is disposed at the center of the dial
12
.
In the multi-function electronic watch
10
, when a user desires to confirm an ordinary time, he or she visually confirms the ordinary second time small second hand
13
a
, the ordinary time hour hand
14
a
, and the ordinary time minute hand
14
b.
Further, when the chronograph function is to be exhibited in the electronic watch
10
, first, for example, the user presses a start/stop button
17
. With this operation, the electronic watch
10
starts measuring a time. At the time, the chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
and the chronograph minute CG hand
15
a
are rotated.
Then, when the start/stop button
17
is pressed again, the measurement of the time is finished, the chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
and the chronograph CG minute hand
15
a
are stopped, and the measured time is displayed.
Note that when the user presses a reset button
18
provided with the electronic watch
10
, the measured time is reset and the chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
and the chronograph minute CG hand
15
a
are returned to a zero position.
The train wheels and the like of the ordinary second time small second hand
13
a
, the ordinary time hour hand
14
a
, the ordinary time minute hand
14
b
, the chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
and the chronograph minute CG hand
15
a
, which operate as described above, will be described below.
FIG. 9
is a view showing the train wheels of the respective hands
13
a
,
14
a
,
14
b
,
15
, and
16
. In
FIG. 9
, the train wheels and the like of the respective hands
13
a
,
14
a
,
14
b
,
15
, and
16
will be mainly described and the description of the arrangement other than the train wheels are omitted.
First, the train wheels and the like of the ordinary second time small second hand
13
a
, the ordinary time hour hand
14
a
and the ordinary time minute hand
14
b
which display the ordinary time will be described.
In
FIG. 9
, an ordinary time step motor
3
is disposed on a main plate
1
, which is composed of a molded resin, to display the ordinary time. The ordinary time step motor
3
is provided with a rotor
4
for it. The rotor
4
of the ordinary time step motor
3
is meshed with a fifth wheel
5
. The fifth wheel
5
is meshed with a second wheel
6
which is further meshed with a small second wheel
136
through other wheel gear
7
. The ordinary second time small second hand
13
a
shown in
FIG. 8
is disposed at the extreme end of the small second wheel
136
and driven.
Further, the second wheel
6
is meshed with a center wheel
8
through a third wheel
24
. The ordinary time minute hand
14
b
of
FIG. 10
is disposed to the center wheel
8
and driven.
Further, the center wheel
8
is meshed with an hour wheel
10
through a minute wheel
9
. The ordinary time hour hand
14
a
of
FIG. 10
is disposed to the hour wheel
10
and driven.
FIG. 10
is a sectional view showing the relationship between the ordinary time hour hand
14
a
and the ordinary time minute hand
14
b
disposed as described above.
As shown in
FIG. 10
, the ordinary time hour hand
14
a
and the ordinary time minute hand
14
b
are disposed at the center of the hour wheel
10
so as to be overlapped in the thickness direction of the hour wheel
10
.
Next, the train wheels and the like of the chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
and the chronograph minute CG hand
15
a
will be described.
In
FIG. 9
, a chronograph step motor
15
is disposed on the main plate
1
. The chronograph step motor
15
is provided with a rotor
16
for it. Then, the rotor
16
of the chronograph step motor
15
is meshed with a ⅕ second CG second intermediate wheel
18
through a ⅕ second CG first intermediate wheel
17
. Then, the ⅕ second CG second intermediate wheel
18
is meshed with a ⅕ second CG wheel
19
, and a chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
is disposed at the extreme end of the ⅕ second CG wheel
19
as shown in FIG.
10
and driven.
Further, in
FIG. 9
, a chronograph minute display step motor
27
is disposed on the main plate
1
. The chronograph step motor
27
is provided with a rotor
28
. The rotor
28
of the chronograph minute display step motor is meshed with a minute CG wheel
30
through a minute CG intermediate wheel
29
.
The chronograph minute CG hand
15
a
shown in
FIG. 8
is attached to the minute CG wheel
30
and driven.
The ordinary second time small second hand
13
a
, the ordinary time hour hand
14
a
, the ordinary time minute hand
14
b
, the chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
, and the chronograph minute CG hand
15
a
are disposed as described above and train wheels and the like are provided accordingly. In particular, the ordinary time hour hand
14
a
, the ordinary time minute hand
14
b
, and the chronograph ⅕ second CG hand
16
are disposed at the center of the main plate
1
so that they overlap each other as shown in FIG.
9
. Therefore, since the train wheels and the like also are disposed so as to overlap each other at the center, there is a problem that the thickness of the electronic watch
10
is inevitably increased.
Further, since all the hands
13
a
,
14
a
, and
16
are driven at the center of the dial
12
, there is also a problem that it is difficult for the user to read them.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a timepiece whose size and thickness are reduced and which can be visually viewed by a user easily.
Conventionally, there are, for example, wrist watches having an analog display type chronograph function as multi-function timepieces having hands. When the wrist watch is an electronic watch, it includes in the main body thereof train wheels for transmitting drive force to hands for displaying an ordinary time, train wheels for transmitting drive force to hands for displaying a chronograph, for example, an hour chronograph hand, a minute chronograph hand, and a second chronograph hand, a motor for generating the drive force of the hands for displaying an ordinary time, a motor for generating the drive force of the hands for displaying the chronograph, an electronic circuit for controlling the respective components, and a cell of, for example, a button type as a drive power supply of the motors and the like. When a start/stop button provided with the wrist watch is pressed, the electronic circuit is oper

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