Stock material or miscellaneous articles – Structurally defined web or sheet – Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or...
Patent
1997-08-19
1999-06-15
Watkins, III, William P.
Stock material or miscellaneous articles
Structurally defined web or sheet
Continuous and nonuniform or irregular surface on layer or...
428701, 428448, 428446, 428172, 428173, 428195, 428213, 368205, 368228, 368234, 368232, 429111, 136251, G04C 1000, H01N 636
Patent
active
059120649
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a dial for a solar battery powered watch activated by a solar battery energy.
BACKGROUND ART
Demand for watches which are virtually permanently usable in different countries where different types of batteries are used has progressively been increasing with the recent development of international distribution of watches. The market for solar battery powered watches, which are capable of meeting the aforesaid requirement, has rapidly expanded. Solar battery powered watches have attracted attention from the view point of worldwide environmental protection because the solar batteries of solar battery powered watches need not be replaced with new ones and solar battery powered watches will not cause environmental contamination due to the disposal of spent batteries.
Generally, a solar battery powered watch employs the solar battery itself as the dial plate and hence the surface of the dial plate assumes a dark purple appearance unique to the solar battery, which spoils the ornamental value of the watch and, consequently, places significant restriction on the design of the dial plate.
Thus, a dial is desired which enables the color thereof to be diversified so as to satisfy the various tastes of purchasers.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing circumstances and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a dial plate for a solar battery powered watch that conceals the color and electrode pattern of the solar battery from view while transmitting sufficient quantity of light to the solar battery, and which facilitates diversification of the color thereof.
With the forgoing object in view, the present invention provides a dial plate for a solar battery powered watch provided with a solar battery, to be disposed on the front side of the solar battery, comprising a substrate formed of a ceramic material, and a colored coating layer formed on a front surface of the substrate, wherein the colored coating layer has a colored layer formed of a ceramic paint containing a metal compound as a principal component.
Since the ceramic material per se is normally completely transparent relative to light and cannot absorb the incident light, and it is formed of a polycrystalline material and has many crystal grains, the substrate made of the ceramic material functions to irregularly reflect and diffuse the incident light. A part of the light incident on the dial plate does not transmit through the dial plate but irradiates from the surface of the dial plate owing to the diffusing function or operation and almost all the remaining incident light transmits through the dial plate and reaches the solar battery provided on the back surface of the dial plate.
The light reaching the solar battery is reflected therefrom, and a part of the light is again incident on the back surface of the dial plate and is irradiated from the front surface of the dial plate while it is subjected to the diffusing operation. Accordingly, the color and electrode pattern of the solar battery can be almost concealed from the viewer of the dial plate since the light irradiated from the front surface of the dial plate without transmitting through the dial plate and the light which is reflected from the solar battery and is irradiated from the front surface of the dial plate while it is subjected to the diffusing operation on the dial plate are overlaid upon each other.
Since the colored layer is disposed on the surface of the substrate, forming dial plates in various colors is possible. Since the colored layer is formed of a ceramic paint containing a metal compound as a principal component, it is firmly attachable to the substrate formed of a ceramic material, and various colors can be formed corresponding to the kind of a metal compound.
Forming an intermediate layer between the colored layer and the substrate, and forming the foregoing coating layer by the intermediate layer and colored layer are also possible. This intermediate layer
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patent: 5761158 (1998-06-01), Azuma et al.
Azuma Akira
Hiraishi Hisato
Toida Takashi
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Watkins III William P.
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