Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Electrical time base – Solid state oscillating circuit type
Patent
1989-07-26
1992-06-02
Roskoski, Bernard
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Electrical time base
Solid state oscillating circuit type
368281, 368 89, 368107, G04F 500
Patent
active
051193493
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a device for displaying the information processed by a digital circuit, that is, the information about time or other physical quantities, or any other information by use of a hand which is driven by a stepping motor. More particularly, this invention relates to a device provided with means for attaching the hand correctly to an output shaft of its driving mechanism so that in the event that the display region of the hand is defined, for example, as in the shape of a sector, and that accordingly the movable range of the hand or the driving mechanism is mechanically limited, correct display can be provided within that display region.
BACKGROUND
From the past, a moving-coil meter such as a circuit tester has been known as a device for displaying an electrical quantity by means of a hand which rotates within a sector-shaped region having a predetermined angle. Such an analog display system has gained much favor, since in comparison with a digital display system (numerical display), the analog display system has the merit that it is easy to read and allows the immediate and intuitive understanding of the magnitude of a displayed quantity. However, the moving-coil meter does not include a digital converting circuit for data but converts sustainedly the electrical quantity into rotary power of the hand. Thus, the meter consumes energy continuously, and hardly can it be incorporated in a miniatuarized instrument, for example, of a watch size, because of the restriction of the capacitance of the miniatuarized battery which is the incorporated power source.
On the other hand, as another example, there is a meter in which a physical quantity is converted into one or more driving signals in number in proporation to the physical quantity, then, the stepping motor is driven by the signals, next, rotary speed of the output shaft of the stepping motor is reduced by the gear train, and finally, the physical quantity is displayed by means of the hand attached to the shaft of one of the gears of the gear train. For driving the stepping motor, power may be instantaneously supplied only when reading is changed, and the physical quantity can be sampled at an arbitrary time interval and maintained within the digital circuit. Therefore, this meter is very advantageous from the viewpoint of power consumption. Also, some stepping motors have been extremely miniatuarized and their high power efficiency has been pursued. The most popular product in the meters of this type is a quartz oscillation type electronic watch, which displays the time as a physical quantity. Among the meters, there is a proposal for displaying a physical quantity other than time, using this hand display function (Japanese published unexamined utility model application No. 61-28019). However, in this prior art, since it is assumed that the hand is rotated without limit, a circular display region is required.
As further prior art, there is a proposal for displaying time information within an angular sector-shaped region by means of a hand which is driven by a stepping motor (Japanese published examined utility model application No. 63-17030). In this case, when time is full of the display range, the hand reaches the end of the display region, and as time further elapses, the hand has to be returned to the opposite end of the display region with a rapid motion. A driving signal for the stepping motor for doing this return action is generated by an electronic circuit which performs a logical action. Thus, once the hand is attached in the correct relation with respect to the electronically controlled hand driving mechanism, it is expected that the relation in phase between the electronic logical operation and the hand position cannot be displaced insofar the time display or the like which makes a regular repetition change is concerned. However, an effective method or system has not been provided for attaching the hand in a proper position (direction) in agreement with the logic state of the electronic circuit, especiall
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Muto Takeo
Sase Masahiro
Yoshiaki Kato
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Roskoski Bernard
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