Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Displays or display device details
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-04
2002-10-15
Roskoski, Bernard (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Displays or display device details
C368S205000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06466522
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an indicating plate for solar cell included in an indicating plate structure for solar cell comprising a solar battery (solar cell) housed in a watch, the solar cell being capable of converting light energy to electric energy, and an indicating plate (dial) for solar watch arranged on a front side of the solar cell. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with an indicating plate for solar watch or indicating plate for EL (electro-luminescence) watch that enables not only the attainment of a design variation such as coloring and multicoloring but also high quality and superior appearance.
It is common practice to employ a solar cell as a power source for watches, desktop electronic calculators and portable radio sets. This solar cell is generally constructed of, for example, amorphous silicon and converts light energy to electric energy. In view of this function, the solar cell must be arranged in a position upon which light is incident, i.e., a surface position such that the solar cell is directly visible from outside.
The solar cell is commonly used in an indicating plate structure for wristwatch, which is constructed so that, referring to
FIGS. 36 and 37
, four solar cells
632
which are fan-shaped in a plan view are arranged, with insulating band
633
therebetween, on an upper surface of wristwatch module
631
and so that translucent resin thin film layer
635
is laminated onto each of the solar cells
632
with transparent plate
634
of a transparent polycarbonate (polycarbonic ester) resin or acrylic resin interposed therebetween.
In this indicating plate structure for solar watch, however, the solar cells
632
are generally brown or dark-blue, so that, for example, the solar cells disposed under the transparent plate are viewed through the transparent plate. Thus, the dial takes on the color of the solar cells. Further, there is insulating band
633
between neighboring solar cells
632
, so that the insulating bands
633
appear as cross lines. Thus, not only is the design inclusive of color tone extremely restricted but also the appearance is degraded to thereby lower the commercial value.
In contrast, a watch was proposed in which, for example, an interference filter was disposed on a front side of a solar cell to thereby prevent direct viewing of the solar cell. However, problems were encountered such that the supply of light energy to the solar cell was hampered and such that the appearance quality of the watch dial was poor.
For solving these problems, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 5(1993)-38464 disclosed a colored solar cell comprising a solar cell, a color filter disposed on a front side of the solar cell and capable of transmitting light having a wavelength within a region contributing to power generation of the solar cell, and a color diffusing layer composed of a scattering layer disposed between the solar cell and the color filter, which scattering layer was capable of transmitting portion of the light transmitted through the color filter and scattering the rest of the light in all directions.
A white diffusion plate was employed as this scattering layer, and it was suggested to use as the white diffusion plate, for example, an acrylic milk white plate, a half mirror coated with a matting clear lacquer, a glass having one side roughened by blasting or a white diffusion plate having a mirror formed of, for example, aluminum in a stripe or net pattern on a side opposite to plastic.
However, in this prior art, the use of the acrylic milk white plate as the scattering layer disenables obtaining a metal tone favored in an indicating plate of wristwatch and capable of imparting an appearance of superior quality. Further, burrs occur at the time of working, thereby necessitating deburring. Accordingly, the process is complicated and the cost is increased. With respect to the half mirror coated with a matting clear lacquer, half mirror treatment and coating are required to thereby complicate the process. Further, it is probable that, depending on coating operation, the film thickness becomes nonuniform to thereby cause a dispersion of transmission factor with the result that mottling occurs. Moreover, with respect to the glass having one side roughened by blasting or the white diffusion plate having a mirror formed of, for example, aluminum in a stripe or net pattern on a side opposite to plastic, blasting and mirror treatment are required to thereby complicate the process. Further, depending on these treatments, the problem is encountered such that the film thickness and irregularity degree become nonuniform to thereby invite a dispersion of transmission factor and a mottling. Furthermore, all the above materials have a problem such that the appearance quality thereof as a watch dial is poor.
At any rate, the interposition of the above scattering layer between the color filter and the solar cell unfavorably requires a complicated process, invites a dispersion of transmission factor leading to a deterioration of power generation. performance and invites mottling and a deterioration of appearance quality due to the property of material per se.
On the other hand, in the use of the conventional indicating plate for solar watch, it is difficult to view time or other information on the indicating plate in the night or other nonilluminated dark environment, thereby necessitating separately equipping the watch frame with an illuminator or the like.
An EL (electro-luminescence) equipped watch was already developed in which an EL cell having a transparent resin plate provided with transparent electrodes on its upper and lower surfaces, in which a phosphor such as zinc sulfide was dispersed, for the purpose of viewing time or other information on the indicating plate in the night or other nonilluminated dark environment was arranged under the indicating plate. In this watch as well, the same problem was encountered that the underlying EL cell was visible through the indicating plate.
Moreover, each of the conventional indicating plates for watches was composed of a single material, so that the entirety of the indicating plate exhibited only a single color, thereby disenabling a design diversification. In particular, with respect to the conventional indicating plate for solar watch and, indicating plate for EL watch, one composed of a precious stone, a shell or a combination thereof with a metal has not been developed, and no indicating plate enabling a design diversification and having a high quality and an appearance of superior quality has been proposed.
The present invention has been made taking the above problems into account. It is an object of the present invention to provide an indicating plate for solar watch through which, for example, the insulating band cross lines and solar cell positioned under the indicating plate are not visible, which indicating plate can be colored, enables greatly increased design variation inclusive of a high-quality pattern and tone (delicate color shade) and has an appearance of superior quality which enhances commercial value.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an indicating plate for watch, especially, an indicating plate for solar watch or indicating plate for EL equipped watch through which, for example, the EL cell, insulating band cross lines and solar cell positioned under the indicating plate are not visible, which indicating plate can be colored or multicolored, enables greatly increased design variation inclusive of tone, makes a high-grade impression produced by the use of a fine member such as a precious stone and has an appearance of superior quality which enhances commercial value.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an indicating plate for watch, which is luminescent because of persistence characteristic, so that time can be viewed thereon in the night or other dark environment.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made with a view toward solving the above
Ito Nobuo
Katsuki Yoshio
Totsuka Noriyuki
Yamaguchi Katsuyuki
Yoshioka Hideki
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Roskoski Bernard
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