Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – With auxiliary illumination for display
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-14
2001-03-27
Miska, Vit (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
With auxiliary illumination for display
C226S200000, C226S200000, C313S110000, C313S510000, C362S023000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208591
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a luminescent device which is useful for applying to various types of electronic apparatuses, e.g., an electronic watch, an electronic pocket notebook, a personal computer, and the like; a watch and an electronic apparatus, which have such a luminescent device; and a method for manufacturing such a luminescent device.
An Electro Luminescence element (hereinafter, which may be called “EL luminescent member”) is a plate-like luminescent member, from the whole surface of which luminescence are emitted by an applied voltage.
The EL luminescent member, recently, is used in various types of electronic apparatuses, e.g., a watch, an electronic pocket notebook and the like. Because the EL luminescent member does not generate heat and the amount of electric power consumed thereby is small, the EL luminescent member has been applied to such types of apparatuses widely.
An example of a conventional watch having an EL luminescent member will be explained briefly in the following.
In case of the conventional watch having the EL luminescent member, a mechanism for driving analog hands is provided in an inner space between a watch glass which is disposed in an upper part of a watch case and a back cover which is disposed in a lower part of the watch case, namely, in the inside of the watch case.
The analog hands mechanism comprises a shaft for hands which extends from the center of the analog hands mechanism upwardly. Hands comprising a minute hand and an hour hand are connected with the shaft for hands.
A dial and a plate-like EL luminescent member in a layered state are placed on the upper surface of the analog hands mechanism. The periphery of the dial and the plate-like EL luminescent member are pressed down by a pressing member, thereby the dial and EL luminescent member are fixed to the watch case.
The dial is made of a translucent film or a light-transmissive color film, on the upper surface of which marks such as time indices or the like are printed.
The EL luminescent member emits light from the entirety of the surface thereof by an electric power or a voltage, for luminescence, which is supplied from a power source provided on a circuit board which is incorporated in the analog hands mechanism. Thereby, the EL luminescent member illuminates the whole dial and the whole hands of the analog hands mechanism, which are provided at an upper position to the EL luminescent member.
Therefore, the present time can be read even at night or in the dark from the outside through the dial and the hands illuminated by the EL luminescent member.
According to the conventional structure as described above, because the dial and the like are illuminated by the EL luminescent member, the dial must be made of a material through which light from the EL luminescent member can be transmitted.
Therefore, a translucent film or a light-transmissive color film are generally used for the dial. As a result, the entirety of the dial becomes light by the luminescence from the EL luminescent member to enable reading the time indices and the hands.
Conventionally, because the dial has a film on the surface thereof, it can give no metallic feeling, and therefore there are the problems to be solved, of being uninteresting and no feeling of high quality.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is accomplished in consideration of the conventional problems as described above.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a luminescent device which gives an interesting appearance and a feeling of high quality, and to provide a watch and an apparatus, which have such a luminescent device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a luminescent device which gives an interesting appearance and a feeling of high quality.
In order to accomplish such objects, the present invention has the following features.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the luminescent device comprises; a plate-like luminescent member, a translucent or transparent panel member which is disposed on an upper surface of the plate-like luminescent member, and a protrusion formed on an upper surface of the panel member.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the luminescent device comprises; a plate-like luminescent member, a translucent or transparent protrusion member which is disposed on an upper surface of the plate-like luminescent member, a metallic panel which is disposed on an upper surface of the plate-like luminescent member except the protrusion member, and a printed layer or a metallic layer, which is formed on an upper surface of the protrusion member projecting from an upper surface of the metallic panel, except a peripheral side surface of the protrusion member.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the timepiece comprises; a luminescent device as claimed in claim
1
, and a timepiece case containing an analog hand mechanism having hands, therein, wherein the luminescent device is arranged in the timepiece case to illuminate the analog hand mechanism.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the method for manufacturing a luminescent device, comprises: method for manufacturing a luminescent device, comprising: a first step for forming a protrusion on an upper surface of a translucent or transparent panel member; a second step for providing a masking layer on a peripheral side surface and an upper surface, of the protrusion; a third step for forming a printed layer on an upper surface of the panel member except on the peripheral side surface and the upper surface of the protrusion, which have the masking layer; a fourth step for forming a printed layer on the upper surface of the protrusion, after removing the masking layer from the protrusions; and a fifth step for arranging a plate-like luminescent member on a lower surface of the panel member to which the fourth step was carried out, to manufacture the luminescent device.
REFERENCES:
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patent: 4775964 (1988-10-01), Alessio et al.
patent: 5265071 (1993-11-01), Thorgersen et al.
patent: 5513153 (1996-04-01), Thorgersen et al.
patent: 5734627 (1998-03-01), Sy
patent: 5838644 (1998-11-01), Yoneda et al.
Minami Shunji
Sakurazawa Naohiko
Sonoda Hiroyuki
Casio Computer Co. Ltd.
Frishauf, Holtz Goodman, Langer & Chick, P.C.
Miska Vit
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