Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – With simultaneous time indicating means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-03
2003-10-28
Martin, David (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
With simultaneous time indicating means
C368S071000, C368S072000, C368S074000, C368S110000, C368S319000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06639874
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pointer electronic timepiece, an operating method of the pointer electronic timepiece and a control program of the pointer electronic timepiece. Specifically, it relates to a pointer electronic timepiece having a pointer other than ordinary time-indicating pointer such as chronograph pointer and alarm pointer.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, various functions such as chronograph, alarm and timer are required not only for digital electronic timepiece but also for pointer electronic timepiece (analog electronic timepiece), so that various multi-function pointer electronic timepieces have been commercialized.
Such pointer electronic timepiece has a pointer for chronograph count indication, an alarm time setting pointer and a pointer for indicating measured count value when various sensors such as altimeter are installed provided on a dedicated small window on a dial, in addition to time-indicating pointers (pointer of primary timepiece) such as hour hand, minute hand and second hand.
The respective pointers are ordinarily driven by independent step motors. For instance, when chronograph pointers, e.g. one-fifth chronograph hand (one-fifth second CG hand) and a minute chronograph hand (minute CG hand), are provided as well as time-indicating step motor, two step motors for driving respective pointers are separately provided. Further, when an alarm pointer is provided, a step motor for driving the pointer is separately provided. In the same manner, when a sensor such as an altimeter is provided, a step motor for driving the pointer is separately provided.
Among the pointers, the hour-indicating pointer is ordinarily adjusted by drawing out a winding crown to a pointer-adjusting position and rotating the winding crown.
On the other hand, position adjustment of the CG hands, alarm pointer, and sensor pointer becomes necessary in order to set initial value. Specifically, though the respective CG hands etc. return to zero-position thereof by resetting operation, the position returned by resetting may be shifted from the predetermined zero-position when the device is initialized by battery exchange etc.
In order to correct the position shift, a button is provided for every pointer driven by the respective step motors and the button corresponding to the pointer to be adjusted are operated to correct the position shift. For instance, when three step motors for respectively driving the one-fifth second CG hand, minute CG hand and alarm hand are provided as well as the ordinary time-indicating step motor, three switches (buttons) are provided as well as the winding crown and the initial position of the pointers driven by the respective step motors are corrected by operating the switches.
However, when the switches are provided for every pointer, the number of the switches is increased to prevent reduction of size and thickness reduction of the movement-holder becomes difficult and production cost increases.
Further, when the number of switches is increased, it is difficult to identify the switch corresponding to the pointer to be adjusted, thereby deteriorating operability thereof.
On the other hand, a timepiece having an alarm pointer for alarming function as well as the primary timepiece pointers has, as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 7-104418 and publication of Japanese Patent No. 2998749, a second winding crown (winding-shaft) and a switch for operating the alarm pointer as well as a winding crown for adjusting the pi timepiece pointers.
However, when the number of the external operation member increases, the space for the operation member and switching mechanism has to be set wide, so that reduction in size and thickness of the movement-holder becomes difficult and component layout becomes restricted to make design difficult. Further, since more number of parts is required, production cost thereof can be increased.
An object of the present invention is, in a pointer electronic timepiece having alarm function, to eliminate the need for increasing the external operation member such as a winding crown, to reduce size and thickness of the movement-holder and to enhance layout freedom, thus restraining increase in cost.
Another object of the present invention is, in a pointer electronic timepiece, even when the number of the pointer is increased, to eliminate the need for increasing the number of external operation member such as a switch and to facilitate an adjusting operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to improve alarm function, the present invention uses following arrangement.
A pointer electronic timepiece according to an aspect of the present invention has: a plurality of step motors; a plurality of pointers driven by the step motors, the plurality of pointers at least including a primary timepiece pointer for indicating current time and an alarm pointer for indicating an alarm setting time; a plurality of external operation members; a current time counter for counting the current time; an alarm counter for storing the alarm setting time; an alarm beeper; and an alarm controller for controlling the alarm pointer and the alarm beeper; the external operation member including a winding crown for operating the primary timepiece pointer, the winding crown being capable of changing position thereof to at least three positions including a zero stage, a first stage and a second stage, the alarm controller switching an alarm beeping mode assigned with the alarm setting time for beeping the alarm when the current time coincides with the alarm setting time, an alarm time setting mode for setting the alarm setting time, and an alarm current time adjusting mode for adjusting the alarm pointer with the current time corresponding to the three positions of the winding crown.
According to the above arrangement, since the respective control modes of the alarm controller for operating the alarm pointers and alarm setting are switched by the winding crown for operating the primary timepiece pointers, conventional second winding crown is not necessary. Accordingly, the number of external operation member can be reduced, thereby reducing size and thickness of the movement holder, enhancing freedom in layout and reducing production cost. Especially, since the winding crown requires wider space than the other external operation member such as a switch because switching mechanism are attached, the size and thickness reduction of the movement holder can be further efficiently conducted by reducing the number of the winding crown as compared to reduction in the switch.
In the above arrangement, the zero stage of the winding crown may preferably be a position for ordinary driving, the first stage is a position for date adjustment of the primary timepiece pointer and the second stage is a position for pointer adjustment of the primary timepiece pointer, and the alarm controller may preferably be set to the alarm beeping mode when the winding crown is positioned at the zero stage, to the alarm time setting mode when the winding crown is positioned at the first stage and to the alarm current time adjusting mode when the winding crown is positioned at the second stage.
According to such arrangement, since the frequently used alarm time setting operation is conducted when the winding crown is drawn out to the first stage and the less frequent alarm current time adjusting operation is conducted when the winding crown is drawn out to the second stage, overall operability of the alarm operation can be improved.
In the pointer electronic timepiece according to the present invention, the external operation member ay preferably include at least one switch in addition to the winding crown, and, when the alarm controller is switched to the respective modes in accordance with the position of the winding crown, the alarm controller may preferably be operated in the respective modes by operating the switch.
More specifically, the alarm controller may preferably include: a winding crown position detector for de
Maruyama Akihiko
Shimizu Eisaku
Haro Rosalio
Lindinger Michael L.
Martin David
Seiko Epson Corporation
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