Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – With mechanical or electromechanical driven display
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-04
2001-08-14
Miska, Vit (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
With mechanical or electromechanical driven display
C368S223000, C368S294000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06275450
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a time piece, and particularly relates to a time piece which has a sub-display system other than a main time display system, such as with a multi-functional watch or the like.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, common analog wristwatches are configured with a dial
11
provided within a watch case
10
, and a display window member
12
formed of a single piece of glass or the like is on the front side of the dial
11
, as shown in FIG.
14
and
FIG. 15. A
through hole is formed in the center of the dial
11
, and a main needle driving portion
13
protrudes through this through hole from the movement stored within the watch case
10
. Attached to this main needle driving portion
13
are an hour hand
14
and minute hand
15
. Also, a plurality of through holes are further formed around the through hole in the dial
11
, from which through holes protrude a plurality of sub-needle driving portions
16
, with needles
17
attached to each. Further, the dial
11
is designed so that sub-indicating areas
11
a,
11
b,
and
11
c
formed according to the needles
17
can be distinguished from other portions of the dial
11
, by means of printing or the like. Incidentally, an open window
11
d
is formed on the dial
11
, so as to allow viewing of the day indicator (or date indicator) through this open window
11
d.
With the above analog wristwatch, the dial
11
, window member
12
, main needle driving portion
13
, hour hand
14
, minute hand
15
, sub-needle driving portions
16
, needles
17
, etc., comprise a display portion. The dial
11
, main needle driving portion
13
, hour hand
14
, and minute hand
15
comprise a time display system which allows one to read the time-of-day from the marks or numbers displayed on the periphery of the dial
11
positioned on the display area of the hour hand
14
and minute hand
15
. In this case, the sub-display system comprised of the sub-needle driving portions
16
and needles
17
are provided with separate needles for displaying only one of the hour hand, minute hand, or second hand, or, needles for displaying other values such as time other than time-of-day, water pressure, air pressure, temperature, humidity, and so forth, so as to display information which is part of the time display system or other information. Watches which have such a sub-display system are called multi-functional wristwatches, and can be used in various ways other than conventional display of the time of day.
The sub-indicating area of the sub-display system in such multi-functional wristwatches is generally positioned within the time-of-day indicating area which is the range of movement of the needles of the time display system (hour hand
14
, minute hand
15
) in an overlaid manner, so that the time-of-day indicating area of the time-of-day display system and the sub-indicating area of the sub-display system overlap in a plane. That is, the time-of-day display system is generally connected at the center of the disk-shaped dial
11
comprising the display portion, with needles extending in the periphery of the dial, so that the indicating area of the time-of-day display system encompasses almost the entirety of the display portion. On the other hand, the sub-display system is connected at a portion other than the center of the dial, and has a small sub-indicating area included in the time-of-day indicating area which makes display with needles much shorter than the radius of the dial.
Now, a stopwatch is a type of the above-described watch, and in the case of a stopwatch, a time display system is provided instead of a time-of-day display system. The phrase “time display system” will hereafter be used as a concept including both the time-of-day display system and time display system.
However, with such multi-functional wristwatches, the indicating area of the time-of-day display system which encompasses almost the entirety of the display portion, and the sub-display system are positioned so as to overlap in a plane, meaning that the needles of the time display system and the sub-indicating area of the sub-display system visually overlap, which is problematic since the display becomes difficult to read.
Also, the time display system and sub-display system are positioned overlapping on the display portion, giving an overall impression of the display portion being complicated, and major changes in design cannot be made.
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the objects thereof are to provide a new time piece, comprising a time piece which has a time display system and a sub-display system such as with a multi-functional watch, having a display portion wherein ease of reading is facilitated and design not giving a complicated impression can be made.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The means according to the present invention for solving the above objects consists of: a time piece, comprising within a display portion for making various types of display: a time display system for displaying time-of-day or time, with one or a plurality of needles; and a sub-display system for displaying time-of-day, time, or other physical quantities, with one or a plurality of needles; the aforementioned time piece being constructed such that the time indicating area of the aforementioned needle(s) in the aforementioned display system, and the sub-indicating area of the aforementioned needle(s) in the aforementioned sub-display system do not overlap on a plane.
According to such means, the time indicating area in the display system and the sub-indicating area in the sub-display system do not overlap on a plane, so deterioration in visual recognition owing to a needle of one covering the display of another, or erroneous reading of the displays can be prevented. Also, owing to the same reason, the design of the display portion is not complicated, there are fewer restrictions on design from overlapping of the time indicating area and the sub-indicating area, facilitating relatively free configuration of a simple design.
Now, it is preferable that the time indicating area of the aforementioned time display system is positioned either at the center portion of the aforementioned display area, or along a central axis extending vertically through the field of view in the event that the aforementioned display portion is viewed at a normal attitude.
According to such means, the time indicating area of the time display system is positioned at the center portion of the display area, or positioned along a central axis extending vertically (e.g., in the direction from 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock on a normal clock) through the field of view in the event that the display portion is viewed at a normal attitude, whereby instantaneous visual recognition of the time display system an be improved, and the display can be correctly read without confusion.
Also, it is preferable that the aforementioned time indicating area of the aforementioned time display system is formed with a greater area than that of the aforementioned sub-indicating area of the aforementioned sub-display system.
According to such means, the time indicating area is formed with a greater area than that of the sub-indicating area, whereby instantaneous visual recognition of the time display system an be improved, and the display can be correctly read without confusion.
Further, it is preferable that the aforementioned time display system has more of the aforementioned needles than the aforementioned sub-display system.
According to such means, the time display system has more needles than the sub-display system, meaning that the display system with more needles is the time display system, whereby instantaneous visual recognition of the time display system an be improved, and the display can be correctly read without confusion.
It is also preferable that the color of the aforementioned needles or the aforementioned time indicating area of the aforementioned time display system differs from the color of the aforementioned needle(s) or the aforeme
Miska Vit
Seiko Epson Corporation
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