Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Power supply details – Electrical
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-03
2001-10-30
Roskoski, Bernard (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Power supply details
Electrical
C368S088000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06310836
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a timepiece including light-receptive/emitting means such as a solar cell and an EL (electroluminescence) device and a fixing structure of a dial to a timepiece movement.
BACKGROUND ART
In recent years, a solar cell is receiveing an attention as clean energy supplyer, which reflects environmental issues. Therefore, timepieces with their hands driven by energy which is generated by the solar cells and charged into storage units such as secondary batteries, capacitors, and the like are commercially available. Many timepieces having illuminating functions for illuminating the dial by using the EL device which is provided behind the dial are also commercially available.
As a fixing structure for fixing to the timepiece movement the solar cell which supplies power to driving units built into the timepiece movement, a fixing structure is disclosed in WO95/27234, for example.
FIG. 14
is a plan view of a timepiece movement of a conventional timepiece having a solar cell and
FIG. 15
is a sectional view taken along line
15
—
15
in FIG.
14
.
As shown in
FIGS. 14 and 15
, a metal plate
3
is mounted to an upper surface of a timepiece movement
2
which incorporates driving units and a train wheel bridge
4
made of metal is mounted to a lower surface of the timepiece movement
2
. A light-transmitting dial
14
formed of transparent or translucent material is disposed above the metal plate
3
.
As the driving units built into the timepiece movement
2
, there is a stepping motor for moving the hands, for example. The stepping motor is driven by a transmitted signal from a circuit board
6
disposed outside the timepiece movement
2
and moves a second hand
7
a,
a minute hand
7
b,
and an hour hand
7
c.
The circuit board
6
is supported by a circuit board support
8
made of plastic and provided at a periphery of the timepiece movement
2
. Bolts
9
are inserted from a lower surface side of the timepiece movement
2
through the train wheel bridge
4
, the circuit board
6
, and the circuit board support
8
, and the tips of the bolts
9
are screwed into threaded holes in the metal plate
3
, thereby fixing the metal plate
3
, the train wheel bridge
4
, the circuit board
6
, and the circuit board support
8
to the timepiece movement
2
.
A solar cell
10
for supplying power to the driving units is formed of a metal thin plate and is disposed between the upper surface of the timepiece movement
2
and the circuit board support
8
, and the light-transmitting dial
14
. A solar cell support frame
11
made of a resin is mounted to a peripheral edge
8
a
of the circuit board support
8
. The solar cell support frame
11
has a first portion
11
a
projecting from the peripheral edge of the circuit board support
8
toward the timepiece movement
2
and the first portion
11
a
engages with a peripheral edge of the solar cell
10
without interfering with the dial
14
, thereby fixing the solar cell
10
to the circuit board support
8
.
FIG. 16
is a partial sectional view of
FIG. 14
for explaining conducting means for supplying power from the solar cell
10
to the circuit board
6
. As shown in
FIG. 16
, conductive tape
12
is laminated on a surface of the solar cell
10
and is bonded by thermocompression to a terminal
10
a
provided to the surface of the solar cell
10
through an anisotropic conductive film. Between the solar cell
10
and the circuit board
6
, a leaf spring
13
made of metal is provided to pass through the circuit board support
8
and a end of the leaf spring
13
is in contact with the conductive tape
12
. The other end of the leaf spring
13
is bent along the surface of the circuit board
6
to be in contact with a terminal (not shown) of the circuit board
6
.
A sectional view of a timepiece according to another prior art of the invention is shown in
FIG. 17
for a reference purpose. Differences of this timepiece from one shown in
FIGS. 14
to
16
is that power from the solar cell
10
which generates power by receiveing light is supplied to the circuit board
6
via a coil spring
13
′. Because the other portions of the timepiece are similar to those in
FIGS. 14
to
16
, similar reference numerals and characters are provided to the similar portions to omit detailed descriptions of such portions.
FIG. 18
is a partial sectional view showing a state in which the timepiece movement shown in
FIGS. 14
to
16
is housed in a case and
FIG. 19
is a view taken along line
19
—
19
in FIG.
18
.
As shown in
FIGS. 18 and 19
, a dial
14
is disposed on the solar cell
10
so as not to interfere with a solar cell support frame
11
and such that a peripheral edge of the dial
14
is positioned on a timepiece movement
2
side. A plurality of (two in the illustrated example) notch portions
14
a
in U-shape is defined on the peripheral edge of the dial
14
and dial fixing pins
8
b
defined to project from an upper surface of a circuit board support
8
are press-fitted into and engaged with the notch portions
14
a.
Thereby, the dial
14
is fixed to the timepiece movement
2
so as not to rotate.
In
FIG. 18
, a reference numeral
15
indicates the case as an outer member for housing the timepiece movement
2
and the like. An opening in which glass
16
is mounted is formed on an upper surface of the case
15
. At a peripheral edge of the opening of the case
15
, a parting portion
15
a
projecting inward is formed and a size of the parting portion
15
a
defines a range in which the dial
14
can be seen. The parting portion
15
a
is provided to cover a peripheral edge of the dial
14
from above at the offset place from the dial fixing pins
8
b
toward a center of the timepiece.
FIGS. 20 and 21
are external views of a timepiece with a conventional solar cell.
As shown in
FIGS. 20 and 21
, the parting portion
15
a
is provided to cover the peripheral edge of the dial
14
at the center side of the timepiece offset from the dial fixing pin portions
8
b
and has a circular shape (
FIG. 20
) similarly to the dial
14
or a shape of an ellipse (an odd shape) (
FIG. 21
) slightly smaller than the dial
14
.
The above-described conventional timepieces have the following drawbacks. According to the fixing structure of the dial of the conventional timepiece, because an allowable range of the parting portion
15
a
of the timepiece movement is limited by the dial fixing pins
8
b,
the parting portion
15
a
can not be broadened outward from the dial fixing pins
8
b
and it is difficult to apply a similer design for the timepiece movement to various designs for the timepieces. In other words, if the parting portion
15
a
of the timepiece is broadened, the solar cell support frame
11
appears at an outer peripheral portion of the dial
14
through the case glass
16
and the tolerance of the parting portion
15
a
is limited by an inner diameter of the solar cell support frame
11
. Therefore, in order to adapt to the various designs, an individual timepiece movement has been conventionally produced on a request for each design. As a result, the cost of producing the timepiece becomes high and production control of the timepiece movements is troublesome because many timepiece movements with various designs are necessary.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and to provide a timepiece having light-receptive/emitting means such as light-electric power generating means and an EL device, in which a tolerance of a parting portion can be set freely and a timepiece movement fixing structure can meet the various design requests.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a timepiece having a dial for displaying a time, a timepiece movement incorporating driving units, light-receptive/emitting means provided between the timepiece movement and the dial, and an outer member for housing the timepiece movement, wherein a portion or a whole of the dial is formed to have a light-transmitting p
Fujii Teruhiko
Fukuda Masami
Kashikie Junsuke
Murata Toshio
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Roskoski Bernard
LandOfFree
Timepiece does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Timepiece, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Timepiece will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2615604