Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Displays or display device details – Optical
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-02
2003-11-04
Gibson, Randy (Department: 2841)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Displays or display device details
Optical
C368S082000, C368S084000, C368S223000, C368S239000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06643224
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timepiece such as a wrist watch or a clock for displaying time information, that is, time information such as an hour, a minute, and a second, and calendar information such as a date, days of the week, a month, and a year by use of a liquid crystal display.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of timepieces for digitally displaying time information such as an hour, a minute, and a second, and calendar information such as a date, days of the week, a month, and a year by use of a liquid crystal display have been brought to the commercial stage and are being used.
When the time information and the calendar information are digitally displayed by the liquid crystal display, predetermined display is performed by arranging an upper polarizing film and a lower polarizing film at the upper and the lower sides of a liquid crystal cell respectively, and using properties of a liquid crystal layer sealed in the liquid crystal cell in which optical characteristics change when an electrical field is applied thereto.
The timepiece using the conventional liquid crystal display digitally displays the time information and the calendar information in black on a white background in a typical normally white mode.
An example of a conventional timepiece for digitally displaying the time information using the liquid crystal display will be explained here using the drawings.
FIG. 27
is a plan view showing an example of a wristwatch for performing conventional digital display.
FIG. 28
is a schematic sectional view taken along line
28
—
28
in FIG.
27
.
In this timepiece, as shown in
FIG. 28
, a timepiece module composed of a liquid crystal display panel described later and a circuit board
205
, and the like are housed in a package composed of a case body
201
, a cover glass
202
, and a case back
203
. A dial cover
231
for shielding a portion of a sealant and the like of the liquid crystal display panel and used for a visual design of the timepiece is provided between the cover glass
202
and the liquid crystal display panel.
The liquid crystal display panel used for digital display includes a first substrate
211
, first electrodes
212
formed on an inner face of the first substrate
211
, a second substrate
213
opposed to the first substrate
211
with a predetermined gap interposed therebetween, and second electrodes
214
formed on an inner face of the second substrate
213
, as viewed from the cover glass
202
side (the visible side of an observer), in which portions where the first electrodes
212
and the second electrodes
214
overlap respectively become display pixels. Normally, a segment type electrode form is used.
A liquid crystal layer
215
is sandwiched between the first substrate
211
and the second substrate
213
. The liquid crystal layer
215
is sealed between the first substrate
211
and the second substrate
213
by a sealant
233
and a closing material (not shown). Further, alignment films (not shown) are provided on the opposed inner faces of the first substrate
211
and the second substrate
213
(including top of the first electrodes
212
and top of the second electrodes
214
) so as to align the liquid crystal layer
215
in a predetermined direction.
For example, in the case of a liquid crystal layer composed of a twisted nematic liquid crystal, an upper molecular alignment direction of liquid crystal and a lower molecular alignment direction of liquid crystal are oriented orthogonal to each other to thereby set a twist angle thereof to 90 degrees.
Furthermore, a first polarizing film
221
composed of an absorption type polarizing film is provided on the first substrate
211
of this liquid crystal display panel, and a second polarizing film
222
composed of a reflection type polarizing film is provided under the second substrate
213
, respectively.
The absorption type polarizing film is an ordinary polarizing film which transmits one of linearly polarized lights of which polarization directions are orthogonal to each other and absorbs the other. The reflection type polarizing film is a polarizing film which transmits one of linearly polarized lights of which polarization directions are orthogonal to each other and for reflects the other, and has been recently developed.
The arrangement of transmission axes of the first polarizing film
221
and the second polarizing film
222
parallel to each other, in combination with the above-described liquid crystal display panel, enables exhibition of a strong reflection state in a case where no voltage or a small voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer
215
, and exhibition of a transmission state in a case where the applied voltage is large.
Further, a light source
207
composed of an electro-luminescent (EL) device and a circuit board
205
for applying a required voltage to the light source
207
and the liquid crystal display panel are disposed on the lower side of the liquid crystal display panel.
The circuit board
205
is connected to the liquid crystal display panel by the use of a zebra-rubber connector
232
. The circuit board
205
is connected to the light source
207
also by using a zebra-rubber connector for a light source terminal
239
.
The liquid crystal display panel is held by a panel holder
208
and integrated with the circuit board
205
and the like by a circuit holder
209
for holding the circuit board
205
and the like, thereby constituting a timepiece module. A battery
206
is held on the lower side of the circuit board
205
.
On the cover glass
202
side of this timepiece, as shown in
FIG. 27
, a display portion
241
by the above-described liquid crystal display panel is provided, and the display portion
241
includes a morning/afternoon (AM/PM) display portion
242
, an hour display portion
243
, and a minute display portion
244
. Further, an adjustment button
251
for adjusting the time or the like is provided on a side face of the case body
201
.
As described above, AM or PM is displayed on the display portion
241
, while the hour and the minute are also digitally displayed. In place of the time display, the calendar display such as the year, the month, and the date can be displayed.
However, by simply digitally displaying the typical time information and calendar information as described above, neither variety in design nor interest can be offered, with a resulting tendency to lose soon popularity with consumers, and, as a result, consumption of digital display type timepieces has recently been on the decline.
Further, even in the case where display in a metallic tone can be realized by the use of the reflection type polarizing film as shown in the conventional example, a digital display type timepiece with more variety in visual design has been desired.
Further, it has also been under consideration to shield or open (opening or closing of a shutter) a part or the entire face of the time display portion of the timepiece in accordance with the environment in use or the internal circumstances of the timepiece, but there are problems in making it thinner and in its controllability, and thus it has not been put into practical use yet.
The present invention is carried out in view of such a technical background, and its object is to provide a digital display type timepiece with variety in visual design. Further, another object is to provide a timepiece rich in visual change by opening and closing display on the time display portion in accordance with environments for use of the timepiece, a control signal from a user, or internal circumstances of the timepiece, in addition to improvement of the visual design of the timepiece.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To achieve the above objects, a timepiece according to the present invention is configured so that two liquid crystal display panels and three polarizing films are arranged overlaid one upon another in a case body to form an upper display portion and a lower display portion, and the lower display portion performs at lea
Akiba Yuichi
Akiyama Takashi
Ide Masafumi
Kikuchi Masami
Nakagawa Koji
Armstrong Westerman & Hattori, LLP
Citizen Watch Co. Ltd.
Gibson Randy
Lindinger Michael L.
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