Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Chronological – With electro-optical display
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-16
2001-12-11
Miska, Vit (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Chronological
With electro-optical display
C368S088000, C368S281000, C368S299000, C368S309000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06330208
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a watch, such a watch for display of the time, a stopwatch, a calculator watch, a video game in the form of a watch or the like. The present invention is more particularly directed to a watch having a liquid crystal display.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a conventional liquid crystal display watch
1
includes a case body
10
, a transparent case front
12
, a module
14
and a case back
16
. The module
14
is an integral unit which includes a battery (not separately shown) for power, a printed circuit board (not separately shown) to control a display and a liquid crystal display
15
.
There is an ongoing need for liquid crystal displays
15
which are easier to read and aesthetically pleasing. Some convention liquid crystal displays can be difficult to read because of their small size. Some conventional liquid crystal displays can be difficult to read because of a relatively low degree of contrast between the liquid crystal display characters and the background.
FIG. 2
shows a cross-section of the case body
10
. The peripheral wall
18
of the case body
10
is relatively thick, in order to provide sufficient strength and rigidity, and also to allow a tight connection (such as a sealed watertight gasket) to the case back
16
. Furthermore, the thick peripheral wall
18
can help to support button structures (not shown) which are disposed through the peripheral wall.
Conventionally, watches, such as watch
1
, are constructed by performing the following steps in the following order: (1) the transparent case front
12
is sealed to the case body
14
, (2) the module
16
is inserted in the opening
20
in the back (non-viewing) side of the case body, and (3) the case back
16
is sealed over the opening
20
.
The area of the liquid crystal display is limited by the size of the opening
20
. More specifically, because the peripheral wall
18
is thick, the opening
20
and the liquid crystal display
15
disposed within the opening
20
are substantially smaller then the profile of the case body
10
. Of course, the smaller the display
15
, the more difficult it is to read. Also, smaller displays
15
may be considered less aesthetically pleasing.
Corner cutting is one conventional accommodation made in order to provide a larger display relative to the outer profile of case body. In a corner cut watch, the corners of the opening in the case body and the module are chamfered. One drawback of corner cut watches is that the chamfered case body and module are generally more expensive to produce.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display watch, and a method for making the same, which has a relatively large liquid crystal display relative to the size of the watch case. It is a further object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display watch, and a method for assembling the same, which has good strength and rigidity. It is a further object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display watch, and method of making the same, which has sufficient thickness in the peripheral wall of its case to allow a tight connection between the case body and the case back. It is a further object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display watch, which has sufficient thickness in the peripheral wall of its case to support user input devices as buttons, keys, or rotary dials. It is a further object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display which has a relatively large display without resorting to corner cutting.
At least some of the foregoing objectives may be achieved by utilizing a case body with a peripheral wall which is thicker toward the back side and thinner toward the front side, and by mounting the liquid crystal display through the front of the case body, rather than through the back.
It is a further object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display which includes a reflective sheet. It is a further object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a liquid crystal display which is aesthetically pleasing and has a high degree of contrast between the characters and the background of the display.
Still other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description wherein there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration, of one of the best modes contemplated for carrying out this invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modification in various aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, the present invention, a watch includes a case body, a liquid crystal display. The case body has a front side, a back side and a peripheral wall extending from the front side to the back side. The peripheral wall includes a front side portion in the vicinity of the front side and a back side portion in the vicinity of the back side. The thickness of the front side portion of the peripheral wall is less than the thickness of the back side portion of the peripheral wall.
The liquid crystal display is disposed at least partially within the case body in the vicinity of the front side portion of the peripheral wall. The control device controls the liquid crystal display, and the control device is at least partially disposed in the vicinity of the back side portion of the peripheral wall. In this way, the peripheral wall can accommodate a relatively large liquid crystal display while providing sufficient protection and support for the control device and related buttons or watertight gaskets.
According to some embodiments of the present invention, a liquid crystal display includes a liquid crystal state material layer, a back light, and a partially reflective material layer located between the liquid crystal state material layer and the back light. The partially reflective material layer will allow some of the light emitted from the back light to pass therethrough to illuminate the liquid crystal state material layer, while reflecting much of the ambient light which passes through the liquid crystal state material layer. In this way, the partially reflective material layer can help enhance contrast and/or aesthetic appeal of the liquid crystal display.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3759031 (1973-09-01), McCullough et al.
patent: 3945195 (1976-03-01), Mason
patent: 3973835 (1976-08-01), Miyakawa et al.
patent: 4144705 (1979-03-01), Iinuma
patent: 4194351 (1980-03-01), Kume et al.
patent: 4198811 (1980-04-01), Ratajski
patent: 4232512 (1980-11-01), Yoshikawa et al.
patent: 4272838 (1981-06-01), Kasama
patent: 4276627 (1981-06-01), Komiyama
patent: 5008869 (1991-04-01), Dweck
patent: 5224078 (1993-06-01), Mallin
patent: 5566137 (1996-10-01), Chevroulet et al.
patent: WO97/01788 (1997-01-01), None
Break Gear vol. 9, Sep. 1997, various pages including p. 15, which Applicants believe discloses a conventional accommodation made in the area of liquid crystal display known as corner cutting.
Chen Leo
Sode Tadashi
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Miska Vit
Xonix Watch Co., Ltd.
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