HK1237893B - Dial and timepiece - Google Patents

Description

dials and clocks

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a dial and a clock.

Background Art

Conventionally, a watch or the like employs a dial that includes, in addition to a dial body constituting a main display portion, plate-shaped members for displaying various functions.

For example, Japanese Patent Gazette No. 11-258361 describes a clock structure that, in addition to a dial body, is rotatably provided with: an hour disc with hour numerals printed on it, a minute disc with arrows indicating minutes printed on it, a second disc with arrows indicating seconds printed on it, and other plate components (plate-shaped rotating bodies).

When a plurality of plate members are provided in the display portion as described above, a dial and a clock having excellent three-dimensional design can be realized.

However, it is difficult to form a rotating body into a perfect circle. Therefore, when the rotating body is rotated, it rotates in a slightly eccentric state, causing fluctuations and distortions in the rotating body.

When the diameter of the rotating body increases, the eccentricity also increases, and fluctuations or distortions of the rotating body during rotational motion tend to become noticeable.

Furthermore, the fluctuation caused by such eccentricity is particularly likely to be noticeable at the peripheral edge of the rotating body.

In addition, when the display portion includes a rotating body in addition to the dial body, and the rotating body is supported only by a rotating shaft, the rotating body may fall off when an external impact is applied due to falling, for example, the rotating body may come into contact with other parts such as metal hands, causing damage or breakage.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a dial and a timepiece which, when equipped with a rotating body, can reduce noticeable fluctuations caused by eccentricity during the rotation of the rotating body and also have excellent impact resistance.

One aspect of the present invention is to provide a dial including: a rotating body rotatably provided; and a dial body including a covering portion covering a peripheral edge portion of the rotating body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG1 is a front view of a clock having a dial according to the present embodiment;

FIG2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part taken along line II-II in FIG1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

1 and 2 , an embodiment of a dial and a timepiece using the dial of the present invention will be described in detail.

In addition, in the embodiment described below, various technically preferred limitations are added in order to implement the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment and the illustrated examples.

FIG1 is a front view showing a timepiece including a dial according to the present embodiment.

The timepiece 100 includes a case (hereinafter referred to as “timepiece case 1 ”) formed in a hollow short columnar shape with upper and lower openings in the thickness direction of the timepiece.

Band attachment portions 11 for attaching a watch band (not shown) are provided at the upper and lower ends of the watch case 1 in FIG. 1 , ie, at the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock ends of the watch.

Furthermore, the timepiece 100 includes an operation button 12 on a side portion of the timepiece case 1 or the like.

The operating button 12 is configured such that its insertion-side end is connected to a watch module (not shown) housed inside the watch case 1 , and various operations can be performed by pressing or rotating the operating button 12 .

The opening on the observation side (the surface side) of the watch case 1 is blocked by a windshield member 13 formed of transparent glass or the like.

In addition, the opening on the side opposite to the observation side (the back side) of the watch case 1 is closed by a back cover member (not shown).

Furthermore, a display unit 30 is arranged inside the watch case 1 and below the windshield member 13 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the display unit 30 of this embodiment is an analog display unit including a dial 3 and hands 32 arranged above the dial 3 , such as an hour hand 32 a , a minute hand 32 b , and a second hand 32 c .

The display unit 30 provided in the timepiece 100 is not limited to an analog display unit, and may be a digital display unit including a liquid crystal panel or the like, or may include both analog and digital display units.

A timepiece module (not shown) is arranged inside the timepiece case 1 and below the display unit 30 (that is, on the back side of the timepiece 100 ).

The watch module includes a travel mechanism (not shown) such as a gear mechanism or a motor within a housing formed of, for example, resin. Furthermore, the watch module incorporates a circuit board on which various electronic components are mounted, and a battery for supplying power to the various functional units of the watch 100.

The timepiece module includes a pointer shaft 35 that projects toward the face (viewing side) of the timepiece 100. The base end of the pointer shaft 35 is connected to the movement mechanism, while the free end (the protruding end) passes through the dial 3 (in this embodiment, the dial body 4 described later) and is exposed toward the viewing side. The hands 32 (hour hand 32a, minute hand 32b, and second hand 32c) are mounted on the free end of the pointer shaft 35.

The timepiece module rotates the pointer shaft 35 , thereby causing the hour hand 32 a , the minute hand 32 b , and the second hand 32 c attached to the pointer shaft 35 to move above the dial 3 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , a dial 3 of the present embodiment includes a dial body 4 and a rotating body 5 .

The dial body 4 is a flat plate-shaped member, and hour numeral members 34 serving as a time reference indicated by the hour hand 32 a , the minute hand 32 b , and the second hand 32 c are arranged on the peripheral edge of the surface side.

As shown in FIG. 1 , an opening 41 for exposing the rotor 5 is formed at approximately 6 o'clock on the timepiece in the dial body 4 .

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1 .

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a rotating body 5 is arranged at a position corresponding to the opening 41 and on the back side of the dial body 4 .

The rotating body 5 of this embodiment is formed by molding, for example, resin using a mold or the like. The material and forming method of the rotating body 5 are not particularly limited. The rotating body 5 is not limited to a rotating body molded with resin, and may be formed using materials other than resin, such as metal.

The rotating body 5 is provided with a support shaft 51 at a substantially central portion thereof. The rotating body 5 is a plate-shaped member rotatable about the support shaft 51 .

That is, the base end side (the lower side in FIG. 2 ) of the support shaft 51 is connected to the timepiece module, and the timepiece module rotates the rotating body 5 by rotating the support shaft 51 .

The rotating body 5 is formed into a dome shape with the center of rotation, ie, the center portion (ie, the portion provided with the support shaft 51), being the highest and being inclined so as to become lower toward the periphery.

In the rotor 5 , at least only the flat plate portion 52 has a radial dimension larger than the diameter of the opening 41 of the dial body 4 , so that the flat plate portion 52 is covered by the peripheral edge of the opening 41 .

As described above, in the present embodiment, the peripheral edge portion of the opening 41 in the dial body 4 functions as the covering portion 42 that covers at least the peripheral edge portion of the rotor 5 .

The covering portion 42 is formed at a higher position than other parts of the dial body 4 so that its lower surface (bottom in FIG. 2 ) does not contact the upper surface (top in FIG. 2 ) of the flat plate portion 52 and other upper surfaces of the rotating body 5, and a certain gap is left between the lower surface and the upper surface of the flat plate portion 52 and other upper surfaces of the rotating body 5.

A protection portion 43 is formed on the surface of the covering portion 42 on the observation side (the upper surface in FIG. 2 ) to protect the surface from being damaged.

The protection portion 43 is formed by attaching a sheet-shaped adhesive sealant (eg, Meta Letter) made of, for example, a metal material to the upper surface (in FIG. 2 , the upper surface) of the covering portion 42 .

The method for forming the protective portion 43 is not limited to the method exemplified herein. The protective portion 43 may be formed by coating ceramic or hard glass, for example, as long as it can prevent the upper surface of the covering portion 42 from being damaged or worn by the hands 32 and 54 (described later) moving on the dial 3.

In this embodiment, the support shaft 51 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape, and a pointer shaft 53 that supports the pointer is inserted into the interior of the cylindrical support shaft 51 .

The base end of pointer shaft 53 is connected to the watch module, and the free end thereof projects toward the surface of rotor 5. A pointer 54 is attached to the end of pointer shaft 53 on the projecting side.

In this embodiment, a case where the pointer 54 is supported by the pointer shaft 53 and is a small pointer (functional pointer) that rotates on the rotating body 5 is exemplified.

2 , the front end of the pointer 54 is slightly lowered toward the dial 3 so as to follow the surface shape of the rotor 5. The shape of the pointer 54 is not limited to the illustrated example.

Next, the operation of the dial and the timepiece using the dial in this embodiment will be described.

In this embodiment, first, the pointer shaft 35 is assembled on the watch module in the approximate center of the plane, and the support shaft 51, through which the pointer shaft 53 is inserted, is assembled on the 6 o'clock side of the watch module. Then, the rotating body 5 formed by resin molding or the like is attached to the free end of the support shaft 51.

The dial body 4 is then positioned so that the opening 41 is formed in the rotating body 5. This allows the rotating body 5 to be exposed through the opening 41 to the viewing side of the timepiece 100. The flat plate portion 52, which is the periphery of the opening 41, is then covered by the covering portion 42. A protective portion 43 is then formed by attaching a metal seal or the like to the surface of the covering portion 42. This completes the dial 3.

Furthermore, pointer 32 is attached to the free end side of pointer shaft 35 , and pointer 54 is attached to the free end side of pointer shaft 53 , whereby display unit 30 in the present embodiment is completed.

Then, the display unit 30 including the watch module and the dial 3 is housed in the watch case 1 , and the windshield member 13 , the back cover member, etc. are attached, whereby the watch 100 is completed.

In this embodiment, the rotor 5 and the pointer 54 rotate independently or in conjunction with each other, thereby displaying various functions.

In this case, the larger the diameter of the rotating body 5, the more likely it is to produce fluctuations and distortions due to eccentricity during rotation. Such fluctuations are particularly noticeable at the peripheral edge of the rotating body 5. However, in this embodiment, the peripheral edge of the rotating body 5, i.e., the flat plate portion 52, is covered by the covering portion 42 of the dial body 4. Therefore, the fluctuations of the rotating body 5 are not noticeable.

Furthermore, since a portion of the rotor 5 is covered by the dial body 4 , even when the timepiece 100 is dropped or subjected to external impact, the rotor 5 is unlikely to fall off the timepiece module or the support shaft 51 and become displaced.

Moreover, this can avoid positional deviation or flying out caused by impact, etc., and therefore can also prevent the rotating body 5 from contacting other parts such as the pointer 32 or the pointer 54, thereby preventing surface damage, etc.

Furthermore, since the protective portion 43 is formed on the surface of the covering portion 42 , the surface of the covering portion 42 covering the peripheral portion of the rotating body 5 can be prevented from coming into contact with other parts such as the pointer 32 or the pointer 54 and being damaged.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the dial 3 is provided with a plate-shaped rotating body 5 rotatably mounted thereon, and the dial main body 4 is provided with a covering portion 42 that covers at least the peripheral edge portion, i.e., the flat plate portion 52, of the rotating body 5. Therefore, the dial 3 can be provided with a three-dimensional structure having excellent design properties, and even if the timepiece 100 is subjected to an impact, the rotating body 5 can be prevented from falling off the support shaft 51 or from contacting other components and causing damage or wear.

Furthermore, since the rotating body 5 is not a perfect circle, the larger its diameter, the more fluctuation or distortion it generates due to eccentricity during rotation. Such fluctuation is particularly noticeable at the periphery of the rotating body 5. However, in this embodiment, the periphery of the rotating body 5, i.e., the flat plate portion 52, is covered by the covering portion 42 of the dial body 4. Therefore, even if some fluctuation occurs in the rotating body 5, it is less noticeable.

Furthermore, the outer edge of the rotor 5 can be covered by the covering portion 42. Therefore, even if the outer edge is not carefully processed during the manufacture of the rotor 5, the appearance of the dial 3 and the timepiece 100 will not be affected. Therefore, the productivity of the rotor 5 can be improved.

For example, when using a mold to mold the rotating body 5 with resin, a gate is required to flow resin into the mold. If this gate portion is exposed to the viewing side, the appearance is deteriorated. However, in the present embodiment, in a configuration where the peripheral edge of the rotating body 5 is covered by the covering portion 42, even if a gate is provided on the peripheral edge of the rotating body 5, after assembly, the gate portion is concealed by the covering portion 42, thus preventing it from being exposed to the viewing side and thus preventing any deterioration in appearance. This simplifies mold design and resin molding, improving the productivity of the rotating body 5.

Furthermore, even when the rotating body 5 is subjected to surface processing, the peripheral portion of the rotating body 5 covered by the covering portion 42 is fixed to a jig or touched by hand without affecting the finished appearance. Therefore, handling is easy and operability is improved.

Furthermore, since the rotor 5 is partially covered by the dial body 4 , even when the timepiece 100 is subjected to an external impact, such as when it is dropped, the rotor 5 is prevented from falling off the timepiece module or the support shaft 51 and being displaced.

Furthermore, since the rotor 5 does not deviate from its position or fly out due to impact or the like, it is also possible to prevent the rotor 5 from coming into contact with other parts such as the pointer 32 or the pointer 54 and causing surface damage or the like.

Furthermore, a protective portion 43 is formed on the surface of the covering portion 42 of the dial body 4 , thereby preventing the surface of the covering portion 42 covering the peripheral portion of the rotor 5 from contacting and being damaged by other parts such as the hands 32 and 54 .

Furthermore, the rotating body 5 of this embodiment is tilted so that the center portion, which is the center of rotation, is the highest and becomes lower toward the peripheral portion.

In addition, the outermost peripheral portion of the rotating body 5 becomes a flat plate portion 52, and the covering portion 42 covers the flat plate portion 52. Therefore, compared with the case of covering an inclined surface, the rotating body 5 can be evenly covered without tilting the entire body, and can be properly protected from flying out.

Furthermore, the rotating body 5 of this embodiment is formed by resin molding. Therefore, even various complex shapes can be easily processed and molded, allowing the dial plate 3 to be formed with a rotating body 5 having a variety of variations and excellent design. Furthermore, even when the rotating body 5 is formed by resin molding using a mold, for example, the gate portion can be easily arranged as described above, thereby improving productivity.

Furthermore, although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For example, in this embodiment, the rotating body 5 is illustrated as having a cross-sectional shape that is gently curved in such a manner that the central portion as the base end is the highest and becomes lower toward the peripheral portion of the free end, and the overall appearance is roughly spherical (hemispherical), but the shape of the rotating body 5 is not limited to this.

For example, the rotating body 5 may have a conical cross-sectional shape that is linearly inclined such that the central portion as the base end is the highest and the peripheral portion becomes lower toward the free end.

Alternatively, the entire rotating body 5 may be a flat disk.

In addition, the rotating body 5 is not limited to a circular disk, and may be a polygonal plate-shaped member.

Furthermore, the dial 3 only needs to include the rotating body 5 and another member having a covering portion that covers at least the peripheral edge of the rotating body 5. The member having the covering portion is not limited to the member having the hour numeral members 34 and the like (the dial body 4 in this embodiment). For example, when the dial 3 is constructed using three or more plate-shaped members including the rotating body 5, the covering portion that covers the peripheral edge of the rotating body 5 can be provided on any one of the members.

In addition, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which a pointer shaft 53 is provided inside the support shaft 51 supporting the rotating body 5, and a pointer 54 serving as a functional needle is supported on the pointer shaft 53, but the pointer shaft 53 and the pointer 54 serving as a functional needle are not essential elements of the present invention, and a structure without them may also be provided.

In addition, in this embodiment, the protective portion 43 is formed on the surface of the covering portion 42 , but the protective portion 43 is not necessarily provided on the surface of the covering portion 42 , and a configuration without the protective portion may be adopted.

In addition, in this embodiment, the dial 3 is provided in the timepiece 100 as an example. However, the device to which the dial of the present invention can be applied is not limited to a timepiece, but can be widely applied as long as a dial including a rotating body can be provided.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (7)

1. A text display panel, characterized in that it comprises: A rotating body that can be freely rotated; and A text panel body having a covering portion that covers the periphery of the rotating body. The rotating body is inclined such that it is highest at the center of rotation and decreases in height towards the periphery, and the outermost periphery is a flat plate. The covering portion covers the flat plate portion. The main body of the text panel has an opening, and the rotating body is positioned corresponding to the opening and located on the lower side of the main body of the text panel. The central portion of the rotating body protrudes from the opening to the observation and confirmation side. The axis around which the rotating body rotates can pass through the opening. 2. The text panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating body is formed by molding resin. 3. The text panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, It has a pointer that rotates on the rotating body. The pointer is positioned closer to the observation and confirmation side than the main body of the text panel. 4. The text panel according to claim 2, characterized in that, It has a pointer that rotates on the rotating body. The pointer is positioned closer to the observation and confirmation side than the main body of the text panel. 5. The text panel according to claim 1, characterized in that, A protective portion is formed on the observation and confirmation side of the covered portion to protect the surface from damage. 6. A text display panel, characterized in that it comprises: A rotating body that can be freely rotated; A text panel body having a covering portion that covers the periphery of the rotating body; A freely rotating pointer; and A protective portion on the observation and confirmation side of the covered portion, designed to protect it from damage by the aforementioned pointer, is formed at a higher position than other parts of the text plate body. The rotating body is inclined such that it is highest at the center of rotation and decreases in height towards the periphery, and the outermost periphery is a flat plate. The covering portion covers the flat plate portion. The main body of the text panel has an opening, and the rotating body is positioned corresponding to the opening and located below the main body of the text panel. The central portion of the rotating body protrudes from the opening to the observation and confirmation side. The axis around which the rotating body rotates can pass through the opening. The protective part is disposed between the pointer and the covering part. 7. A clock, characterized in that it comprises: Text panel as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6; A housing for the text panel.