JP2004279098A - Watch - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a watch capable of illuminating uniformly a display part by a simple manufacturing method, and showing bright and beautiful luminescence in a single color or in a plurality of colors, and having a large illumination effect and rich designability. <P>SOLUTION: A transparent resin dial ring 3 is placed on the peripheral part of a dial 1 which is a display part of this watch. A near ultraviolet LED 5 is arranged on a notch part 4 of the transparent dial ring 3. The outer surface of the transparent dial ring 3 is subjected to simple gloss finish, and a phosphor paint 6 is applied to one of the upper surface 3b, the outer circumferential surface 3c and the under surface 3d except the inner circumferential surface 3a. The phosphor paint 6 in the single color or in the plurality of colors is used. When the near ultraviolet LED 5 is lit, a near ultraviolet ray enters the dial ring 3 from the notch part 4 and propagates in the dial ring 3. Since the luminescence is emitted from the phosphor paint 6 by the near ultraviolet ray, reflected by a dial ring inner wall, refracted from the inner circumferential surface 3a, directed to the upside of the watch, and brightens the dial ring inner circumferential surface 3a, the dial 1, hour and minute hands or the like can be viewed even in the dark. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a timepiece.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In conventional timepieces, a shielding film consisting of a diffusion layer that diffuses light and a reflection film that prevents light leakage is formed on the outer surface of the light guide ring excluding the light emitting surface, and the lamp is placed inside the light guide ring. I do. The area of the diffusion layer is gradually increased as the distance from the lamp increases.
The light emitted by the lamp is guided around the dial through the light guide ring. The shielding film can increase the amount of irregular reflection of light as the distance from the lamp increases, so that the amount of light can gradually increase as the distance from the lamp increases (see Patent Document 1).
[0003]
Also, in conventional timepieces, the guide is held within the housing by a spacer, which forms a small air gap between the walls facing the outer surface of the guide. A mirror surface is arranged on this wall, and the light rays that escaped the guide are reflected on the mirror surface.
[0004]
What is common to both is to place a light guide ring above the outer periphery of the dial, install a lighting element in the cutout of the light guide ring, and try to even out the light emitted therefrom in the ring inner direction. Is what you do. It is extremely important that such a uniform illumination makes the dial and hands of the mobile watch visible even in darkness, considering the usage environment of the mobile watch.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-7-248385 (paragraphs 0014 to 0015, FIG. 1)
[0006]
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-10-232287 (paragraph numbers 0023 to 0024, FIG. 2)
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in conventional timepieces and lighting devices, in order to realize uniform illumination, it is necessary to perform fine irregularities on the outer peripheral surface of the light guide ring for the purpose of irregular reflection. In order to maintain a higher light emission amount per unit area or to maintain the amount of light emission per unit area, a method that is not easy to implement has been adopted, such as reducing the inner peripheral area of the light guide ring far from the illumination element. Also, in order to maintain a constant brightness, it is necessary not to become too bright near the lighting element of the light guide ring, and to maintain the brightness far away from the lighting element, so that the light emitted from the light guide ring as a whole is The brightness becomes dark, the effect of the illumination of the display unit is insufficient, and there is a design limitation.
[0008]
In the above-described method, if it is attempted to illuminate in a plurality of colors, disadvantageous conditions are imposed on a portable timepiece that needs to minimize current consumption, such as arranging LEDs of several colors. As described above, with the uniform illumination by the conventional illumination elements and devices, it is difficult to design and manufacture the light guide ring, but the illumination effect of the display unit is insufficient, and the design of the portable watch requires many design elements. The case was obviously limited.
[0009]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to simplify a manufacturing method for obtaining difficult uniform illumination with conventional lighting elements and devices. In the related art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a display portion of a portable timepiece that overcomes the point that the lighting effect is insufficient, exhibits a bright and beautiful luminescent color, has a large lighting effect, and is rich in expressive power.
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The timepiece of the present invention includes a dial ring in which the surface is mirror-finished, and at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface, and the outer peripheral surface is coated with a phosphor that is excited by near-ultraviolet light to emit light, and a light source that emits the near-ultraviolet light. Then, the dial ring has at least one notch partly cut away, and the light source is disposed in the notch part.
[0011]
Such diffuse reflection processing, which was indispensable in the conventional technology, emits a part of the light propagating in the light guide ring to the outside of the light guide ring, which hinders the transmission of a large amount of light far away. According to the art, the outer surfaces of the dial ring, which is the light guide ring, may all be of a simple glossy finish, minimizing light emission outside the light guide ring, and having less loss in the light path. Of course, on the surface on which the phosphor is applied, the light is not reflected inside the dial ring but penetrates through the inner wall of the dial ring and is radiated to the applied phosphor layer. As a result, the light is diffused and returns to the dial ring again. The generation of the light returning with the fluorescence is greatly different from the conventional technology in which a part of the light has to be emitted to the outside of the dial ring simply as a loss of the light amount. That is, in the present invention, the emission of only light that has been lost to the outside of the dial ring in the related art is not entirely lost in the present invention, and near-infrared ultraviolet light that has been invisible is efficiently converted to visible light, and again. It comes back during the dial ring. It is due to the action of the phosphor added outside the dial ring.
[0012]
The light source may be a near-ultraviolet lamp or a near-ultraviolet LED element. Since the loss of light quantity in the path where near-ultraviolet light propagates through the dial ring is extremely small, and the fluorescence emission gain in the path can be expected, even a single near-ultraviolet LED element can make the entire dial ring shine evenly. It is.
[0013]
The timepiece of the present invention is a dial ring in which the surface is mirror-finished, and at least one of the upper surface or the outer peripheral surface is coated with a phosphor that is excited and emitted by near-ultraviolet light, a dial plate receiving the dial ring, and the near-ultraviolet light The dial ring has at least one cut-out part of which is cut off, and the dial applies the phosphor to a portion corresponding to the lower surface of the dial ring. The light source is disposed in the cutout.
[0014]
In the timepiece of the present invention, the dial is a transparent resin having the phosphor applied on at least an upper surface or a lower surface.
[0015]
In the timepiece of the present invention, a phosphor is applied to a lower surface of the dial, and a pattern is added to the dial.
[0016]
In the timepiece of the present invention, the dial ring has a pattern formed of an opaque member on an inner peripheral portion corresponding to the notch.
[0017]
In the timepiece of the present invention, the pattern formed of the opaque member of the dial ring has a hollowed-out portion, and a phosphor is applied to the hollowed-out portion.
[0018]
The timepiece of the present invention is a dial ring in which a surface member is mirror-finished, and a sheet member in which at least one of an upper surface, a lower surface, and an outer peripheral surface is coated with a film member coated with a phosphor that emits light by being excited by near ultraviolet light, A light source that emits light, wherein the dial ring has at least one cut-out part of which is cut away, and the light source is disposed in the cut-out part.
[0019]
In the present invention, while illuminating the entire dial ring and printing the hour / minute scale on the inner peripheral surface of the dial ring with another luminescent phosphor ink, the hour / minute scale on the inner circumference of the dial ring also emits light, and the two-tone scale is used. A brightly lit display section (dial ring) can be easily realized.
[0020]
In the timepiece of the present invention, at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface, and the outer peripheral surface of the dial ring is coated with a phosphor different from other surfaces.
[0021]
If multiple types of phosphors with different emission colors are used for the dial ring, the inner peripheral surface of the dial ring will exhibit these multiple emission colors, making the appearance more and more beautiful, and a large design factor. It brings the nature.
[0022]
In the timepiece of the present invention, the phosphor is a luminous paint. The phosphor used in the present invention is obtained by solidifying a phosphor which is a translucent powder material with a resin binder, generates fluorescence extremely efficiently, and can effectively reflect and diffuse the generated fluorescence. It is. Of course, the amount of near-ultraviolet light that propagates through the dial ring as long as it is emitted into the phosphor must be reduced in the optical path. However, compared to this reduction rate of near-ultraviolet light, the luminance of the fluorescent light generated along the optical path is sufficient, and furthermore, the visible light generated at all points of the surface on which the phosphor is coated on the optical path, Since the visible light generated before and after the point is added, the decrease in the luminance of the visible light is further suppressed. For this reason, in the case of a dial ring of a portable timepiece having a ring with a radius of about 15 mm, the brightness of visible light of the entire dial ring can be made practically substantially constant. If this luminous paint is applied to the dial ring, the lighting effect can be maintained by intermittent lighting without continuously lighting the near ultraviolet LED.
[0023]
The timepiece of the present invention forms a pattern on the inner peripheral surface of the dial ring. The pattern is created by printing, surface finishing, or molding scales such as hours and minutes, characters and numbers, and the like.
[0024]
In the timepiece of the present invention, a phosphor is applied to the pattern. In the timepiece of the present invention, a through-hole may be provided in a part of the dial ring so as to penetrate in a vertical direction, and a phosphor may be provided below the through-hole.
[0025]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The contents of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0026]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a portable timepiece incorporating a display lighting device. As shown in this figure, the dial 1 is placed on the timepiece drive unit 2. The dial ring 3 as an element part is placed on the outer peripheral portion of the dial 1. The dial ring 3 is provided with a notch 4 at a part thereof, and a near-ultraviolet LED 5 is installed at this position. The constituent surfaces of the dial ring 3 include an inner inclined surface 3a, an upper surface 3b, an outer peripheral surface 3c, and a lower surface 3d. The planar shape of the dial ring 3 is arbitrary such as a round shape, a rectangular shape, an elliptical shape, and the upper and lower surfaces 3b and 3d and the inner and outer peripheral surfaces 3a and 3c are sufficiently smooth glossy surfaces. A paint containing a phosphor pigment is applied to any surface other than the inner periphery of the dial ring 3. In this example, the phosphor paint 6 is applied to the upper surface 3b. The method of applying the phosphor paint may be the entire surface or the partial surface with respect to the application surface of the transparent resin dial ring 3. When the near-ultraviolet LED is turned on in this manner, near-ultraviolet light enters the dial ring from the notch 4 of the transparent resin dial ring 3 and propagates along the dial ring 3. When the near-ultraviolet rays reach the phosphor paint 6 applied to the surface of the dial ring 3, the phosphor is excited and emits fluorescence. The fluorescent light is irregularly reflected in the phosphor paint, and then enters the dial ring again. After that, this light repeats reflection on the dial ring inner wall, and part of the light reflected on the dial ring lower surface is radiated from the dial ring inner peripheral surface with a certain inclination to the inside of the watch, toward the dial, and upward. You. In particular, due to the fluorescent light emitted upward, the inner peripheral portion of the dial ring becomes a fluorescent color and looks shining. Hereinafter, the drawings are drawings mainly showing the states of the dial 1 and the dial ring 3, which are main parts of the present invention, and the portions will be mainly described. Other parts are the same as those described in FIG.
[0027]
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention. First, there is a dial 1 to be illuminated, and a dial ring 3 is mounted on an outer peripheral portion thereof. The dial 1 used here may be a dial of a general portable watch. On the other hand, the dial ring 3 is made of a transparent resin. Acrylic, polycarbonate, polystyrene, or the like is used as a material. Since the dial ring 3 has an optical path of near-ultraviolet rays, as will be described later, filling of the transparent resin of the material with an ultraviolet absorber or the like is minimized. Further, a notch 4 is provided in a part of the dial ring 3, and a near-ultraviolet LED 5 is installed therein.
[0028]
As the near-ultraviolet LED 5, a chip type LED of about 3 mm square and about 1 mm thick is used. The electric and optical characteristics of the near-ultraviolet LED 5 may be such that the DC output voltage is 3.5 V, the optical output is 2.5 mW, and the wavelength is about 380 nm. A voltage necessary for light emission can be applied to the plus side and the minus side of the near-ultraviolet LED 5 from the clock driving unit 2 shown in FIG. A fluorescent paint 6 is applied to the upper surface 3b of the dial ring 3. As the pigment of the phosphor paint, an inorganic pigment having a translucent white appearance having good durability against ultraviolet rays is used. For example, BaMg that emits green fluorescent light ₂ Al ₁₆ O ₂₇ : One having a composition of Eu, Mn, or BaMgAl which emits blue-based fluorescence ₁₀ O ₁₇ : Those having the composition of Eu. These phosphor pigments emit light with high luminance by light including near ultraviolet light having a wavelength of 350 nm or more and 420 nm or less. As an example, a phosphor pigment BaMg with near ultraviolet intensity ₂ Al ₁₆ O ₂₇ FIG. 20 shows the relationship between the luminances of the fluorescent light emitted from: Eu and Mn.
[0029]
Next, how the dial ring 3 functions as a lighting device in this embodiment will be described in detail. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. In this figure, when near-ultraviolet LED 5 emits light, near-ultraviolet light emitted from the near-ultraviolet LED 5 enters into dial ring 3 from notch 4. The ultraviolet light reaches the upper surface 3b of the dial ring 3 as it is, and causes the phosphor paint 6 applied thereon to emit light. FIG. 4 shows how light emitted from the phosphor paint 6 travels through the dial ring.
[0030]
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB 'of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 4, light emitted from the phosphor paint 6 enters the dial ring 3, is reflected by the dial ring outer peripheral surface 3c, and is re-generated by the lower surface 3d. The light is reflected, goes out of the dial ring 3 on the inner slope 3a, and goes upward. This light can be seen from outside the mobile watch. Such light from the phosphor paint 6 can be seen not only in the vicinity of the near-ultraviolet LED 5 but also in the entire circumference of the dial ring 3.
[0031]
This is illustrated in FIG. As shown in this figure, since the ultraviolet rays from the near-ultraviolet LED 5 are emitted in all directions, a part of the ultraviolet rays is transmitted to a distant place while being reflected by the inner wall of the dial ring 3 finished with gloss. When a part of the ultraviolet light that has propagated far reaches the dial ring upper surface 3b in FIG. 4, the fluorescent light path seen in FIG. 4 is generated therefrom, and even at a position away from the near-ultraviolet LED 5, the inner slope 3a of the dial ring 3 is formed. The glow can be seen from outside the mobile watch. If the inner slope of the dial ring shines in this way, the range from the outer periphery to the center of the dial 1 is illuminated. As a result, the dial 1 and the hour and minute hands can be visually recognized even in the dark.
[0032]
Next, the brightness and uniformity of the lighting device will be described. The area of the upper surface 3b of the dial ring 3 used in the present invention is 2 cm. ² And The area of the upper surface 3b of the dial ring 3 to which the phosphor paint 6 is applied is 2 cm. ² Assuming that the light output of the near-ultraviolet LED 5 described above is equally 2.5 mW, the intensity of the near-ultraviolet light is 1.25 mW / cm. ² It becomes. Actually, all the light of the near-ultraviolet LED 5 is not irradiated to the upper surface 3b of the dial ring 3, and the near-ultraviolet intensity is lower than this value. Moreover, since near ultraviolet rays are gradually radiated into the phosphor paint as the near ultraviolet rays propagate in the dial ring 3, the near ultraviolet rays are not necessarily irradiated to the upper surface 3b with uniform intensity. Nevertheless, if the phosphor paint 6 shown in FIG. 20 is used, at least several tens cd / m ² Sufficient fluorescent luminance can be obtained for such a portable watch. Since such light emission occurs at innumerable points of the phosphor paint 6 throughout the dial ring 3, even though the near-ultraviolet ray dose is slightly different between near and near the near-ultraviolet LED 5, the appearance is constant. It looks shining.
[0033]
In the above description, the phosphor paint 6 has been described as being excited by the near-ultraviolet LED 5 to emit light. However, once the phosphor paint is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, it is excited, and thereafter, without being irradiated with ultraviolet rays, for a while. There is a so-called luminous property that emits fluorescence for a long time. In the above embodiment, if the phosphor paint 6 is a luminous paint, even if the near-ultraviolet LED 5 is turned on and then turned off, the inner peripheral portion of the dial ring 3 can continue to shine for a while. Needless to say, such a portable watch is extremely effective in a portable watch in which it is important to minimize power consumption and extend battery life.
[0034]
Further, several kinds of phosphor paints having different emission colors can be applied to the portion of the phosphor paint 6 of the present embodiment. FIG. 6 shows this. As shown in this figure, if the upper surface 3b of the dial ring 3 is divided into several regions and phosphor paints having different emission colors are applied, when the near-ultraviolet LED is turned on, the inner periphery of the dial ring 3 has several colors. Light is emitted separately. Such a lighting device is extremely beautiful and greatly expands the design possibilities.
[0035]
7 and 8 are cross-sectional views of a main part of another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the phosphor paint 6 is applied to the outer peripheral surface 3 c of the dial ring 3, and in FIG. 8, the phosphor paint 6 is applied to the lower surface 3 d of the dial ring 3. In any case, the light emitted from the phosphor paint 6 is reflected by the lower surface 3d of the dial ring as indicated by L1 in FIG. 7 and L2 in FIG. 8, or travels upward of the dial ring while being refracted by the inner peripheral surface. As a result, the inner periphery of the dial ring shines brightly and functions as a lighting device.
[0036]
What is remarkable in the above embodiments is that the phosphor paint, which is the source of illumination, is not directly visible from outside the portable watch. In the present invention, since irradiation with near-ultraviolet light is a necessary condition, the use of an inorganic phosphor pigment excellent in ultraviolet light resistance is as described above. In this case, the phosphor pigment is a powder having a particle size of several μm to several tens μm, and has a substantially white or milky white color. If the appearance of such a phosphor paint is present in a large portion of the display portion of the portable watch, the appearance of the portable watch is impaired. Cellular watches are typically used in bright environments, where a white or milky particulate appearance degrades the value of the cellphone itself. 4, 7, and 8, the phosphor paint is applied to the upper surface 3b, the outer peripheral surface 3c, and the lower surface 3d of the dial ring 3, and as shown in FIG. can not see.
[0037]
FIG. 9 shows another embodiment of the present invention. The difference from the above-described embodiment is that a time character 3e is printed on the dial ring inner peripheral surface 3a. Since the dial ring inner peripheral surface 3a is visible from the outside of the clock body, time display characters such as hour characters are printed on this portion. This may be not only printing but also forming of convex characters or metal foil of a character pattern. In this way, when the near-ultraviolet LED 5 is turned on and the inner inclined surface 3a of the dial ring 3 emits light, the printed characters or the formed characters emerge on the inner peripheral surface 3a where the light is emitted. It can be seen and the display effect is further enhanced.
[0038]
In the embodiment of FIG. 9, the printing of the hour character 3e can be a phosphor paint printing. In this case, the light emission state of the time character 3e can be seen in the form of riding on the background shine seen through the inner slope 3a of the dial ring 3. The reason why the hour character 3e emits light is that near-ultraviolet light propagates through the dial ring 3 as described with reference to FIG.
[0039]
FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of the present invention. Instead of applying the fluorescent paint to the lower surface 3d of the dial ring 3, the fluorescent paint 12 is applied to the dial outer peripheral portion 1a facing the lower surface 3d. FIG. 11 shows how near-ultraviolet light and fluorescence progress in such a case. The near-ultraviolet light emitted from the near-ultraviolet LED 5 in FIG. 10 enters the dial ring 3, propagates through the dial ring, and exits from the dial ring lower surface 3d toward the dial 1 in a cross section shown in FIG. It reaches the phosphor paint 6 on the outer peripheral portion 1a. The fluorescence emitted therefrom enters the dial ring 3 again as shown in FIG. 11, and exits from the inner surface 3a of the dial ring and proceeds to the outside of the mobile watch. As a result, the inner surface of the dial ring shines to provide a lighting device. In the case of this embodiment, since the fluorescent paint is applied to the flat surface of the dial 1 without applying the fluorescent paint to the three-dimensional dial ring 3, the application work is easy. If the phosphor paint in the present embodiment is a luminous paint, the inner peripheral portion of the dial ring continues to shine even after the LED is turned off, similarly to the case where the luminous paint is applied to the upper surface 3b of the dial ring 3 described above. Needless to say,
[0040]
FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the present invention. Instead of applying the fluorescent paint to the outer peripheral surface 3c of the dial ring 3, a fluorescent sheet member 12 in which the fluorescent paint 11 is applied to the film 8 is wound around the dial ring. In the case of such a configuration, as shown in this figure, near-ultraviolet light that has escaped from the outer peripheral portion 3c of the dial ring 3 causes the fluorescent sheet member 12 to emit light, and light returning from the fluorescent sheet member 12 to the inside of the dial ring 3 The light is reflected by the lower surface 3d of the dial ring, and then passes through the inner slope 3a and travels upward from the mobile watch. Thereby, the dial ring inner peripheral surface 3a appears to shine. According to this method, there is no need to apply a phosphor coating to each of the dial ring and the dial component, and the fluorescent sheet member separately manufactured is simply wound around the outer periphery of the dial ring. The same effect can be obtained.
[0041]
By placing the fluorescent sheet member on the dial ring upper surface 3b as shown in FIG. 13, it goes without saying that the same effect as that of the embodiment of FIG. 4 can be obtained.
[0042]
FIG. 14 shows another embodiment of the present invention. In this case, the dial 1 is made of a transparent resin. Then, the phosphor paint 6 is applied to the lower surface 1b of the dial 1. A dial ring 3 made of a transparent resin is placed on the outer periphery of the dial 1. A notch 4 is provided in the dial ring 3, and a near-ultraviolet LED 5 is installed therein. FIG. 14 shows how the light travels when the near ultraviolet LED 5 is turned on in this manner. The near-ultraviolet light emitted from the near-ultraviolet LED 5 directly enters the dial 1 or the dial ring 3, and propagates throughout the dial 1 while being repeatedly reflected on the inner wall of each component. The near ultraviolet light causes the fluorescent paint 6 on the lower surface 1b of the dial 1 to emit light, so that the entire dial surface shines. It is possible to make near-ultraviolet light incident on the dial 1 only. However, since the dial is usually as thin as about 0.5 mm, the use of the transparent resin dial ring 3 suppresses the incident loss of ultraviolet rays. Meanwhile, it can be taken into the dial.
[0043]
FIG. 15 shows a further improvement in the design of the dial portion as compared with the embodiment of FIG. Here, the hour character 1c is printed on the upper surface 1a of the dial 1. Instead of printing, a convex character may be formed on the dial, or a metal mark may be attached. When printing, phosphor printing may be used. In any case, the entire dial is shined by the phosphor paint 6 and the hour character 1c on the upper surface is visible against the background, thereby improving the design of the dial 1. If the time character 1c is printed with a phosphor having a color tone different from the background, the dial becomes even more beautiful.
[0044]
16 and 17 show another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 16 is a front view of the same embodiment, and FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC 'of FIG. In this embodiment, a pattern 9 made of an opaque material is arranged on the inner peripheral surface 3f of the notch corresponding to the notch 4 of the dial ring 3. When the near-ultraviolet LED 5 is turned on, strong ultraviolet rays are present in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface 3f of the notch, and this prevents the inner periphery of the dial ring from shining a certain fluorescent color. In order to prevent this, the pattern 9 made of an opaque material is arranged. As a result, the brightness of the inner peripheral surface of the dial ring is not uncomfortable even in the vicinity of the notch portion 4, and the entire inner peripheral surface 3a of the dial ring 3 becomes more beautiful. FIG. 18 shows a pattern 9 made of an opaque material having a hollow portion 9a into which a phosphor paint is embedded. By doing so, the strong ultraviolet rays leaking from the near-ultraviolet LED 5 are concealed, and the hollow portion 9a emits fluorescence, so that the notch inner peripheral surface 3f of the dial ring 3 can be enriched in design more than a simple masking effect.
[0045]
FIG. 19 shows another embodiment of the present invention. A phosphor paint 6 is applied to the outer periphery 3c of the dial ring 3 to provide a through hole 3g. Below the through hole 3g, the dial 1 is also provided with a through hole 1d. The fluorescent member 10 to which the fluorescent paint 11 is applied is disposed below the fluorescent member 10. This member is a date wheel or the like indicating a date. In the previous embodiments, the dial ring upper surface 3b was not visible because it was below the glass receiving surface 7 in FIG. 1, but in this embodiment, the glass receiving surface 7 was also provided with a through hole 7a, and a fluorescent member was formed. Keep 10 visible. Expressiveness is improved when the color tone of the phosphor paint 11 of the fluorescent member 10 is changed from that of the phosphor paint 6 on the outer periphery 3c. As shown in this figure, the fluorescence emitted from the outer peripheral portion 3c comes out from the inner periphery of the dial ring while reflecting. Therefore, the fluorescent light illuminates the outer periphery of the dial 1. On the other hand, a part of near-ultraviolet light emitted from the LED passes through the through hole 3g of the dial ring 3 and causes the fluorescent member 10 to emit light. This luminescent color is visible from the through hole 7a of the glass receiving surface 7. In this way, the outer periphery of the dial is illuminated with a fixed color, and fluorescent members of different colors appear to shine through the through-hole 7a of the glass receiving surface 7.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, the inner peripheral surface of the dial ring is merely coated with a phosphor paint on a surface other than the inner periphery of the dial ring having a light guiding function composed of a near ultraviolet LED and a transparent resin disposed on the outer periphery of the dial. A clock and a lighting device that emit bright and brilliant fluorescent light can be provided. This means that conventional mobile watches are designed to emit light uniformly from the dial ring, which is the light guide ring, and to make fine irregularities on the outer surface of the dial ring for irregular reflection, and to reduce the density of these irregularities. You have to rely on methods that are not easy to do, such as increasing the distance as you move away from the lighting element, or reducing the inner area of the dial ring far from the lighting element to maintain the amount of light emitted per unit area. This is in contrast to none. In other words, fine unevenness processing performed for irregular reflection of the light guide ring can be made unnecessary.
[0047]
In the present invention, the outer surfaces of the dial ring, which is the light guide ring, need only be finished with a simple glossy surface. Only by doing so, the inner periphery of the dial ring shines due to the fluorescence emitted from the phosphor far enough. Moreover, since the conventional technology uses a visible light LED, the color tone of the illumination is limited to the LED color tone. However, in the present invention, if various phosphor coatings are used, only the near-ultraviolet LED emits light. The colors can be combined in any number.
[0048]
Further, by using printing, convex characters, and phosphor printing on the inner periphery of the dial ring, the appearance can be dramatically improved. Further, by combining this dial ring with a transparent dial, it is possible to shine brightly up to the center of the dial. In addition, a through hole is provided in the dial ring, a member coated with a phosphor is provided below the dial ring, and a different emission color from the inner periphery of the dial ring is obtained, so that the radiance of the dial outside and the tone of the dial ring through hole are different. Can be combined, and the expressiveness of the display of the mobile watch is dramatically improved.
[0049]
Further, if the phosphor paint is a luminous paint, the illumination effect can be maintained even if the near ultraviolet LED is turned on for a certain period of time and then turned off. It is a perfect power-saving lighting device for watches that require longer battery life.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a portable timepiece incorporating a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a main part of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the operation of the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a main part of a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing the operation of the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing the operation of a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a main part of a fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a main part of a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view showing the operation of a sixth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 12 is a sectional view showing the operation of a seventh embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view showing the operation of an eighth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a sectional view showing the operation of a ninth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a main part of a tenth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a front view showing a main part of an eleventh embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a sectional view showing a main part of an eleventh embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a front view showing a main part of a twelfth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a sectional view showing an operation of a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a graph showing luminance characteristics of an example of the phosphor pigment used in the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
One dial
1a Top surface
1b lower surface
1c hour character
2 clock drive
3 Dial ring
3a Inner circumference
3b Top surface
3c Outer surface
3d bottom surface
3e hour and minute scale
3f inner circumference
3g through hole
4 Notch
5 Near UV LED
6. Phosphor paint
7 Glass receiving surface
7a Through hole
8 Film
9 patterns
9a hollow part
10 Fluorescent material
11 Phosphor paint
12 phosphor sheet

Claims (12)

A dial ring in which the surface is mirror-finished, and at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface, or the outer peripheral surface is coated with a phosphor that emits light by being excited by near-ultraviolet light,
A light source that emits near-ultraviolet light,
The dial ring has at least one cutout part of which is cut out,
The timepiece wherein the light source is arranged in the notch. A dial ring in which the surface is mirror-finished, and at least one surface of the upper surface or the outer peripheral surface is coated with a phosphor that emits light by being excited by near-ultraviolet light,
A dial that receives the dial ring;
A light source that emits near-ultraviolet light,
The dial ring has at least one cutout part of which is cut out,
The dial, the phosphor is applied to a portion corresponding to the lower surface of the dial ring,
The timepiece wherein the light source is arranged in the notch. The timepiece according to claim 2, wherein the dial is a transparent resin having at least an upper surface or a lower surface coated with the phosphor. 3. The timepiece according to claim 2, wherein a phosphor is applied to a lower surface of the dial, and a pattern is added to the dial. The timepiece according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the dial ring has a pattern formed of an opaque member on an inner peripheral portion corresponding to the cutout portion. 6. The timepiece according to claim 5, wherein the pattern formed of the opaque member of the dial ring has a hollowed-out portion, and a phosphor is applied to the hollowed-out portion. A dial ring in which the surface is mirror-finished, and on at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface or the outer peripheral surface, a sheet member coated with a phosphor that emits light by exciting the film with near-ultraviolet light,
A light source that emits near-ultraviolet light,
The dial ring has at least one cutout part of which is cut out,
The timepiece wherein the light source is arranged in the notch. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein at least one of the upper surface, the lower surface, and the outer peripheral surface of the dial ring is coated with a phosphor different from other surfaces. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the phosphor is a luminous paint. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a pattern is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the dial ring. The timepiece according to claim 10, wherein a phosphor is applied to the pattern. The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein a through-hole that penetrates in a vertical direction is provided in a part of the dial ring, and a phosphor is provided below the through-hole.

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