JP2004343625A - Electronic equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide electronic equipment having a metallic exterior part with a built-in antenna part excellent in receiving performance of radio waves and without being affected by constraints on materials and design. <P>SOLUTION: The electronic equipment 30 is constituted of at least the antenna part 32, an information processor 33 and the metallic exterior part 31, the metallic exterior part 31 is constituted so that the antenna part 32 receives and resonates a magnetic flux from the outside of the metallic exterior part 31 via the metallic exterior part 31 and at least a part of an electric resistance value of the metallic exterior part 31 is different from electric resistance values in other parts of the metallic exterior part 31. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has a function of receiving a radio wave for transmitting predetermined information including time information, displaying or notifying the predetermined information, simultaneously displaying the time information, and correcting the time information to accurate time information. More particularly, the present invention relates to an electronic device that aims to improve radio wave reception performance when a metal case such as a metal case is used.
[0002]
More specifically, the present invention relates to an electronic device configured so as not to lower the radio wave reception performance of the antenna unit even when the resonance antenna unit is arranged near a metal object or inside a metal exterior unit. It is.
[0003]
[Prior art]
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 2-126408
[Patent Document 2] Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 5-81787
[Patent Document 3] International Publication WO95 / 27928
[Patent Document 4] European Patent Publication No. 0382130
[Patent Document 5] JP-A-11-64547
[Patent Document 6] JP-A-2001-33571
[Patent Document 7] JP-A-2001-30524
[Patent Document 8] JP-A-2001-208875
[Patent Document 9] Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 57-131042
[Patent Document 10] JP-A-6-215942
[Patent Document 11] JP-A-11-74138
[Patent Document 12] Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-203516
[Patent Document 13] JP-A-2002-184637
In recent years, in the case of an electronic device in use, for example, a watch, a mobile phone, a wireless communication device, or the like, which receives a long-wave standard radio wave with a time code, a clock mounted on the electronic device. Many electronic devices with a radio wave correction function for automatically adjusting the circuit time to the standard time have been commercialized.
[0004]
Here, the conventional problems will be described below by taking as an example a timepiece with a radio wave correction function (hereinafter referred to as a radio wave correction timepiece) which is a typical product of the electronic device.
[0005]
A radio-controlled clock that receives a standard radio wave, that is, a radio-controlled clock that can obtain an accurate time by receiving a standard radio wave (carrier) including time information and extracting time information from the radio wave is already known. Have been. The frequency of the radio waves including the time information differs from country to country. For example, in Japan, standard radio waves of 40 kHz and 60 kHz are transmitted under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications and the Postal Services Agency.
[0006]
FIG. 20 is a block diagram schematically showing the function of such a radio-controlled timepiece. This radio-controlled timepiece includes an antenna 1, a radio-controlled timepiece receiver 2, a CPU 3, a display driver 4, an input device 5, and the like. In addition, although not shown, a display unit such as an hour, minute, and second hand or a liquid crystal is included.
[0007]
In this radio-controlled timepiece, first, the antenna 1 receives a radio wave including time information. The radio timepiece receiver 2 amplifies and detects the radio wave received by the antenna 1, extracts time information from the radio wave, and outputs the time information. The CPU 3 outputs current time data based on the time information output from the radio-controlled timepiece receiver 2. The display drive unit 4 causes the display unit to display the current time based on the current time data output from the CPU 3. The input device 5 is used, for example, when inputting operation information such as reset to the CPU 3.
[0008]
The time information (time code) included in the radio wave is a pulse signal having a period of 60 seconds, which differs depending on the country. In the case of Japan, a pulse having a width of 200, 500, or 800 msec is provided every second. There is one. By combining these pulses, time information can be obtained in 60 seconds. The CPU 3 obtains time information (current time) by reading the pulse width of the pulse every one second from the received pulse signal. Then, the CPU corrects the display time on the display unit via the display drive unit 4 based on the acquired time information. Therefore, the radio-controlled timepiece can always display the correct time by correcting the display time at predetermined intervals based on the received time information.
[0009]
As such a radio-controlled timepiece, a wristwatch in which an antenna, a radio-controlled timepiece receiver, a CPU, a display drive unit, and a display unit are housed in a case serving as an antenna housing has already been provided. As the material of this case, a non-conductive material such as a synthetic resin or ceramic has been mainly used in order for the antenna to receive a radio wave. That is, when the antenna is housed inside a case made of a conductive material such as a metal, magnetic flux generated near the antenna is absorbed by the conductive material and a resonance phenomenon is hindered, so that the receiving function of the antenna is significantly reduced. .
[0010]
However, if a case made of a synthetic resin is used in order to avoid such an interference with the reception of the antenna, not only will the case be reduced in scratch resistance or chemical resistance, but also the luxury feeling required for a wristwatch as an accessory will be required. Aesthetics will also be impaired. For this reason, a radio-controlled wristwatch using a metal case has been proposed.
[0011]
FIG. 21 is a sectional view showing an example of the structure of a radio-controlled wristwatch using a metal for a part of the case. The case 10 of the wristwatch is roughly composed of a body 11, a back cover 12, and a windshield 13. A movement 14 is arranged by a known means inside a body to which a band (not shown) is connected. Above the movement 14, a dial 15 and a hand 16, which are time display units, are also arranged by known means. Further, a bar antenna 17 which is a magnetic long-wave antenna is arranged below the movement 14 and above the back cover 12. The bar antenna 17 includes a magnetic core member 18 and a coil 20 wound around the magnetic core member 18, and is fixed to an upper surface of a synthetic resin holding member.
[0012]
The movement 14 includes the above-described radio-controlled timepiece receiver, a CPU, and a display drive unit, and is electrically connected to the bar antenna 17 via the conductor 21. Therefore, based on the standard radio wave received by the bar antenna 17, the CPU of the movement 14 operates a gear mechanism (not shown) in the display drive unit to drive the needle 16 of the display unit to always correct the position. Here, the up-down direction indicates the up-down direction in FIG.
[0013]
The body 11 is made of a conductive material and is not hollow, that is, made of solid metal, for example, solid stainless steel. A windshield 13 made of glass, which is a non-conductive material, is fixed to the uppermost part of the body 11 by a known means such as bonding. The dial 15 is made of a non-conductive material such as synthetic resin or ceramic. The back cover 12 includes an annular frame 22 made of stainless steel fixed to the body 11 and a glass 23 fixed in the frame. As described above, in this wristwatch, although the non-conductive material is visible on the upper and lower surfaces of the case, since the side portions of the case are made of metal, there is an advantage that the luxury feeling and aesthetic appearance of the accessory are not impaired. (See below
See Patent Document 6).
[0014]
On the other hand, it has been considered that the characteristics of the radio-controlled timepiece are determined by the characteristics of the antenna and the characteristics of the receiving circuit.
[0015]
That is, according to the conventional general technical knowledge, the lower limit of the input signal of the receiving circuit or the receiving IC is currently about 1 μV in the signal amplitude, and in order to obtain practical receiving performance, 40 to 50 dB μV is required for the receiving antenna. An output having a signal amplitude of about 1 μV must be obtained at an electric field strength (radio wave intensity) of / m.
[0016]
Therefore, when there is a size restriction, it is common to use a resonance type receiving antenna that can increase the signal output.
[0017]
Further, as a type of the receiving antenna, a bar antenna having a conductive wire wound around a magnetic core is generally used because the wavelength of a radio wave is long.
[0018]
In such a receiving antenna, the output of the receiving antenna is roughly proportional to the size of the receiving antenna, so that it cannot be reduced so much to obtain practical receiving performance. Performance and placement are issues.
[0019]
Further, the output of the receiving antenna is extremely reduced when housed in a metal exterior.
[0020]
Therefore, in a wristwatch, in order to use radio waves, a component configuration or design completely different from a conventional watch component configuration or design is required, and consideration must be given not to hinder reception performance.
[0021]
In a wristwatch, small size, thinness, easy portability, freedom of design, and texture (luxury) are important issues, and a built-in antenna type and metal exterior are desired.
[0022]
In the case of a conventional radio-controlled timepiece, a method of externally mounting an antenna or a method of incorporating an antenna is mainly used.
[0023]
When the material of the back cover / side of the watch is metal, the receiving antenna is generally provided as an exterior.
[0024]
In this case, since the case of the receiving antenna is made of a non-metal such as plastic so as not to deteriorate the receiving performance, the receiving antenna case has a large protruding shape, which impairs small size, thinness, easy portability, and remarkably impairs the design flexibility.
[0025]
In the case of a system with a built-in receiving antenna, ceramics or plastics are used as the material of the watch exterior (back cover / side) in order not to reduce the receiving performance. In addition, the portability and portability are impaired, and the design restrictions are increased.
[0026]
In addition, the appearance of the wristwatch is low.
[0027]
Therefore, conventionally, for example, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 2-126408 (
As disclosed in Patent Document 1), there is a type in which a metal antenna is arranged in a leather band of a watch.
[0028]
Also, the applicant of the present application has disclosed Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 5-81787 (
As disclosed in [Patent Document 2]), an antenna with a coil wound around the core is arranged between the dial and the windshield, separated from the metal case body that blocks radio waves, and at the same time, has a unique design Or WO95 / 27928 (
Patent Literature 3) discloses a wristwatch having an antenna attached to a side of a watch case of a wristwatch.
[0029]
Further, European Patent Publication No. 0382130 (
As disclosed in Patent Document 4), there is also a type in which an antenna is arranged on the upper surface of a case, for example, in a ring shape.
[0030]
However, in the conventional configuration in which the antenna is arranged in the band, since the antenna is built in the band, it is necessary to establish conduction with the electronic device main body, and it is possible to give sufficient flexibility to the joint between the two. Absent.
[0031]
Furthermore, a metal band that blocks radio waves cannot be used, and a watch band such as a rubber band for connection must be used, and there are restrictions in terms of material and design.
[0032]
In the case of a configuration in which an antenna is arranged on the top surface or the side surface of a wristwatch, since the antenna is separated from the metal part of the watch main body, the thickness or size of the entire watch is increased or design restrictions are imposed. There's a problem.
[0033]
Further, European Patent Publication No. 0382130 (hereinafter, referred to as Patent Document 3) in which an antenna is arranged in a ring shape on the upper surface of a case (
In the case of Patent Document 4), reception cannot be performed if a metal is present inside the ring. Therefore, there is a problem that the antenna must be provided separately from the watch in practical use.
[0034]
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-64547 (
Patent Document 5) discloses a wristwatch in which a coil is arranged in a concave portion provided in a peripheral portion of a circuit board and a core is arranged in a curved shape along the circumferential direction of the circuit board. There are problems that the manufacturing process becomes complicated and that the assembling operation in the manufacturing process becomes complicated.
[0035]
On the other hand, JP-A-2001-33571 (
[Patent Document 6] or JP-A-2001-30524 (
[Patent Document 7] and the like, the windshield and back cover of the wristwatch are made of a non-metallic material such as glass or ceramic, and the middle portion is made of a conventional metal material, and is used for an antenna. A wristwatch configured to provide sufficient radio waves is shown.
[0036]
On the other hand, JP-A-2001-208875 (
Patent Document 8) discloses a technology relating to an identification tag for a wristwatch. The basic technical configuration of the technology is as follows. A system is disclosed, in which an identification tag is provided to the user, and information is exchanged with an identification means provided in the lift boarding gate to determine whether the user is a legitimate passenger.
[0037]
However, the basic technical idea of the technical configuration of the gazette is that a strong high-frequency radio wave is transmitted from the identification means, and the IC circuit in the wristwatch is activated by bringing the wristwatch having the identification tag close thereto. And the identification tag information is read out by the identification means.
[0038]
That is, in the publication, when the high-frequency radio wave is received by an antenna provided in the watch, resonance occurs in the IC circuit in the watch, and as a result, the IC circuit is activated by receiving an electromotive force, and Is read and wirelessly notified to the identification means.
[0039]
Therefore, this publication suggests that even if the timepiece is a metal exterior, the antenna provided inside operates to exchange the information described above, but a technical idea that is clearly different from the present application is as follows. It is necessary to provide an identification means for transmitting a strong frequency radio wave, it is necessary to bring a timepiece having the identification tag close to the identification means, and the timepiece must be capable of sufficiently receiving the high-frequency radio wave transmitted from the identification means. The antenna provided inside is based on a bar antenna, and it is necessary to make it as thin and large as possible in a watch, so it is necessary to use a thin flat rectangular antenna. It is clearly different from the one that stipulates the specific relationship between the antenna part and the metal exterior part.
[0040]
In addition, Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 57-131022 (
[Patent Document 9] describes a wristwatch provided with an antenna using a ring-shaped magnetic bar made of a C-shaped ferromagnetic material sandwiching a conductor portion 13, but the known example is a radio. It is related to the antenna of a wristwatch with a watch, and it is clear that the antenna is merely provided outside the wristwatch and not provided inside the metal exterior as in the present invention.
[0041]
Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-215942 (
[Patent Document 10]) describes that the core of the inductor is formed of a separate member, but the subject is related to a chip inductor, and is clearly not a wristwatch antenna as in the present invention. In addition to focusing on the technical field, the purpose and technical composition are substantially different from the present application.
[0042]
Also, JP-A-11-74138 (
[Patent Document 11]) describes a transformer in which a dust core is combined with a U-shaped member and an I-shaped member, and a secondary coil is wound around the U-shaped member. The present invention is not limited to the technical field, and the purpose and the technical configuration are substantially different from those of the present application.
[0043]
Similarly, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 61-203516 (
[Patent Document 12] discloses a structure in which the butting surfaces of the cores are inclined from the direction perpendicular to the magnetic path, but the object is to obtain an inductance element. Not only does it clearly refer to the technical field, but its purpose and technical composition are also substantially different from those of the present application.
[0044]
Also, JP-A-2002-184637 (
[Patent Document 13]) describes that the gap of the coil core is tapered or the area is changed, but the known example relates to a high-voltage transformer. However, not only do we focus on the technical field, but also the purpose and technical composition are substantially different from this application.
[0045]
Furthermore, in the known example, there is a description that the core of the inductor is composed of a separate member, but it relates to a high-voltage transformer and a chip inductor. In addition, the purpose and technical composition are substantially different from the present application.
[0046]
That is, in the above-described conventional example, the output of the receiving antenna is based on the fact that the output is extremely reduced when the antenna is housed in a metal exterior. The purpose is to use a high-quality metal side.
[0047]
However, in the above-described conventional example, there is a problem that the thickness of the timepiece is increased because glass or ceramics is used.
[0048]
Therefore, conventionally, a large-sized high-sensitivity antenna structure is used, or it can be used only in an area where the electric field strength of radio waves is strong. In addition, the manufacturing cost of the antenna structure is inevitably high.
[0049]
Of course, in a wristwatch with such a configuration, even if the arrival of radio waves to the antenna can be surely ensured, it is as if the back cover is made of a metal material with a thin metallic plating. Is given to the user, but there is a problem that the appearance does not have a weight or texture and the image as a luxury product is impaired.
[0050]
Furthermore, since the receiving antenna is built in the metal side, the output of the antenna is reduced and the receiving performance is reduced.
[0051]
For this reason, a radio-controlled timepiece with a completely metallic exterior having a high-quality feel has not been realized until now.
[0052]
In order to solve such a problem of the prior art, the present applicant has already disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-297095 that an antenna is disposed inside a watch case having a metal side or a metal cover. As a result, it is found that there is a problem that the value is reduced and the output from the antenna structure is reduced and the reception performance is significantly reduced, and by using an antenna having a special structure to solve the problem, A technical configuration has been proposed in which a decrease in the Q value of the antenna structure is suppressed as much as possible to prevent a decrease in antenna reception performance.
[0053]
However, in the method for specifying the structure of the antenna described above, it has been found that there is a limit to the improvement of the receiving performance in the antenna structure. It has been found that the above problem is further improved by specifying the structure or characteristics of the metal exterior portion including the structure.
[0054]
Further, as a result of intensive studies, the inventors of the present application have found that, in the related art, when a conductive metal object is arranged near or in contact with an antenna unit for receiving radio waves. Since the radio wave is absorbed by the metal object and the radio wave does not reach the antenna unit, the resonance output of the antenna unit is reduced. Even if the grasp of the problem in the conventional technique described above is actually an error, and even if there is a conductive metal object near or in contact with the antenna unit, In the antenna section, the radio wave has substantially arrived, and in the case of non-resonance, the flow of magnetic flux due to the external radio wave that tries to enter the watch from the outside is somewhat attenuated (for example, about 3 dB). In effect, Rather it is the fact that it reaches to the antenna unit was confirmed.
[0055]
The problem is that when the antenna unit resonates, magnetic lines of magnetic force (magnetic flux) coming out of the magnetic core of the antenna unit are drawn into the metal object, where eddy currents are generated and magnetic energy is attenuated. It has been clarified that there is a problem in that the output from the device is reduced and reception is not performed normally.
[0056]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
That is, the conventional radio-controlled wristwatch shown in FIG. 21 has no major problem with respect to the radio wave reception performance in portable use, but the watch is dropped because the glass 23 is fixed to the edge frame 22 of the back cover 12. If such an impact is applied, there is a problem that the glass 23 is broken. In addition, since the back cover 12 is in close contact with the arm, during long-term use, the glass 23 may come off the edge frame 22 due to sweat or the like, or the movement inside the wristwatch (the antenna 1, the radio clock receiver 2, the CPU 3, the display Sweat, water, dust, and the like may enter the driving unit 4), and may significantly reduce the function as a wristwatch.
[0057]
Further, since the glass 23 is provided on the back cover 12, there is a problem that the number of parts increases and the number of assembling steps also increases, which leads to an increase in cost. In addition, since the non-metallic member is used for the exterior, it lacks a profound feeling as a wristwatch, and also has a problem in luxury and appearance quality.
[0058]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems of the related art. Even when a normal metal case is used, it is possible to receive a radio wave including predetermined information such as time information without any trouble on a portable device. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device capable of improving the appearance quality having a stable waterproof quality and a high-quality feel, and expanding the design variation similar to a general watch.
[0059]
Further, the present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and provides an electronic device having a metal exterior portion with a built-in antenna portion that has good radio wave reception performance and is not restricted by materials and design. It is intended for that purpose.
[0060]
In addition, when the present invention is applied to a radio-controlled wristwatch, which is one of the specific examples of the electronic device, in addition to the above-mentioned purpose, the thickness of the wristwatch is prevented from being increased and bulky, and the wearing feeling on the arm is also good. The purpose is to provide a radio-controlled timepiece.
[0061]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention employs the following basic technical configuration to achieve the above object. That is, as a first aspect of the present invention, at least an antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and the antenna unit and the information processing device are housed therein. An electronic device comprising: a metal exterior part capable of receiving the magnetic flux from the outside of the metal exterior part via the metal exterior part; Electronic device, wherein the electrical resistance value of at least a part of the metal exterior part is different from the electrical resistance value of other parts of the metal exterior part. According to a second aspect of the present invention, at least an antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and the antenna unit and the information processing device are provided. An electronic device comprising a metal exterior part that can be housed inside, wherein the metal exterior part receives magnetic flux from outside the metal exterior through the metal exterior, with the antenna unit. The metal exterior portion is composed of a body (side) material and a back cover member, and the body (side) material and the back cover member are The body (side) material and the back cover member have a mutual peeling force of 10 ^-4 It is an electronic device of N · m to 6.0 N · m.
[0062]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, at least an antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and the antenna unit and the information processing device housed therein. And an electronic device comprising a metal exterior portion capable of receiving the magnetic flux from the outside of the metal exterior portion via the metal exterior portion, and the metal exterior portion can resonate. And the metal exterior portion is composed of a body (side) material and a back cover member, and the body (side) material and the back cover member are mutually screwed. The relative loosening torque between the body (side) member and the back cover member is 0.1 N · m to 6.0 N · m, preferably 0.2 N · m. m to 3.5 N · m.
[0063]
Further, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the above-described configuration, at least a part of an interconnecting portion of a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion is provided with an electric power of a metal constituting the metal exterior portion. An electronic device in which an insertion member having an electric resistance value different from the resistance value is interposed, and as a fifth aspect according to the present invention, in the above-described configuration, at least An electronic device in which a part of the joining surface of one of two metal members is removed to form a gap between the joining portions.
[0064]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Since the electronic device of the present invention employs the technical configuration as described above, the electronic device of the present invention has a simple configuration without drastically changing the structure, material, design, or the like of conventional watches, mobile phones, wireless communication devices, and the like. The use of an antenna part with a good reception performance, the size and thickness of the electronic device itself are not different from those of the conventional one, and the electronic device with a high degree of design freedom and a high-quality exterior is easy to use. Is obtained.
[0065]
【Example】
Hereinafter, the configuration of a specific example of the antenna unit structure according to the present invention and a radio-controlled timepiece using the antenna unit structure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0066]
That is, FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the configuration of a specific example of the electronic device according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, at least the antenna unit 32 and the information processing unit that processes information captured by the antenna unit 32 are illustrated. The electronic device 30 includes an information processing device 33 and an antenna unit 32 and a metal exterior unit 31 capable of housing the information processing device 33 therein. Is configured so that the antenna section 32 can receive magnetic flux from outside of the metal exterior section 31 via the metal exterior section 31 and resonate, and at least a part of the electric power of the metal exterior section 31 can be resonated. The electronic device 30 is configured such that the resistance value is different from the electric resistance value of the other parts of the metal exterior part 31.
[0067]
The electronic device 30 in the present invention is preferably one selected from, for example, a clock, a mobile phone, and a wireless communication device.
[0068]
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 34 denotes an arithmetic unit for controlling the driving of the function of the electronic device 30, for example, a computer, and 35 denotes a liquid crystal display for notifying or displaying predetermined information subjected to the arithmetic processing. Means or an information display / notification means such as a speaker.
[0069]
Further, in the present invention, the metal exterior part 31 is made of stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, gold, gold alloy, silver, silver alloy, copper, body alloy, brass, aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy. , Magnesium, a magnesium alloy, and a hard metal (an alloy including tungsten-carbide and tantalum-carbide), and is preferably made of one or more kinds of materials. In such a situation, it is necessary to have a configuration capable of suppressing the generation of the eddy current generated in the metal exterior portion 31.
[0070]
That is, as described above, what constitutes the basis of the technical idea of the present invention is that the reception performance of the antenna unit 32 provided in the metal exterior unit 31 is reduced in the related art because the antenna unit is not used. At the time of resonance, magnetic lines of magnetic force (magnetic flux) emitted from the magnetic core of the antenna unit are drawn into the metal object, where eddy currents are generated and magnetic energy is attenuated. As a result, the output from the antenna unit decreases. Since it has been clarified that the reception is not performed normally, the configuration is made so that eddy current is not generated as much as possible in the metal exterior portion 31 when the antenna portion 32 resonates. The point is that it is necessary to introduce into the metal exterior part 31 of the electronic device 30.
[0071]
Therefore, as one practical structure for realizing the above-described technical idea of the present invention, a configuration that reduces the amount of magnetic flux flowing from the antenna unit 32 to the metal exterior unit 31 when the antenna unit 32 resonates. As one specific example, at least a portion of the metal exterior portion 31 has an electrical resistance value different from that of the other portions of the metal exterior portion 31. Make up.
[0072]
More specifically, it is desirable that the electric resistance value of a part of the metal exterior part is set to be higher than the electric resistance value of the other parts constituting most of the metal exterior part.
[0073]
In addition, the metal exterior portion 31 according to the present invention may be formed integrally, and is preferably formed by joining at least two metal members.
[0074]
In the latter case, it is desirable that the metal exterior portion 31 is composed of, for example, a trunk member or a side member 45 and a back cover member 41. In this case, the trunk (side) member 45 is preferable. It is preferable that the back cover member 41 and the back cover member 41 are joined to each other at a predetermined position, and are configured to be fixed or detachable.
[0075]
On the other hand, in the metal exterior portion 31 according to the present invention, the metal exterior portion 31 is formed when the body (side) member 45 and the back cover member 41 are integrally formed. It is also preferable that the body member or the side member 45 is composed of two or more sub-body members 451 and 452 as necessary, and the respective sub-body members 451 and 452 are joined to each other. It may be configured as described above.
[0076]
Similarly, in the present invention, the metal exterior portion 31 has a body (side) member 45 and a back cover member 41 integrally formed, and the body member 45 is formed of an inner body member. In some cases, the inner body member and the outer body member may be joined to each other.
[0077]
That is, the joining portion 39 of the metal exterior portion 31 in the electronic device 30 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described joining portion 39, but is a trunk member or a side member 45 of the metal exterior portion 31. In each of the operation processing mechanisms 33 and 34 disposed through the body member or the side member 45, such as a crown, an operation button, an operation pin 46, and the through hole 48 of the body member or the side member 45. The joint with the inner surface is also included in the joint 39 in the present invention.
[0078]
In addition, in FIG. 1, 47 is a switch circuit, for example.
[0079]
That is, when a part of the body member 45 is provided with at least one insertion member or a contact member selected from a rod, a pipe, a glass, a bezel, an inner cash register, and a facing, the metal member and the metal member are used. All the joints described above, including the joint surface of the exterior part 31 with the body member or the side member 45, are candidate parts that change the electrical resistance value in the present invention.
[0080]
Specifically, for example, among the plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion 31, the electric resistance value of the metal constituting one member is different from the electric resistance value of the metal constituting the other member. For example, at the joint 39 between the body member 45 and the back cover member 41, which is one of the desirable joints 39, the electric resistance value of the body member 45 is The electric resistance of the member 41 is different from the electric resistance of the body member 45. For example, the electric resistance of the back cover member 41 can be made larger than the electric resistance of the body member 45.
[0081]
In that case, it is possible to make the material of the metal constituting each member different.
[0082]
On the other hand, as another specific example of the present invention, the electric resistance value of the interconnecting portion 39 of the plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion 31 is the electric resistance of the metal constituting the metal exterior portion 31. It may be configured differently from the value.
[0083]
In such a specific example, the joining portion 39 may be provided with, for example, a gap portion or a space portion having an appropriate interval, or a metal member constituting the metal exterior portion 31. A film formed of a material having an electric resistance value greater than the electric resistance value, a plate-like body, and an interposing member 49 made of a member such as an adhesive. Is also good.
[0084]
In the present invention, the method of forming the bonding portion 39 in the metal exterior portion 31 in the electronic device 30 is to bond the two metal members by an appropriate method, and the specific method is specified. Although not limited to, for example, one or more types selected from a screw type, an internal screw type, a snap type, a welding type, a brazing type, a caulking type, a bayonet type, a solid phase diffusion bonding type, etc. used.
[0085]
Further, in the present invention, it is desirable that the joint portion 39 is provided as close as possible to the antenna portion 32. In other words, the antenna portion 32 is arranged near the joint portion 39. It is desirable to do.
[0086]
Further, in the present invention, the bonding portion 39 having the above-described characteristics is arranged at least one place in the metal exterior portion 31, but a plurality of the bonding portions 39 may be provided. Further, it is also desirable to arrange the joining portion 39 so as to have a predetermined width, a predetermined length, and a predetermined area.
[0087]
Next, FIG. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a configuration example when the present invention is applied to a radio-controlled timepiece 30 which is a specific example of the electronic device 30.
[0088]
That is, in FIG. 2, the metal exterior portion 31 includes a body member 45 and a back cover member 41, and the body member 45 has a substantially cylindrical shape. A windshield 43 is attached to the step 37a on the inner peripheral edge of the upper opening via a packing 44, and the back cover member 41 is press-fitted, screwed, screwed or the like into the lower opening in FIG. The peripheral portion of the body member 45 and the peripheral portion of the back cover member 41 are joined to each other to form a predetermined joining portion 39.
[0089]
The back cover member 41 shown in FIG. 2 is attached to the body member 45 by a screw, and the packing 44 is sandwiched between the rising portion 50 and the inner surface 37c of the body member 45.
[0090]
The body member 45 accommodates the movement 42 including the radio-controlled timepiece receiver 2, the CPU 3, the display drive unit 4, and the like shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 described above.
[0091]
Above the movement 42 in FIG. 2, a dial 35 serving as a time display unit and a pointer 36 are provided. The movement 42 is positioned by the dial 35 contacting the lower surface in the drawing of the inwardly protruding portion 37 b forming the step portion 37 a of the metal exterior portion 31, and is disposed on the upper surface of the rising portion 50 of the back cover member 41. It is fixed by being sandwiched between the torso member 45 that has been set.
[0092]
A predetermined space 51 is provided between the movement 42 and the back cover member 41, and the antenna section 32 is disposed in the space 51. The antenna section 32 is composed of a rod-shaped magnetic core material 38 and a coil 40 wound around the magnetic core material 38, and is fixed to the lower surface of the movement 42.
[0093]
In this embodiment, the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are both made of titanium. In the specific example of the present invention, the thickness of the body member 45 is set to 1600 μm, and the distance from the antenna section 32 to the inner surface of the body member 45 is set to 2000 μm. The thickness of the back cover member 41 is set to 800 μm, and the distance from the antenna section 32 to the inner surface of the back cover member 41 is set to 3000 μm.
[0094]
In the radio-controlled timepiece having the above-described configuration, the CPU (not shown) in the movement 42 operates the display drive unit (not shown) based on the standard radio wave received by the antenna unit 32, and causes the hands 36 to move. Drive to always correct. At this time, in this specific example, the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are formed of metal, but the body member thickness, the back cover member thickness, and the distance between the antenna and the body member and the back cover member are received. Since the value is set to a desirable value predetermined in an experiment for optimizing the sensitivity, the disturbance of the resonance phenomenon near the antenna is reduced, and the receiving sensitivity is improved.
[0095]
Note that, in the specific example, gold, a gold alloy, silver, a silver alloy, copper, a body alloy, brass, aluminum, and an aluminum alloy are provided on the inner surface of the back cover member 41 of the metal exterior part 31 or the inner surface of the body member 45. When a non-magnetic member having an electric resistivity of 7.0 μΩ · cm or less, such as zinc, a zinc alloy, magnesium, and a magnesium alloy, is attached, the gain can be improved by about 2 to 3 dB.
[0096]
Hereinafter, the case where the interposing member 49 is interposed in the joining portion 39 in the present invention will be described in detail.
[0097]
That is, in one specific example of the electronic device 30 according to the present invention, a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion 31, for example, a portion between the body member 45 and the back cover member 41. An electrical resistance value different from the electrical resistance value of the metal constituting the metal exterior portion 31 is applied to at least a part of the mutual bonding portion 39, for example, the bonding portion 39 formed at a portion closest to the antenna portion 32. The insertion member 49 is interposed.
[0098]
In this case, it is preferable that a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion 31, for example, a metal material constituting both the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 be the same, but a different case is preferable. It does not matter.
[0099]
In such a specific example, the electric resistance value of the material forming the interposing member 49 inserted between the joining portions 39 is the same as that of all the metal members forming the metal exterior portion 31. It is desirable that the resistance is selected so as to be higher than the electric resistance value possessed.
[0100]
The material of the insertion member 49 is not particularly limited, but is desirably made of a substantially insulating material.
[0101]
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the joint 39 has a structure in which the interposing member 49, which is an insulator, is interposed via the packing member 44 in the joint 39 of the same portion. It may be.
[0102]
Further, when the arrangement position of the joint portion 39 of the specific example in the present invention is viewed in a plan view, the mutual joint portion 39 between the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 is usually circular, elliptical, or square. Therefore, it is desirable that the interposing member 49 be disposed along the entire periphery of the joining portion 39.
[0103]
Of course, in the present invention, when the electronic device 30 has a structure that ensures waterproofness, the interposing member 49 is a part of the peripheral edge of the joining portion 39, for example, It is also possible to provide it only in a part close to the arrangement position of the antenna unit 32.
[0104]
Therefore, the insertion member 49 according to the present invention is fixedly disposed between the joints 39.
[0105]
Further, the intervening portion of the interposing member 49 in the present invention is not limited to the above specific example, but can be realized in all the joints 39 as described above. The interposing member 49 can also be arranged at a joint formed at a fitting portion with the bezel portion, an upper trunk and a lower trunk, or a junction between an inner trunk and an outer trunk.
[0106]
The insertion member 49 used in the present invention is desirably a member formed separately from any one or a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion 31, for example, a synthetic resin. It may be in the form of a film or film made of rubber (organic material), or may be an insulating material such as an oxide or a thin film member having an oxide film, and may also use an ink, a paint, an adhesive, or a paste. It is possible.
[0107]
Further, the interposing member 49 used in the present invention is at least one of one or a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion 31, and at least the member abutting on the joining portion 39. It may be a film formed on the substrate.
[0108]
That is, the film body may be formed by performing an appropriate surface treatment and / or curing treatment on one or at least a part of the members constituting the metal exterior part 31.
[0109]
The surface treatment may be, for example, one method selected from a wet plating method, a dry plating method, and a heat treatment.
[0110]
It is desirable that the electric resistance value of the interposed member used in the present invention is larger than the electric resistance values of a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior member.
[0111]
To explain the effect of the present invention, as described above, in the conventional structure, as shown in FIG. 4A, it is assumed that the metal exterior portion 31 of the electronic device 30 has a circular shape. As shown in FIG. 4 (B), the metal exterior portion 31 is composed of a body member 45 and a back cover member 41, both of which are fitted and fixed to each other with a screw portion 52. The joint portion 39 in the present invention is formed by the joint surface S1 and the joint surface S2 of the body member 45 and the back cover member 41.
[0112]
Accordingly, the joining portion 39 formed by the joining surface S2 between the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 is formed in an annular shape as shown in FIG. Considering an example in which the antenna unit 32 is disposed close to a part of the joint unit 39, as shown in FIG. The eddy current 54 due to the magnetic flux generated from both ends is indicated by arrows A, B, and C. ₀ And a vortex is generated as shown in FIG. 3, but in FIG. 3, an insulating member is provided between the back cover member 41 and the body member 45, which are partially in contact with each other via the rubber packing 44. 4B, the eddy current C shown in FIG. ₀ As a result, the overall amount of eddy current is reduced, and energy loss is reduced.
[0113]
Next, in another specific example of the electronic device 30 according to the present invention, a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion 31, for example, the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are connected to each other. A structure in which a non-joined portion is formed in at least a part of the inter-joined portion 39 between, for example, at least a portion of the joined portion 39 formed in a portion closest to the antenna portion 32, is adopted. is there.
[0114]
In other words, in this specific example, instead of the interposing member 49 described above, the joining portion 39 has an electric resistance value higher than the electric resistance value of the metal material forming the metal exterior portion 31. In addition, a gap 55 is formed in which air is interposed.
In the specific example of the present invention, the gap portion 55 removes a part of the bonding surface of at least one of the at least two metal members constituting the bonding portion 39. Then, a gap 55 is formed between the joining portions 39.
[0115]
In the present invention, the gap 55 is formed by removing one of the joining surfaces of the two opposite metal members forming the joining portion 39 by an appropriate width, length, or thickness. Thus, a non-contact state portion is formed.
[0116]
Alternatively, the gap 55 may be formed by removing a part of the interposing member 49 in the above-described specific example.
[0117]
The height or the width of the gap portion 55 used in the specific example of the present invention is preferably, for example, 0.1 to 1000 μm, and more preferably 60 to 160 μm.
[0118]
For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, the gap portion 55 is formed by removing a part of the contact portion 39 between the back cover member 41 and the body member 45 constituting the metal exterior portion 31. In the specific example of FIG. 6A, only the back cover member 41 is partially removed to form the gap portion 55, and a plan view thereof is shown in FIG. 6B. In addition, the gap portion 55 is formed by forming a non-contact portion of the joining portion 39 on a part 56 of the joining surface of the joining portion 39 formed in an annular shape.
[0119]
As shown in FIG. 6B, it is desirable that the gap portion 55 be provided near the antenna portion 32.
[0120]
Further, in another specific example of the present invention, in the metal exterior portion 31, for example, the body (side) material 45 and the back lid member 41 that constitute the metal exterior portion 31 are formed. 4B are joined to each other by a screw mechanism 52 as shown in FIG. 4B, and when the mutual screw surfaces form a joint portion 39, a part of the screw mechanism 52 is deleted to remove the gap. The portion 55 may be formed.
[0121]
In other words, as shown in FIG. 7A, a gap 55 is formed by removing a part of the screw mechanism 52 of at least one of the screw mechanisms 52 of the joint 39 formed by the screw mechanism. May be.
[0122]
In this specific example, as shown in FIG. 7B, it is preferable that the gap 55 is provided near the antenna 32.
[0123]
That is, in the specific example of FIG. 7A, a part of the screw mechanism 52 of the body member 45 is cut off, and the screw mechanism of the back cover member 41 and the side surface of the body member 45, which are engaged with the part. A configuration in which a gap 55 is formed between the two is shown.
[0124]
As shown in FIG. 7B, the planar shape is such that the gap portion 55 is formed on a part 56 of the joint surface 39 of the joint portion 39 where the joint surface by the screw mechanism is formed in an annular shape. A part of the screw mechanism 52 is cut out to form a non-contact portion of the joining portion 39.
[0125]
Further, the specific example of FIG. 7 shows an example of a configuration in which the above-described insertion member 49 and the gap 55 are used together.
[0126]
In the specific example in which the gap 55 is used, since the space of the gap 55 is filled with air, it is possible to exhibit an insulating effect. The same effect as when the member 49 is inserted can be exerted.
[0127]
Further, in this specific example, it is also possible to insert the above-described insulator into the internal space of the gap 55.
[0128]
The gap portion 55 is not limited to the portion as shown in FIG. 7, and as described above, at least two metal material members formed on the metal exterior portion 31 are joined in some form. Needless to say, it can be applied to any of the parts.
[0129]
An experimental result shown in FIG. 31 is presented to prove this fact.
[0130]
In the experiment of FIG. 31, the case where the gap portion 55 is not formed in the joining portion 39 between the back cover member 41 and the body member 45 in the metal exterior portion 31 formed in an annular shape (Experiment 1: cut) No), the antenna characteristic value was measured, and the gap portion 55 was provided near the antenna portion at the joint 39 (Experiment 2). In each case where the gap 55 was provided in the portion (Experiment 3), two types of frequencies were selected and the antenna characteristic values were measured.
[0131]
Judging from the experimental results in FIG. 31, there is no significant difference in the antenna characteristics depending on the position where the gap 55 is provided, but the gain is not cut, that is, the effect is smaller than that of the structure without the gap 55. It is understood that there is.
[0132]
Next, the interposition member 49 and / or the gap 55 or both disposed on the metal exterior portion 31 of the electronic device 30 according to the present invention described above and the inside of the metal exterior portion 31 are disposed. A specific example of the positional relationship with the antenna unit 32 will be described in detail.
[0133]
First, the structure of the antenna unit 32 used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but preferably, as shown in FIGS. It is desirable to have a magnetic core wound with a coil formed of a linear or curved rod having a maximum longitudinal length shorter than the maximum diameter portion.
[0134]
Of course, in the present invention, the magnetic core may be formed in an annular shape or a closed loop shape. For example, it is possible to use the antenna portion 32 having a configuration as shown in FIG. It is possible.
[0135]
Then, in the present invention, as described above, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, the antenna section 32 is located near the outer peripheral edge of the metal exterior section 31, specifically, the joint section 39. It is preferable to be arranged in the vicinity.
[0136]
On the other hand, when the antenna section 32 is arranged inside the metal exterior section, basically, the antenna section 32 is arranged in any part near the outer peripheral edge 39 in the metal exterior section. Whatever is done is good.
[0137]
On the other hand, in order to maximize the purpose of the present invention, as described in each of the above-described embodiments, the antenna unit 32 is connected to the interposition member 49 or the portion where the gap 55 is disposed. It is desirable to be located near.
[0138]
More specifically, the interposing member 49 or the gap 55 of the metal exterior unit 31 is provided at both ends of the magnetic core of the antenna unit 32 having a predetermined length and at the center of the metal exterior unit 31. 6 is formed continuously or intermittently as shown at 60 in FIG. 8A at the joining portion 56 included in the fan-shaped region 57 formed by The antenna section 32 is provided in the vicinity of the portion where the insertion member 49 or the gap 55 is arranged.
[0139]
The length of the sector area 57 in the present invention is determined by the magnetic core length A of the antenna section 32 and the arrangement position of the antenna section 32. Therefore, the arrangement position of the antenna section 32 is It is desirable to dispose it within a range represented by the ratio (B / A) of the magnetic core length A of the antenna part 32 and the angle of the joint part 39.
[0140]
FIG. 32 (A) shows an example in which the antenna unit 32 is disposed inside the metal exterior unit 31. FIG. 32 (B) shows an example in which the antenna unit 32 has a predetermined length A. The length of the gap portion 55 when the antenna portion 32 is moved from the center of the metal exterior portion 31 along the direction of the gap portion 55, that is, the length B of the sector region 57 and the angle at that time FIG. 32C shows an example of the ratio of the length B of the fan-shaped region 57 to the length A of the antenna section 32.
[0141]
That is, when it is desirable that the center angle range in the fan-shaped region is 30 to 180 degrees when no contact is provided in the fan-shaped region, the angle ratio (B / A) is 0.64 to 2 .5, and under the same conditions, when it is desirable that the center angle range of the fan-shaped area is 50 to 120 degrees, the angle ratio (B / A) is 1.05 to 1.05. It is understood that it is necessary to be 2.16.
[0142]
Further, when no contact is provided in the sector area when the center angle in the sector area is 10 degrees or less, the angle ratio (B / A) needs to be 0.21 or less. The thing is understood.
[0143]
Therefore, it is possible to estimate a preferable arrangement position of the antenna unit 32 having a predetermined length by combining the data of FIG. 32C and the information of the preferable angle range shown in FIG. 5B.
[0144]
In the present invention, the angle range of the fan-shaped region 57 is desirably 30 to 180 degrees, preferably 50 to 120 degrees, and more preferably 60 to 90 degrees.
[0145]
Here, in order to study a preferable range of the center angle of the sector region 57 in the present invention, the present inventors made a specific example of the present invention as shown in FIG. FIG. 5B shows how the antenna gain (dB) changes when the center angle (θ) of the fan-shaped region 57 for cutting off the thread portion as shown in FIG. Was.
[0146]
As is clear from the graph of FIG. 5B, the gain (dB) of the antenna unit 32 increases as the angle of the cut area of the joint 39 at the screw portion increases, and therefore, the test was performed. It can be understood that the effects of the present invention can be obtained in the angle range, but it is understood that the angle is preferably 30 to 90 degrees, more preferably 60 to 90 degrees.
[0147]
Further, in one specific example of the present invention shown in FIG. 8A, a part of the above-mentioned sector area 57 is, for example, 10 degrees at 5 degrees left and right from the center line of the sector area 57. The antenna portion 32 in a case where the thread portion is left without cutting the thread portion within the angle range, or the joint portion 39 is left without inserting the interposing member 49 The characteristics and the case where all the joints 39 within the center angle of 120 degrees are removed are compared with those of the conventional structure, that is, the case where all the joints are not provided with cutouts or the insertion member 49 is not inserted. The latter configuration has a considerable effect as compared with the conventional configuration, but the former configuration has a slight effect as compared with the conventional configuration, but the effect is larger than the latter configuration. Is small, but has a practical effect.
[0148]
In the present invention, as described above, the antenna unit 32 may be arranged at a position that does not correspond to the fan-shaped region 57 described above.
[0149]
Next, a preferred configuration of the antenna section 32 used in the present invention will be described below.
[0150]
That is, the antenna unit 32 used in the present invention is basically a bar antenna, and has an L value of 1600 mH or less, or the antenna has a winding resistance of less than 1600 mH. It is desirable that the antenna unit be 1 KΩ or less, and more desirably an antenna unit in which the number of windings of the antenna is 1000 times or more.
[0151]
Hereinafter, the configuration of a preferred specific example of the antenna structure according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0152]
That is, FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a specific example of the antenna unit 32 according to the present invention. In the drawing, at least the side part 45 and the back cover part 41 are both inside a timepiece made of metal. The antenna unit 32 capable of receiving the arranged radio wave is shown.
[0153]
In the above-described conventional example, when the antenna portion is inserted and arranged in a metal side or a metal exterior portion such as a lid, a resonance phenomenon (magnetic force → power → magnetic force →...) Generated by the antenna portion. ) Is hindered by the metal sheath, that is, specifically, the magnetic force generated by the resonance phenomenon is attracted to the metal part, causing an eddy current phenomenon, and the result is that most of the magnetic force is consumed (iron loss). The influence and the Q value of the antenna part were greatly reduced, and there was a problem in the practical use of the radio-controlled timepiece in which the antenna part was arranged inside the metal sheath.
[0154]
On the other hand, in the antenna section, generally, the gain increases as the number of turns of the winding increases, but when the number of turns increases, the winding resistance (copper loss) increases, and the gain may decrease. I know.
[0155]
That is, since the output of the antenna unit is made up of the output according to Faraday's law and the output generated by the resonance phenomenon of the antenna unit, when the antenna unit is inserted into the metal sheath, the Q value is greatly reduced, so that the gain Has also been significantly reduced.
[0156]
In other words, when a metal object is not present in the vicinity, usually, most of the gain of the antenna section is gain obtained by the above-described resonance phenomenon, and the winding resistance (copper loss) of the antenna section increases. This hinders the resonance phenomenon and causes a decrease in gain (Q value). Therefore, it was impossible to extremely increase the number of turns or to make the winding thin.
[0157]
On the other hand, when the antenna section is placed in a metal sheath, the Q value is greatly reduced and the gain is greatly reduced because the effect of iron loss (metal sheath) is large.
[0158]
Therefore, the inventor of the present application changed the conventional idea, and based on the premise that a decrease in the Q value was unavoidable when the antenna portion was used inside a metal exterior, Of the present invention has been studied earnestly.
[0159]
That is, in the present invention, when the antenna section is inserted and arranged in the metal exterior section, the gain is not obtained by the amplification factor due to the Q value (resonance phenomenon) as in the related art, but the gain obtained by Faraday's law. It is based on the technical ideas that have been obtained as a result of pursuing how to maximize the use of.
[0160]
In order to confirm the above technical idea, the present inventors first conducted an experiment for measuring the relationship between the L value (mH) of a predetermined antenna unit and the gain (dB) of the antenna unit as shown in FIG. Was done.
[0161]
That is, in FIG. 10, the relationship between the L value and the gain (dB) when a 77.5 KHz radio wave is received in a state where the predetermined antenna portion is not inserted into the metal exterior portion is shown in a graph A, and the same is shown in FIG. Graph B shows the relationship between the L value and the gain (dB) when a 77.5 KHz radio wave was received in a state where the antenna portion having the structure was inserted into the metal exterior portion.
[0162]
In this experiment, a winding was wound around a normal straight core portion by a normal method, and the change in the L value was adjusted by changing the number of windings, changing the winding resistance, and the like.
[0163]
As can be seen from FIG. 10, in the antenna portion not inserted into the metal sheath, the gain increases as the L value increases, but gradually saturates when the L value exceeds about 10 mH. On the other hand, the antenna portion inserted in the metal sheath does not have the above-described saturation phenomenon, and it can be seen that the gain increases linearly in proportion to the increase of the L value.
[0164]
That is, the above experimental results show that when the antenna section is placed in a metal sheath, the decrease in gain due to the resonance phenomenon is remarkable, but the attenuation level of the gain in the portion according to Faraday's law is small. I have.
[0165]
As a result of further studies, the inventors of the present invention have found that the gain of the antenna section 32 used in the metal exterior section increases linearly as the L value increases. It is determined that it is desirable to increase the L value by increasing the number of turns.
[0166]
However, when the number of turns of the antenna unit is increased, the capacity of the antenna unit itself is increased, so that a restriction is imposed on the resonance point of the antenna unit. Therefore, the upper limit is necessarily determined.
[0167]
Therefore, the present inventors consider that the capacitance of the winding of the antenna unit is usually about 10 pF, and the lowest frequency band is 40 KHz. When the L value of the antenna unit 32 is obtained from the equation f = 1 / 2π 求 め る LC, it is about 1584 to 1600 mH, and therefore, it is determined that it is desirable to use the L value at 1600 mH or less.
[0168]
Actually, when the parasitic capacitance of the mounting substrate and the receiving IC is included in addition to the winding capacitance of the antenna unit, the parasitic is considered to be about 20 pF. In such a situation, the L value is 792 to 800. Therefore, it is desirable to use the antenna unit 32 whose L value is 800 mH or less.
[0169]
Further, when realistically considered, the highest existing frequency band among the used frequency bands is 77.5 KHz (Germany). When the L value of the antenna unit 32 is determined based on the above capacity and frequency, it is about 211 to 220 mH, and it is desirable to use the antenna unit 32 whose L value is 220 mH or less.
[0170]
It is desirable that the lower limit of the L value in the antenna unit 32 in the present invention is about 20 mH.
[0171]
This is because the minimum output required for the antenna unit varies depending on the capability of the receiving IC. If the minimum output required for the antenna unit is 50 dB, the lower limit of the L value is 25 mH from FIG. If the output is 51 dB, the lower limit of the L value is 20 mH from FIG. 10, and if the minimum output required for the antenna unit is 52 dB, the lower limit of the L value is preferably 15 mH from FIG.
[0172]
The value of the L value determined to be preferable in the present invention described above is an extremely peculiar value in consideration of the fact that the L value of the antenna portion in the conventional radio-controlled timepiece is at most 2 to 13 mH. Is understood.
[0173]
Next, the present inventors examined the relationship between the number of windings (T) and the gain (dB) of the winding in the antenna section, and the results are shown in FIG.
[0174]
That is, in FIG. 11, similarly to the experiment of FIG. 10, the number of windings of the antenna unit 32 when receiving a radio wave of 77.5 KHz without inserting the predetermined antenna unit into the metal exterior unit ( The relationship between T) and the gain (dB) is shown in Graph C. The number of windings (T) and the gain (T) when receiving an electric wave of 77.5 KHz in a state where the antenna unit having the same structure is inserted in the metal exterior unit are shown. The relationship with dB) is shown in graph D.
[0175]
As can be seen from FIG. 11, in the antenna portion not inserted into the metal sheath, the gain increases as the number of windings (T) increases, but the number of windings (T) increases to 1000. Although the saturation gradually occurs when it exceeds, the antenna part inserted in the metal sheath does not have the above-described saturation phenomenon, and it can be seen that the gain increases linearly in proportion to the increase in the number of windings (T). .
[0176]
Therefore, in the present invention, in a radio-controlled timepiece in which at least one of the side portion and the lid portion of the exterior portion is made of metal or a radio-controlled timepiece in which the side portion and the lid portion of the exterior portion are made of metal, It is determined that the number of windings (T) of 32 is desirably 1000 T or more.
[0177]
Further, as can be understood from FIG. 11, when the antenna section 32 is used alone without being put in the metal exterior part, the gain increase rate is saturated when the winding number (T) is 1500 or more. However, when the antenna unit 32 is arranged in the metal sheath, the gain linearly increases even when the number of windings (T) is 1500 or more, so that the side portion of the sheath portion or In a radio-controlled timepiece in which at least one of the lids is made of metal, it is determined that it is more effective that the number of windings (T) of the antenna 32 is 1500 or more.
[0178]
On the other hand, as the number of windings (T) of the antenna unit increases, the resistance value of the antenna unit increases. Therefore, the upper limit of the number of windings (T) is also limited.
[0179]
Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12, the inventors of the present application do not consider the case where the winding resistance (Ω) and the gain of the antenna unit 32 and the case where the winding resistance (Ω) and the antenna unit are close to the metal exterior unit. An experiment was conducted to examine the relationship between the case and the gain difference.
[0180]
That is, in FIG. 12, similarly to the experiment of FIG. 10, the winding resistance of the antenna unit 32 when receiving a radio wave of 77.5 KHz without inserting the predetermined antenna unit into the metal exterior unit ( )) And the gain (dB) are shown in a graph E. The winding resistance (Ω) and the gain (Ω) when receiving an electric wave of 77.5 KHz with the antenna unit having the same structure inserted in the metal exterior part are shown. The relationship with dB) is shown in graph F.
[0181]
Also, a graph showing the relationship between the winding resistance (Ω) and the gain of the antenna unit 32 and the gain difference between the case where the winding resistance (Ω) and the antenna unit are brought close to and not to the metal exterior part. G.
[0182]
In the experiment in FIG. 12, the winding resistance (Ω) value was adjusted by appropriately changing the resistance value as shown in FIG. 12 (B).
[0183]
As can be understood from FIG. 12 (A), the winding can be obtained either when the antenna unit 32 is used alone without the metal sheath or when the antenna unit 32 is arranged inside the metal sheath. It is shown that the gain decreases as the resistance (Ω) increases.
[0184]
Looking at the graph G showing the gain difference between the graphs E and F, when the value of the winding resistance (Ω) is 1 KΩ or more, the antenna unit 32 is not used in the case where the metal exterior is not used. It can be understood that there is no change in the difference in gain when used inside the metal sheath, and the gain difference is constant at around 3 to 4 dB.
[0185]
This is because, when a metal object having conductivity is arranged near an antenna unit for receiving a radio wave or in contact with the antenna unit in the related art, the radio wave is absorbed by the metal object. Since the radio wave does not reach the antenna unit, the resonance output of the antenna unit is reduced. For example, it was thought that the Q value was reduced. Even if the above-described conventional grasp of the problem is actually an error, even if there is a metal object having conductivity near the antenna portion or in contact with the antenna portion, In the antenna section, when the radio wave has substantially arrived, and in the case of non-resonance, the flow of the magnetic flux due to the external radio wave trying to enter the watch from the outside is somewhat attenuated (for example, about 3 dB). )Substantially, Although the fact that the harm without reaching to the antenna portion can be confirmed, consistent with this fact.
[0186]
The problem is that when the antenna unit resonates, magnetic lines of magnetic force (magnetic flux) coming out of the magnetic core of the antenna unit are drawn into the metal object, where eddy currents are generated and magnetic energy is attenuated. It has been clarified that there is a problem in that the output from the device is reduced and reception is not performed normally.
[0187]
To describe the above problem in more detail, for example, in FIG. 4, the metal exterior part 31 of the timepiece 30, that is, the back cover member is formed of a metal material, and the antenna part 32 for radio wave reception is When the radio wave J is arranged in the metal exterior part 31 and the radio wave is to be received, the flow of the magnetic flux J due to the external radio wave trying to enter the watch 30 from the outside is slightly attenuated (for example, about 3 dB). Specifically, the antenna unit 32 reaches the antenna unit 32 without any obstacle, but receives the magnetic flux of the radio wave, and when the antenna unit 32 resonates, that is, the energy state conversion is alternately performed between electric energy and magnetic energy. The flow A, B, and C of the resonance magnetic flux output from the end of the magnetic core 38 in the antenna unit 32 ₀ Is drawn into the metal exterior portion 31, which is the metal material, where an eddy current is generated to absorb the energy of the flow 7 of the resonance magnetic flux. As a result, the resonance output from the antenna portion 32 is reduced. It has been found that it will decrease.
[0188]
That is, if the output characteristic value of the antenna unit 32 is defined by the Q value, the Q value indicates the ratio of the output to the input to the antenna unit 32. Has an output characteristic of 100. It is determined that the higher the Q value is, the better the antenna unit is.
[0189]
In other words, the higher the Q value is, the better the performance of the antenna unit is determined. In other words, the Q value is also an index indicating the degree of energy loss.
[0190]
As a specific example of the method of measuring the Q value, for example, a method described in the specification of Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-264985, which has been applied by the present applicant, can be used.
[0191]
From the above results, when the value of the winding resistance (Ω) is 1 KΩ or less, the contribution of the effect to the gain of the antenna unit 32 used inside the metal sheath is the gain when the antenna unit 32 is not used with the metal sheath. Therefore, the winding resistance (Ω) of the antenna unit 32 in the present invention is desirably 1 KΩ or less.
[0192]
Generally, the thickness of a watch is considered to be about 10 mm, the winding width of the antenna part is 20 mm, the winding core thickness is 1 mm, the winding thickness is a conductor diameter of 60 μm, a conductor diameter of 65 μm, and a winding resistance of 1 KΩ. In this case, the number of windings is limited to 25000T.
[0193]
More specifically, the number of windings in the data of FIG. 10 is replaced with the winding resistance value of the sample, and the predetermined antenna section 32 is inserted into the metal exterior as shown in FIG. 13 combined with the data of FIG. Graph H shows the relationship between the winding resistance (Ω) and the gain (dB) of the antenna unit 32 when a radio wave of 77.5 KHz is received without the antenna unit, and the antenna unit having the same structure is inserted into the metal exterior unit. Graph I shows the relationship between the winding resistance (Ω) and the gain (dB) when receiving a 77.5 KHz radio wave in this state.
[0194]
The graphs H and I are substantially the same as the graph E and the graph F in FIG.
[0195]
On the other hand, the graph J in FIG. 13 shows the case of the antenna section having the same structure as described above, in which the number of turns (T) is changed to 1000 to 2000 T, and the antenna section is inserted at 77.5 KHz. 5 shows the relationship between the winding resistance (Ω) and the gain (dB) when the radio wave is received, and shows that the gain increases as the winding resistance (the number of windings) increases.
[0196]
Graph K is an approximate curve of graph J.
[0197]
On the other hand, the graph M shows the ratio of the gain that decreases as the winding resistance (Ω) increases, and increases as the winding resistance J increases as the number of windings (T) increases, as shown by the above graph I. 6 is a graph showing a balance with gain.
[0198]
As is clear from the graph M of FIG. 13, it can be understood that the balance between the increase and the decrease of the gain is saturated as the winding resistance (Ω) becomes higher than around 396Ω. It can be seen that no effect is obtained even if the winding is performed so that the wire resistance (Ω) becomes 400Ω or more.
[0199]
Therefore, the winding resistance (Ω) of the antenna section 32 in the present invention is desirably 400Ω or less.
[0200]
Furthermore, in the present invention, considering that the use of a metal sheath in a region where the gain of the antenna unit 32 is high and the change is small is the most efficient method, it is considered that As understood from the graph F of FIG. 12, it is considered preferable to use the antenna unit 32 in a state where the winding resistance (Ω) is 100Ω or less.
[0201]
It is desirable that the lower limit of the winding resistance (Ω) of the antenna section 32 in the present invention is about 18Ω.
[0202]
That is, assuming that the minimum output required of the antenna unit is −51 dB, the number of windings is 1400 T from FIG. 11, which is a general winding having a conductor diameter of 100 μm and a conductor diameter of 110 μm. Is wound around an antenna part having a diameter of 20 mm and a core thickness of 1 mm, the winding resistance becomes about 18 Ω, and when the winding has a conductor diameter of 80 μm and a conductor diameter of 85 μm, the winding resistance becomes about 22 Ω. When a winding having a thickness of 65 μm and a conductor diameter of 70 μm is used, the winding resistance is about 30 Ω, and when a winding having a conductor diameter of 60 μm and a conductor diameter of 65 μm is used, the winding resistance is about 38 Ω. Is considered to be the limit.
[0203]
Incidentally, the winding resistance (Ω) of the antenna part in the conventional radio-controlled timepiece is at most about 20Ω, and the winding resistance (Ω) in the present invention is significantly higher than the conventional level. The resistance (Ω) is used.
[0204]
From the above experimental results, in the present invention, when the antenna part 32 is disposed in the metal exterior part, the Q value does not decrease even if the winding resistance (copper loss) of the antenna part increases. In other words, if the number of turns is the same even if the wire diameter is small, the change in the Q value and the gain G is small.
[0205]
On the other hand, the gain of the antenna section of the antenna section 32 is improved by increasing the number of turns.
[0206]
As a result, when the antenna section is disposed inside the metal sheath, it is possible to improve the gain by designing the winding to be thin and increasing the number of turns.
[0207]
In the conventional mode in which the antenna section 32 is not inserted into the metal exterior section, when the diameter of the winding is large, for example, a winding having a diameter of 0.1 mmφ and a low resistance value is used. When the winding has a smaller winding diameter, for example, the winding diameter shows better gain characteristics than using a winding having a high resistance value of 0.06 mmφ, but as in the present invention, When the antenna section 32 is arranged in the metal exterior section, no difference in gain characteristics is observed.
[0208]
Therefore, in the present invention, it is desirable to form the antenna section 32 using a thin winding, thereby making it possible to form the antenna section 32 having a smaller size.
[0209]
Therefore, as another aspect of the antenna section in the present invention, the winding preferably has a wire diameter of 0.1 mmφ or less, preferably 0.06 mmφ.
[0210]
The above-described antenna unit 32 according to the present invention basically has a shape in which the winding is wound around a normal linear antenna unit core by a predetermined number of turns (T). The configuration is not limited to this, and the present invention is applicable to any form of antenna unit. In particular, the antenna unit disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2002-297095 filed by the applicant of the present invention has been disclosed. It is also possible to apply to the configuration of FIG.
[0211]
In the present invention, the structural relationship between the antenna section 32 and the metal exterior section 31 and the positional relationship between the two are also important factors in the present invention.
[0212]
Therefore, preferred conditions will be described in detail below with respect to the structural relationship between the antenna unit 32 and the metal exterior unit 31 and the arrangement relationship between the two in the present invention.
[0213]
That is, in the electronic device 30 of the present invention, the antenna part 32 and the metal exterior part 31 incorporated inside the metal exterior part 31 are formed by the thickness of the body member of the metal exterior part, that is, the body member. It is desirable to set the thickness of the back cover member 41, which is the thickness of the back cover member 41, and the distance from the antenna section to the trunk member 45 or the back cover member 41 based on the reception sensitivity.
[0214]
When the thickness of the body member or the back cover member and the distance from the antenna to the body member 45 or the back cover member 41 are set based on the reception sensitivity in this manner, disturbance of the resonance phenomenon near the antenna due to the metal material is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to improve the receiving sensitivity even with the metal exterior part 31. This makes it possible to use titanium, stainless steel, etc., for the body member, back cover member, bezel, etc., even in the case of a radio-controlled timepiece. The above functions can be improved.
[0215]
Further, the receiving sensitivity is further improved by the material of the body member 45 or the back cover member 41, the shape of the back cover member, the positional relationship between the antenna 32 and the body member 45 or the back cover member 41, the addition of a non-magnetic member, and the like. You can also. Regarding the thickness of the trunk member or the thickness of the back lid member, the distance from the antenna to the trunk member 45 or the back lid member 41, etc., the most effective values obtained by repeated verification through experiments were obtained.
[0216]
Hereinafter, the configuration conditions of the metal exterior portion 31 and the antenna portion 32 used in the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.
[0219]
First, in order to examine the relationship between the reception sensitivity and the watch case, as shown in FIGS. 15A and 15B, the thickness of the trunk member T1 of the trunk member 45, the antenna section 32 and the inner surface of the trunk member 45 are measured. The distance D1, the back cover member thickness T2 of the back cover member 41, and the distance D2 between the antenna unit 32 and the inner surface of the back cover member 41 are selected as parameters. These four parameters and the peak height of the signal received by the antenna unit 32 are selected. The relationship with the gain, which is a certain value, was determined from experiments.
[0218]
In addition, the torso member 45, the antenna unit 32, and the back cover member 41 used in the experiments described below were formed on the assumption that they were used as the electronic device 30 including a timepiece.
[0219]
The material of the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 may be stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, gold, gold in consideration of good workability, durability, corrosion resistance, good appearance quality as a product, and price. Alloys, silver, silver alloys, copper, body alloys, brass, aluminum, aluminum alloys, zinc, zinc alloys, magnesium, magnesium alloys and alloys containing tungsten carbide and tantalum carbide were selected as cemented metals. Although the gain increased and decreased by several dB, the relationship between each parameter and the gain (graph curve shape) hardly changed. Therefore, in each of the experiments described below, stainless steel (especially austenitic stainless steel) was used. For example, SUS304, SUS304L, SUS316, SUS316L, or the like) is preferably used. Shows the numerical value of the case that was used to.
[0220]
In the first experiment, the gain of the received signal was measured when the body member thickness T1 was changed from 0 to 5000 μm. In this experiment, an experimental antenna having a conductor diameter of 65 μm and a winding number of 1500 was used as an antenna installed in the trunk member 45, the distance between the trunk member 45 and the antenna part 32 was set to be constant at 1000 μm, and An experiment was performed in which a member having a back cover member thickness of 800 μm was used as the member 41, the distance between the antenna unit 32 and the back cover member 41 was set to be constant at 100 μm, and a 40 kHz signal was transmitted from a transmission antenna installed at a predetermined position. went.
[0221]
As a result, as shown in FIG. 16, the gain of the received signal gradually decreases as the trunk member thickness increases from about −50 dB at the trunk member thickness T1 of 0 μm (without the trunk member 45). When T1 reaches 5000 μm, the decrease is saturated. The solid line shown in FIG. 16 is an approximate curve obtained from the experimental data.
[0222]
According to the first experiment, it was found that when the body member thickness T1 exceeds 5000 μm, the decrease in gain is saturated and becomes constant, and the value at this time becomes the minimum value. Therefore, if the body member thickness T1 is set between 0 and 5000 μm, the gain can be improved with respect to the minimum value. In consideration of the strength and the like that can be used as a watch case within the above range, it is preferable to set the body member thickness T1 to a range from 300 μm to 5000 μm, which is practically maximum. In order to form the most suitable body member in consideration of the appearance, workability, corrosion resistance, and the like as the case of the electronic device 30, that is, the metal exterior part 31, the body member thickness T1 is set in the range of 500 to 2000 μm. Is preferred.
[0223]
In the second experiment, the gain of the received signal when the distance D1 between the antenna unit 32 and the body member 45 was changed to 0 to 40000 μm was measured. FIG. 17 shows the measurement results from 0 to 20000 μm. In this experiment, an experimental antenna having a conductor diameter of 65 μm and a winding number of 1500 was used as the antenna section 32 installed in the body member 45, and a body member having a body member thickness of 2000 μm was used as the body member 45. An experiment was conducted in which a back cover member having a thickness of 800 μm was used, the distance between the antenna unit 32 and the back cover member 41 was set to a constant value of 100 μm, and a signal of 40 kHz was transmitted from a transmission antenna provided at a predetermined position. .
[0224]
As a result, as shown in FIG. 17, the gain of the received signal increases as the distance D1 increases from about −54.5 dB at a distance D1 of 0 μm (a state in which a part of the antenna unit 32 is in contact with the body member 45). Gradually rise. In this experiment, the gain of the received signal when only the back cover member 41 was used (that is, when the body member 45 was removed) was −50.34 dB. At a distance D1 from the member 45, the increase in gain is saturated. The distance D1 at which the increase in gain is saturated is 40,000 μm, and the gain cannot be increased even if the antenna section 32 and the body member 45 are further separated. The solid line shown in FIG. 17 is an approximate curve obtained from the experimental data.
[0225]
According to the second experiment, the gain increases and the receiving sensitivity becomes better when the distance D1 between the antenna unit 32 and the body member 45 is increased, but the increase in gain is saturated when the distance D1 exceeds 40000 μm. It turned out to be constant. Therefore, if the distance D1 is set between 0 and 40000 μm, the gain can be improved. Within the above range, it is preferable to set the distance D1 to 500 to 10000 [mu] m in consideration of a size usable as a watch case and the like.
[0226]
In the third experiment, the gain of the received signal was measured when the back cover member thickness T2 was changed from 0 to 5000 μm. FIG. 18 shows the measurement results from 0 to 3000 μm. In this experiment, an experimental antenna having a conductor diameter of 65 μm and a number of windings of 1500 was used as the antenna, the distance between the back cover member 41 and the antenna section 32 was set to be constant at 1000 μm, and the trunk member 45 having a trunk member thickness of 2000 μm was used. An experiment was conducted in which the distance between the antenna section 32 and the back cover member 41 was set to a constant value of 100 μm, and a signal of 40 kHz was transmitted from a transmitting antenna provided at a predetermined position.
[0227]
As a result, as shown in FIG. 18, the gain of the received signal decreases rapidly from about −43.4 dB when the back cover member thickness T2 is 0 μm (without the back cover member 41) to 800 μm, and It was found that the gain did not change much when the member thickness T2 was 800 μm to 5000 μm. That is, it was found that when the thickness T2 of the back cover member was 800 μm, the minimum value was obtained. Note that the solid line shown in FIG. 18 is an approximate curve obtained from experimental data.
[0228]
Even if the minimum value is practically acceptable, the thickness T2 of the back cover member is set within a range from 100 μm to 5000 μm, which is practically the maximum, in consideration of the strength and the like that can be used as the metal exterior part 31 of the electronic device 30 within the above range. It is preferable to set. Further, in order to form the most suitable back cover in consideration of the appearance, workability, corrosion resistance and the like as the metal exterior portion 31, it is preferable to set the back cover member thickness T2 in the range of 300 to 2000 μm.
[0229]
In the fourth experiment, the gain of the received signal when the distance D2 between the antenna unit 32 and the back cover member 41 was changed to 0 to 5000 μm was measured. In this experiment, an experimental antenna having a conductor diameter of 65 μm and a winding number of 2,000 was used as the installed antenna unit 32, a body member having a body member thickness of 2000 μm was used as the body member 45, and a back cover member thickness was used as the back cover member 41. An experiment was performed in which a signal of 40 kHz was transmitted from a transmitting antenna provided at a predetermined position, with a distance D1 between the body member 45 and the antenna section 32 set to 1000 μm using a member of 800 μm.
[0230]
As a result, as shown in FIG. 19, the gain of the received signal increases in distance from about -49.6 dB at a distance D2 of 0 μm (a state in which the antenna unit 32 is in contact with the back cover member 41). And gradually rise. In this experiment, the gain of the received signal when only the trunk member 45 was used (that is, when the back cover member 41 was removed) was -38.8 dB. At a distance D2 from the back cover member 41, the increase in gain is saturated. The distance D2 at which the increase in gain is saturated is 5000 μm, and the gain cannot be increased even if the antenna unit 32 and the back cover member 41 are further separated. The solid line shown in FIG. 19 is an approximate curve obtained from experimental data.
[0231]
According to the fourth experiment, the gain increases and the receiving sensitivity becomes better when the distance D2 between the antenna unit 32 and the back cover member 41 is increased, but the gain increases when the distance D2 exceeds 5000 μm. It turned out to be saturated and constant. Therefore, if the distance D2 is set between 0 and 5000 μm, the gain can be improved. Within the above range, it is preferable to set the distance D2 to 100 to 700 μm in consideration of a size usable as a watch case and the like.
[0232]
Next, a specific example of the electronic device 30 of the present invention based on the results of the above experiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a radio-controlled timepiece according to the present invention, and the basic configuration has already been described above.
[0233]
A predetermined space 51 is provided between the movement 42 and the back cover member 41, and the antenna section 32 is disposed in the space 51. The antenna 32 is fixed to the lower surface of the movement 42.
[0234]
In the present invention, the antenna part 32 may be provided so as to be in contact with the inner surface of the metal exterior part 31, and may have a gap with the inner surface of the metal exterior part 31. It may be provided.
[0235]
In this specific example, both the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are made of austenitic stainless steel (for example, SUS316L). Further, based on the experimental results, the thickness of the trunk member 45 is set to 1600 μm, and the distance from the antenna section 32 to the inner surface of the trunk member 45 is set to 2000 μm. The thickness of the back cover member 41 is set to 800 μm, and the distance from the antenna section 32 to the inner surface of the back cover member 41 is set to 3000 μm.
[0236]
In the radio-controlled timepiece 30 having the above-described configuration, the CPU in the movement 42 operates the display driving unit based on the standard radio wave received by the antenna unit 32 to drive the hands 36 so as to always correct the hands. At this time, in this specific example, although the trunk member 45 and the back cover member 41 are formed of metal, the thickness of the trunk member, the back cover member thickness, and the distance between the antenna unit and the trunk member 45 and the back cover member 41 are determined. Since the values are set to the values based on the experimental results that optimize the receiving sensitivity, the disturbance of the resonance phenomenon near the antenna is reduced, and the receiving sensitivity is improved.
[0237]
In addition, on the inner surface of the back cover member 41 or the inner surface of the body member 45, such as gold, gold alloy, silver, silver alloy, copper, body alloy, brass, aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, magnesium, and magnesium alloy It has been experimentally confirmed that the gain is improved by about 2 to 3 dB when a non-magnetic member having an electric resistivity of 7.0 μΩ · cm or less is attached.
[0238]
Further, one or both of the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 can be subjected to a hardening treatment such as a carburizing treatment, and no decrease in the receiving sensitivity due to the hardening treatment was observed.
[0239]
As a specific example different from the above specific example in the present invention, the basic configuration shown in FIG. 2 is the same, but the material of the trunk member 45 and the back lid member 41, the trunk member thickness of the trunk member 45, the antenna The distance between the portion 32 and the body member 45, the thickness of the back cover member 41 of the back cover member 41, and the distance between the antenna division portion 32 and the back cover member 41 are set differently from those in the above-described specific example.
[0240]
That is, the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 in this specific example are formed of titanium.
[0241]
In the case of the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 made of titanium, the thickness of the body member is set to 2000 μm, which is thicker than the specific example, assuming a standard corresponding to high pressure waterproofing, and the thickness of the back cover member is also 1000 μm. Is set to
[0242]
In addition, due to the relationship between the materials of the trunk member 45 and the back cover member 41, even if the distance between the antenna unit 32 and the trunk member 45 and the back cover member 41 is reduced, it is possible to obtain reception sensitivity that does not interfere with the reception sensitivity. The distance between the antenna section 32 and the body member 45 is set to 500 μm, and the distance between the antenna section 32 and the back cover member 41 is set to 400 μm.
[0243]
Also in the case of this specific example, the gain can be improved by about 2 to 3 dB by attaching the same non-magnetic member as the above specific example to the inner surface of the back cover member 41 or the inner surface of the body member 45. It is.
[0244]
Further, in this specific example, it is also possible to subject one or both of the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 to a hardening process such as a nitriding process, and to reduce the receiving sensitivity due to the hardening process. Is not allowed.
[0245]
The radio-controlled timepiece according to another specific example shown in FIG. 22 of the present invention employs substantially the same configuration as the configuration shown in FIG. Are made of different materials.
[0246]
That is, in the configuration of FIG. 2, the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are formed of brass material, mirror-finished, and thereafter, as shown in FIG. The plating layers 221 and 222 are formed and finished. The brass material is a non-magnetic member having an electrical resistivity of 7.0 μΩ · cm or less for improving the receiving sensitivity confirmed in the experiment, and further improving the receiving sensitivity together with the setting of the body member thickness and the like. is there.
[0247]
The case of the body member 45 and the case back member 41 in this example is the same as the above example except that plating is performed. The case member thickness is set to 1600 μm, and the case back member thickness is set to 800 μm. ing. The distance between the antenna part 32 and the body member 45 and the back cover member is set such that the distance between the antenna part 32 and the body member 45 is 2000 μm and the distance between the antenna part 32 and the back cover member 41 is 3000 μm. Is set to
[0248]
The plating layers 221 and 222 of the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are formed by wet plating as described below.
[0249]
First, in order to form a base plating layer, a plating bath (composition: Na ₂ SnO ₃ ・ 3H ₂ O 60 g / l (liter), CuCN 20 g / l, K ₂ SO ₃ H 10 g / l, KCN (free) 30 g / l, KOH 60 g / l, Zn (CN) ₂ 5 g / l), bath temperature 50 ° C., current density 2.4 A / dm ² , PH 12.5, deposition rate 0.33 μm / min, time 6 minutes. Thereby, a base plating layer of about 2 μm of a Cu—Sn—Zn alloy is formed on the surfaces of the main body 300 and the main body 301.
[0250]
Next, a Sn—Cu—Pd alloy plating layer is formed by plating on the base plating layer under the following conditions. Plating bath (composition: Na ₂ SnO ₃ ・ 3H ₂ O 60 g / l (Sn equivalent 26.7 g / l), CuCN 20 g / l (Cu equivalent 14.2 g / l), K ₂ SO ₃ H 10 g / l, KCN (free) 30 g / l, KOH 60 g / l, K ₂ Pd (CN) ₄ ・ 3H ₂ O 30 g / l (Pd equivalent: 9.3 g / l)). Plating conditions: bath temperature 50-55 ° C, current density 2.0 A / dm ² Current efficiency 47.8%, pH 12.5-13, deposition rate 0.33 μm / min, time 9 minutes. This plating gives a thickness of about 3 μm, a hardness (Hv) of about 300, and a density of 9.6 g / cm on the base plating layer. ³ A Sn—Cu—Pd alloy plating layer is formed. When the composition of this plating layer was simply quantified with a scanning electron microscope and an X-ray microanalyzer, it was found that the ternary alloy was Sn: 17.12% by weight, Cu: 44.22% by weight, and Pd: 38.66% by weight. Was confirmed.
[0251]
Thereafter, plating is performed on the Sn—Cu—Pd alloy plating layer under the following conditions to form a finish plating layer. Plating bath ("Para Bright-SSS" (trade name) manufactured by Japan High Purity Chemical Co., Ltd.). Plating conditions: bath temperature 55 ° C, current density 1.5 A / dm ² PH 7.6, deposition rate 0.33 μm / min, time 6 minutes. By this plating, a Pd plating layer having a thickness of about 2 μm and having white luster is formed, and the plating layers 221 and 222 are completed.
[0252]
The body member 45 on which the plating layers 221 and 222 are formed as described above and the back cover member 41 are made of sodium chloride 9.9 g / l, sodium sulfide 0.8 g / l, urea 7.1 g / l, and aqueous ammonia. Even if a corrosion resistance test is performed for 24 hours in artificial sweat (temperature: 40 ° C) consisting of 0.19 ml / l, saccharose 0.2 g / l, and lactic acid (50%) 0.8 ml / l, the surface does not discolor. And has good corrosion resistance. Further, the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 do not show any peeling of the plating layers 221 and 222 even when subjected to a heating test in which the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are left at a temperature of 200 ° C. for 5 hours, and have good heat resistance. .
[0253]
Also in this specific example, the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are formed of metal, but the body member thickness, the back cover member thickness, the antenna part 32, the body member 45, the back cover member 41, Is set to a value based on an experimental result that optimizes the receiving sensitivity, the disturbance of the resonance phenomenon near the antenna is reduced, and the receiving sensitivity is improved. In addition, since the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are surface-finished, they have the corrosion resistance and heat resistance required when used as a timepiece, and have a heavy, high-grade white metallic luster. , The appearance quality is also high.
[0254]
In any of the above specific examples, as in the case of the back cover member 41 shown in FIG. 22, the inner surface is flattened without forming a rising portion on the back cover member 41, and the back cover member 41 has a planar secondary shape. In this case, the disturbance of the resonance phenomenon around the antenna section 32 can be reduced as compared with the case where the rising portion is provided, and the receiving sensitivity can be improved by about 2 dB.
[0255]
In addition, in order to further reduce the size and thickness of the timepiece, the distance between the antenna unit 32 and the body member 45 or the back cover member 41 can be set to 0 in consideration of the directivity of the antenna unit 32. It is.
[0256]
Further, while considering the directivity of the antenna unit 32, the antenna unit 32 is arranged such that the outer surface of the antenna unit 32 and the inner surface of the body member 45 or the inner surface of the back cover member 41 are parallel to each other. It is also possible to arrange the one end surface of the antenna unit 32 in a substantially vertical direction with respect to the inner surface, and to arrange the antenna unit 32 in an upright state.
[0257]
In addition, although the metal exterior portion 31 in each of the above specific examples includes the body member 45 and the back cover member 41, a metal member provided with a bezel or a ring on the upper portion of the body member 45 may be used. Further, in this case, as described later, if any of the body, the bezel, and the back cover member is formed of a non-magnetic member, the reception sensitivity can be further improved. Further, by forming the bezel and the like separately from the body member 45, the receiving sensitivity can be improved.
[0258]
In addition, not only the entire body member, bezel, and back cover member may be formed of a non-magnetic member, but also a portion thereof may be formed of a non-magnetic member, thereby improving the reception sensitivity.
[0259]
In that case, it is effective and preferable to form only a portion where the antenna portion 32 is projected in parallel or a portion facing the end of the antenna portion 32 with a non-magnetic member.
[0260]
Further, not only one kind of metal and non-magnetic member can be used, but also a combination of a plurality of metals and non-magnetic members can be used.
[0261]
In addition, regarding the selection of the material to be used for the trunk member 45 and the back cover member 41, as in the above-described experiment, the experimental trunk member 45 and the back cover member 41 formed of the material to be used are included in the same. An experimental antenna was installed, and an experiment was conducted in which a signal was transmitted from a transmitting antenna installed at a predetermined position.
[0262]
As a result of this experiment, in the case of gold, gold alloy, silver, silver alloy, copper, body alloy, brass, aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, magnesium, magnesium alloy and cemented carbide (alloy including tungsten-carbide) Has a gain of 2-3 dB (decibel) higher than that of stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, and tantalum carbide. Further, according to the same experiment, not only the case where the exterior portion is formed of a metal having good reception sensitivity but also the case where the exterior portion is formed of a metal whose reception sensitivity is reduced, the reception sensitivity is partially improved. It was also verified that the provision of the metal can improve the receiving sensitivity of the antenna inside the exterior part.
[0263]
Also, comparing the electrical resistivity of the metals used in the experiment, it was found that those having an electrical resistivity of 7 μΩ · cm or less can maintain good reception sensitivity. As a result, the entire exterior part or its non-magnetic material such as gold, gold alloy, silver, silver alloy, copper, body alloy, brass, aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, magnesium, magnesium alloy and cemented carbide is used. It has been found that, if a part is formed, the receiving sensitivity can be improved even in the case of using the metal exterior.
[0264]
Furthermore, even in the exterior part of an electronic device made of a metal having a high electrical resistivity such as stainless steel, titanium, a titanium alloy, and tantalum carbide having excellent appearance quality, a part made of the non-magnetic member is partially included. It has been verified that if it is, it is possible to improve the receiving sensitivity.
[0265]
As for the material of the body member 45 and the back cover member 41, a resin part is used for a bezel or the like to enrich the color, or a resin decoration is attached to a side surface of the body member for decoration. However, it is needless to say that, even with such a structure, a metal that is used for a basic constituent part is included in the range of the metal exterior part in the present invention.
[0266]
In the present invention, it is desirable that the inner surface of the body of the metal exterior portion 31 and the outer surface of the antenna portion be substantially parallel to each other. It is also desirable that the inner surface of the lid and the outer surface of the antenna section be substantially parallel.
[0267]
Further, in the present invention, it is also preferable that the back cover member 41 of the metal exterior portion 31 is configured to have a planar two-dimensional shape.
[0268]
Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that one end surfaces of both ends of the antenna unit are disposed substantially perpendicularly to the inner surface of the back cover member 41 of the metal exterior unit 31.
[0269]
On the other hand, in the present invention, it is preferable that at least one non-magnetic member having an electric resistivity of 7.0 μΩ · cm or less is fixed to the inner surface of the metal exterior portion 31. The magnetic member is made of at least one of gold, silver, copper, brass, aluminum, zinc, magnesium, or an alloy thereof.
[0270]
Further, in the present invention, the antenna unit 32 is composed of a magnetic core material 38 and a coil 40 wound around the magnetic core material 38 in plural, and at least one plane including the axis of the magnetic core material 38 is provided. It is also preferable that the antenna section 32 is configured such that the member on which the antenna section 32 is projected in parallel or the projected portion of the member is made of the non-magnetic member.
[0271]
Further, according to the present invention, the antenna section 32 includes a magnetic core material 38 and a coil 40 wound around the magnetic core material 38 a plurality of times. It is also preferred that the member or the opposite part of the member is made of the non-magnetic member.
[0272]
In addition to the specific examples described above, in the present invention, it is necessary to provide a countermeasure against static electricity in the electronic device 30. Therefore, at least a part of the metal exterior portion 31 is provided with an electrically conductive portion. It is also preferable that they are performed.
[0273]
As the electrostatic discharge mechanism according to the present invention, for example, an appropriate electric conduction portion is provided on a part of the trunk member 45 or the back cover member 41, and the conduction portion is provided with the antenna portion. It is preferable that the conductive member is provided at a position separated by a predetermined distance from 32. Further, as the conduction method, for example, a process such as welding, silver paste, a conductive ring, or a conductive resin or caulking can be adopted.
[0274]
For example, in the electronic device or the radio-controlled timepiece, when a push button or a part of a crown is pressed or pulled out, appropriate contacts come into contact with each other to discharge static electricity. And an appropriate conductive ring may be inserted into the electronic device or the radio-controlled timepiece.
[0275]
Further, in the radio-controlled timepiece, at least one portion may be welded to the body member and the bezel portion, or silver paste is applied to at least one portion between the body member and the bezel portion. It may be something.
[0276]
Next, with respect to the electronic device 30 according to the present invention described above, another configuration for making the electrical resistance of at least a part of the joining portion 39 different from the electrical resistance of other portions is provided. By forming at least a part of the joint area 39 formed by joining the at least two metal members in the exterior part 31 so as to be smaller than the plane area of the remaining joint part. Can also be realized.
[0277]
In addition, the thickness of at least a part of the body member 45 and / or the back cover member 41 on which the coil portion 40 of the antenna unit 32 is projected is smaller than the thickness of the other body member 45 or the back cover member 41. It can also be realized by configuring in the following manner.
[0278]
On the other hand, the present inventors, while conducting studies to put the above-described present invention into practical use, configure the metal exterior portion 31 made of a plurality of metal members in the electronic device 30. It has been found that the gain of the antenna section 32 changes depending on the bonding pressure of the bonding section 39 formed between the plurality of metal members.
[0279]
That is, when the metal exterior portion 31 is formed of two or more types of metal members, the present inventors dispose predetermined portions of the plurality of metal members, usually peripheral portions, with each other. , And fixed by welding under a predetermined pressurized state, fixed with a predetermined tightening force using a plurality of threaded bolts, fitted together by caulking, or It is practical to form a male screw and a female screw separately on the member, screw them into each other, and fix them with a predetermined tightening torque.
[0280]
Here, the present inventors have learned that the antenna gain of the antenna unit 32 changes due to a change in the contact pressure condition of the bonding surface of the plurality of metal members in the metal exterior unit 31. is there.
[0281]
That is, the fastening of the back cover member 41 in the metal exterior portion 31 where the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 are connected to each other in the electronic device 30 having the conventional structure shown in FIG. It has been found that changing the torque changes the antenna gain (dB) of the antenna section 32 as shown in FIG.
[0282]
That is, it has been found that when the tightening torque is changed between 0 and 6 N · m, the gain of the antenna decreases as the tightening torque increases, and the antenna gain is attenuated by about 3 dB at the maximum.
[0283]
When the tightening torque is 6 N · m or more, no measurement is performed because there is substantially no measuring device. However, it can be understood from FIG. It is understood that increasing the contact pressure with the lid member 41 decreases the gain of the antenna.
[0284]
Therefore, the joining between the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 in the metal exterior part 31 is not a screw type but a welding type described above, a fixing type using a plurality of threaded bolts, or caulking. It is assumed that the same result is obtained even when the method is used.
[0285]
Therefore, the present inventors conducted the following experiment in order to examine the reason why such a phenomenon occurs.
[0286]
First, as shown in FIGS. 33 (A) and (B), when the Vdd contact spring F is used inside the electronic device 30 and when the Vdd contact spring F is removed or bent, FIG. 24 shows the result of comparing the characteristic values of the antenna unit 32 when the contact point is turned off.
[0287]
In FIG. 24, the data before the change is data measured in a state where the Vdd contact spring R is normally used, and the data after the change disconnects the contact between the Vdd contact spring and the back cover member 41. This is the data measured when
[0288]
When comparing the two data, as far as the characteristic value of the antenna unit 32 is concerned, there is no substantial difference between them including the gain data.
[0289]
However, even if the back cover member 41 is tightened, the effect of the Vdd contact spring R due to the tightening can be eliminated by eliminating the Vdd contact spring R.
[0290]
Then, the present inventors eliminate the contact point between the movement 42 and the back cover member 41 as shown in FIGS. 34 (A) and 34 (B), and move the movement 42 by tightening the back cover member 41. FIG. 25 shows the result of comparing the characteristic values of the antenna unit 32 when the influence of the deformation is eliminated.
[0291]
In FIG. 25, the data before the change is data measured in a state where the contact point between the movement 42 and the back cover member 41 is left via the damper P as shown in FIG. The subsequent data is data measured when the point of contact between the movement 42 and the back cover member 41 is eliminated, as shown in FIG.
[0292]
When comparing the two data, as far as the characteristic value of the antenna unit 32 is concerned, there is no substantial difference between them including the gain data.
[0293]
However, even if the back cover member 41 is tightened, the influence of the movement 42 due to the tightening can be eliminated by eliminating the damper P.
[0294]
Further, as shown in FIG. 26 (A), the present inventors insert an appropriate insulator between the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 in the metal exterior part 31, and The effect of reducing the degree to which the back cover member 41 presses the movement 42 was examined.
[0295]
The result is shown in FIG.
[0296]
In FIG. 26B, the data before the change is data measured without inserting the insulator, and the data after the change is data measured when the insulator is inserted.
[0297]
When comparing the two data, no improvement in gain is seen even if the influence on the movement 42 is reduced. Therefore, when the back cover member 41 is tightened, the movement 42 is deformed, and the characteristics of the antenna 32 are changed. Is unlikely to decrease.
[0298]
Therefore, the present inventors reexamined the experimental results shown in FIGS.
[0299]
The experiments in FIGS. 6 and 8 were conducted with a screw tightening torque of 3 N · m.
[0300]
As described above, it is understood that the gain of the antenna section 32 is slightly lowered when a part of the joint section is left in the fan-shaped area as shown in FIG.
[0301]
Therefore, the inventors of the present application performed another experiment.
[0302]
That is, in the configuration shown in FIG. 6, the tightening torque of the back cover member 41 is changed by using the metal exterior portion 31 in which the central area of the fan-shaped region in which the gap portion 55 is provided is set to 90 degrees. The gain of the antenna unit 32 at the time of the operation was measured.
[0303]
The result is shown in FIG.
[0304]
In FIG. 27, a 90-degree graph is a graph showing the antenna gain obtained by the present experiment, and the current graph shows the antenna gain in the conventional metal exterior portion 31 in which the gap 55 is not formed. It is a graph shown.
[0305]
It can be seen from these experimental results that in the case of the configuration according to the experiment, the amount of attenuation of the gain of the antenna section due to the tightening torque of the back cover member 41 is significantly reduced as compared with the conventional structure.
[0306]
From this result, the gain of the antenna is greatly improved by cutting the screw portion around the antenna, and the screw portion around the antenna causes magnetic coupling by increasing the tightening torque of the back cover member. It is presumed that eddy current loss occurs, which hinders the resonance phenomenon of the antenna, and the gain of the antenna decreases.
[0307]
Therefore, in the present invention, it is considered that it is not preferable to make the joining force between the body member 45 and the back cover member 41 in the metal exterior portion 31 too high. Therefore, an appropriate tightening force or joining force is required depending on the condition.
[0308]
However, even if the tightening torque of all the samples used in the experiment is constant, the value of the loosening torque after the waterproof test varies.
[0309]
For example, when the tightening torque is 2 N · m, the loosening torque after the waterproofing test is 1.6 N · m at the maximum, 0.8 N · m at the minimum, and 1.1 N · m on average (30 samples measured). Was 3 N · m, the loosening torque after the waterproofing test was 3.5 N · m at the maximum, 1.7 N · m at the minimum, and 2.5 N · m on average (30 samples measured).
[0310]
In addition, some samples having a tightening torque of less than 0.1 N · m failed the waterproof test regardless of the value of the tightening torque.
[0311]
From the above, it is considered that the measurement is difficult when the tightening torque is higher than 6 N · m, and there is no necessity for the antenna gain to be higher than 6 N · m.
[0312]
From the above, the loosening torque is preferably 0.6 to 6 N · m, and practically preferably 0.2 to 4.5 N · m.
[0313]
Therefore, as another embodiment of the present invention, at least the antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and the antenna unit and the information processing device can be housed therein. An electronic device comprising: a metal exterior part, wherein the metal exterior part is configured so that the antenna unit can receive magnetic flux from outside the metal exterior through the metal exterior and resonate. And the metal exterior portion is composed of a body (side) material and a back cover member, and the body (side) material and the back cover member are joined to each other, Of course, the mutual peeling force between the body (side) material and the back cover member is 10 ^-4 N · m to 6.0 N · m, or at least an antenna unit, an information processing apparatus for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and the antenna Part and a metal exterior part capable of housing the information processing device therein, wherein the metal exterior part is such that the antenna part is provided from outside the metal exterior part. It is configured to receive a magnetic flux via a metal sheath and resonate, and the metal sheath portion includes a body (side) material and a back cover member, and the body ( The side) material and the back cover member are mutually joined by a screw mechanism, and the mutual loosening torque between the body (side) material and the back cover member is 0.1 Nm-6. 0.0N · m, preferably 0.2 N · m to 3.5 N · m It may be there in the electronic apparatus characterized.
[0314]
Next, in order to verify whether or not there is a difference in the effect of the present invention due to a difference in the joining portion of the metal exterior portion 31 in the electronic device 30 in the present invention, the following experiment was performed. Was.
[0315]
That is, the body member 45 of the metal exterior part 31 is composed of an upper body part and a middle body part, and after a gasket is press-fitted between the upper body part and the middle body part, it is closed with a back cover member. The sample (A, B, C, F) in which the fastening torque of the back cover member is joined at 3 N · m, the upper body portion and the middle body portion are joined by laser welding, and the back cover member is closed. Samples (D, E) were prepared in which the members were tightened at a tightening torque of 3 Nm, and the same antenna section 32 was arranged in the same position as shown in FIG. The value was measured.
[0316]
The result is shown in FIG.
[0317]
As is clear from the results of the comparison experiment shown in FIG. 29, it was found that the gain value of the antenna for the sample (D) made of Ti and the sample (E) made of SS decreased.
[0318]
This is presumed to be due to the strong magnetic coupling formed at the joint surface between the upper trunk and the middle trunk as described above.
Therefore, of the laser-welded portions 39 formed on the joint surface between the upper body portion and the middle body portion in the samples (D) and (E) shown in FIG. As a result of removing the portion corresponding to the portion 57 and forming the gap portion 55 to have an insulating function, a gain value similar to that of the other samples was obtained.
[0319]
The result is shown in FIG.
[0320]
【The invention's effect】
Since the present invention employs the above-described configuration, it is possible to solve the above-described problems of the related art and significantly change the structure, exterior material, or design, etc., of an electronic device including a conventional radio-controlled timepiece. In addition, adopting an antenna unit with a simple configuration, the reception efficiency is good, the size and thickness of the electronic device itself is not different from the conventional one, the degree of freedom in design is increased, and the manufacturing cost is reduced. An electronic device that can be kept inexpensive can be easily obtained.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a specific example of an electronic device according to the invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of another specific example of the electronic apparatus according to the invention.
FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a specific example of the electronic apparatus according to the invention. It is a graph which shows the change of Q value by the influence of the metal plate of the antenna main body part in this invention and the conventional.
FIG. 4A is a diagram showing an example of a shape of a joint surface between a body member and a back cover member in a metal exterior portion according to the present invention and an arrangement relationship of an antenna, and FIG. 4) is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG.
FIG. 5 (A) is a partial cross-sectional view of another specific example of the metal armor portion according to the present invention, and FIG. 5 (B) is a diagram illustrating the center angle of the fan-shaped region, the gain of the antenna, and the like. 6 is a graph showing the relationship of.
FIG. 6 (A) is a partial cross-sectional view of another specific example of the metal exterior part according to the present invention, and FIG. 6 (B) is an explanatory diagram for explaining a fan-shaped region. is there.
FIG. 7 (A) is a partial cross-sectional view of still another specific example of the metal exterior portion according to the present invention, and FIG. 7 (B) is an explanatory diagram for explaining a fan-shaped region; It is.
FIG. 8A is a plan view showing a specific example of a case where a bonding portion is partially left in a fan-shaped region in a metal exterior portion according to the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing experimental data for explaining the effect of the structure of FIG.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a specific example of an antenna structure according to the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a graph showing a relationship between an L value and a gain in the antenna structure.
FIG. 11 is a graph showing the relationship between the number of windings (T) and the gain in the antenna structure.
FIG. 12A is a graph showing a relationship between a winding resistance (Ω) and a gain in an antenna structure, and FIG. 12B is a diagram showing an example of a coil configuration; .
FIG. 13 is a graph showing a relationship between a winding resistance (Ω) and a gain in the antenna structure.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an arrangement configuration of each component in a radio-controlled timepiece which is a specific example of the electronic apparatus according to the invention.
FIGS. 15A and 15B are a plan view and a cross-sectional view illustrating a positional relationship between a metal exterior portion and an antenna portion.
FIG. 16 is a graph showing a relationship between a body member thickness and an antenna gain in the electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance between the trunk member and the antenna and the gain of the antenna in the electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a graph showing the relationship between the thickness of the back cover member and the gain of the antenna in the electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a graph showing the relationship between the distance between the back cover member and the antenna and the gain of the antenna in the electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 20 is a diagram schematically illustrating the configuration of a radio-controlled timepiece as a specific example of an electronic apparatus according to the invention.
FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating details of a configuration of a conventional radio-controlled timepiece.
FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating details of the configuration of a radio-controlled timepiece as a specific example of the electronic apparatus according to the invention.
FIG. 23 is a graph showing a relationship between torque and antenna gain.
FIG. 24 is a diagram showing data indicating a change in a characteristic value of an antenna depending on the presence or absence of a contact between a Vdd contact spring and a back cover member in the electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 25 is a diagram showing data indicating a change in a characteristic value of an antenna depending on the presence or absence of a contact between a movement and a back cover member in the electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 26A is a partial cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a specific example in which an insulator is inserted between a trunk member and a back cover member in the electronic device according to the present invention. FIG. 26B is a diagram showing data indicating a change in the characteristic value of the antenna depending on whether or not an insulator is inserted.
FIG. 27 is a graph showing the relationship between torque and antenna gain.
FIG. 28 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement relationship between a fan-shaped region and an antenna in the electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 29 is a diagram showing data indicating changes in antenna characteristic values in a plurality of specific examples of the electronic device according to the present invention.
FIG. 30 is a diagram showing data indicating a change in a characteristic value of an antenna in another specific example of the electronic apparatus according to the invention.
FIG. 31 is a view illustrating the results of an experiment on the effect of the arrangement position of the antenna unit in the case where a gap is provided at the joint between the body member and the back cover member constituting the metal exterior unit. FIG.
FIG. 32 is a view showing an arrangement position of an antenna, a length of the gap, and a fan shape when a gap is provided at a joint between a body member and a back cover member forming a metal exterior part; FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship with a central angle of a region.
FIG. 33 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example for eliminating the influence of a Vdd contact in a metal exterior part.
[FIG. 34] FIG. 34 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example for eliminating the influence of movement on a metal exterior part.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 antenna
2 Radio clock receiver
3 CPU
4 Display drive unit
5 Input device
10 Case 10
11 torso
12 Back cover member
13 Windshield
14 movement
15 Dial
16 needles
17 Bar antenna
18,38 Magnetic core member
20 coils
21 Conductor
22 annular edge frame
221, 222 plating layer
23 glass
30 Electronic devices, radio-controlled watches
31 Metal exterior
32 Antenna part
33, information processing device
34 CPU
35 Information display and notification means
36 Guidelines
37a step
37b Inward projection
37c Inner surface of body member 45
38 Magnetic core material
39 joint
41 Back cover member
42 movement
44 Packing
45 torso member
451, 452 Sub fuselage member
46 Crown, operation buttons, operation pins
47 switch circuit
48 Through hole
49 Insert, insulating material
50 rising part
51 Space
52 Screw mechanism
54 Eddy current
56 Joints included in the sector
57 sector area
60 Joints formed intermittently in gaps in sector regions

Claims (64)

An electronic device comprising at least an antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and a metal exterior unit capable of housing the antenna unit and the information processing device therein. The metal exterior part is configured so that the antenna unit can receive magnetic flux from outside the metal exterior part via the metal exterior part and resonate, and the metal exterior part An electronic device, wherein an electrical resistance value of at least a part of the part is different from an electrical resistance value of another part of the metal exterior part. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is one selected from a clock, a mobile phone, and a wireless communication device. The said metal exterior part has a structure which can suppress generation | occurrence | production of the eddy current which generate | occur | produces in the said metal exterior part, when the said antenna part resonates, The Claim 1 or 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. An electronic device according to claim 1. The metal exterior part is made of stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, gold, gold alloy, silver, silver alloy, copper, body alloy, brass, aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, magnesium, magnesium alloy and cemented carbide ( 4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the electronic device is made of one or more kinds of materials selected from tungsten-carbide and an alloy containing tantalum-carbide. 4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the metal exterior portion is formed by joining at least two metal members. The metal exterior part comprises a body part (side part) material and a back cover member, and the body part (side part) material and the back cover member are joined to each other. 6. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The metal exterior portion is characterized in that a body (side) material and a back cover member are integrally formed, and the body member is characterized in that a plurality of sub-body members are joined to each other. The electronic device according to claim 1. In the metal exterior part, a body (side part) material and a back cover member are integrally formed, and the body member is formed of an inner body member and an outer body member. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein the outer body member and the outer body member are joined to each other. In the metal exterior part, a body (side part) material and a back cover member are integrally formed, and a part of the body member is selected from pipe, glass, bezel, inner cash register, or facing. The electronic device according to claim 7, wherein at least one insertion member is provided. Among the plurality of members constituting the metal exterior part, the electric resistance value of the metal constituting one member is configured to be different from the electric resistance value of the metal constituting the other member. The electronic device according to claim 1. The electric resistance value of the interconnecting part in the plurality of members constituting the metal exterior part is configured to be different from the electric resistance value of the metal constituting the metal exterior part. 10. The electronic device according to any one of 1 to 9. An electronic device including at least an antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and a metal exterior unit capable of housing the antenna unit and the information processing device therein. The metal exterior part is configured so that the antenna unit receives magnetic flux from outside the metal exterior through the metal exterior and resonates, and the metal exterior part is , A body (side) member and a back cover member, and the body (side) member and the back cover member are joined to each other. An electronic device characterized in that a mutual peeling force between the back cover member and the back cover member is 10 ⁻⁴ N · m to 6.0 N · m. An electronic device comprising at least an antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and a metal exterior unit capable of housing the antenna unit and the information processing device therein. The metal exterior part, the antenna part is configured to receive magnetic flux from outside the metal exterior through the metal exterior and resonate, and the metal exterior part is And a body (side) member and a back cover member, and the body (side) member and the back cover member are mutually joined by a screw mechanism. The mutual loosening torque between the part (side part) material and the back cover member is 0.1 N · m to 6.0 N · m, preferably 0.2 N · m to 3.5 N · m. Electronic equipment. At least a part of an interconnecting portion of a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior portion has an interposition member having an electrical resistance value different from the electrical resistance value of the metal constituting the metal exterior portion. The electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein the insertion member is a member formed separately from a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior part. The interposed member is at least one of a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior part, and is a film formed on at least the member abutting on the joint part. Or the electronic device according to 15. 17. The electronic device according to claim 16, wherein the film body is formed by subjecting at least a part of the member constituting the metal exterior part to an appropriate surface treatment and / or curing treatment. 18. The electronic apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the surface treatment is formed by one of a wet plating method, a dry plating method, and a heat treatment. 19. The electronic device according to claim 14, wherein an electrical resistance value of the insertion member is larger than electrical resistance values of a plurality of members constituting the metal exterior member. 20. The insertion member according to claim 14, wherein the insertion member is formed of one selected from the group consisting of an insulating material such as resin, rubber (organic material), oxide, a thin film, ink, and paint. Electronic equipment according to any one of the above. The non-joining portion is formed at least at a part of a joining portion formed by joining the at least two metal members in the metal exterior portion. 20. The electronic device according to any one of 20. A part of the joining surface of at least one of the at least two metal members constituting the joining portion is removed, and a gap is formed between the joining portions. 22. The electronic device according to 21. 23. The electronic device according to claim 22, wherein the height of the gap is 0.1 to 1000 [mu] m, preferably 60 to 160 [mu] m. In the metal exterior part, the body (side) material and the back cover member are integrally formed, and the body (side) material and the back cover member are joined to each other by a screw mechanism. 23. The electronic device according to claim 21, wherein the gap is formed by removing a part of the screw mechanism when the gap is formed. The plane area of at least a part of the joint formed by joining the at least two metal members in the metal exterior part is formed to be smaller than the plane area of the remaining joint. The electronic device according to any one of claims 5 to 11, and 14 to 20, wherein The thickness of at least a portion of the trunk member and / or the back cover member on which the coil portion of the antenna is projected is configured to be smaller than the thickness of the other trunk member or the back cover member. The electronic device according to claim 1. An electronic device comprising at least an antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and a metal exterior unit capable of housing the antenna unit and the information processing device therein. The device, the metal exterior portion, the antenna portion is configured to receive magnetic flux from outside the metal exterior via the metal exterior, and to resonate, and the antenna portion, An electronic device having a magnetic core formed of a linear or curved rod having a maximum longitudinal length shorter than the maximum diameter of the metal exterior portion. The electronic device according to claim 27, wherein the antenna unit is disposed near an outer peripheral edge of the metal exterior unit. An electronic device comprising at least an antenna unit, an information processing device for processing information captured by the antenna unit, and a metal exterior unit capable of housing the antenna unit and the information processing device therein. The device, the metal exterior portion, the antenna portion is configured to receive magnetic flux from outside the metal exterior via the metal exterior, and to resonate, and the antenna portion, 27. A metal core comprising a linear or curved rod having a maximum length in the longitudinal direction shorter than the maximum diameter of the metal exterior part. Electronic equipment characterized by: 30. The electronic device according to claim 29, wherein the antenna unit is disposed near an outer peripheral edge of the metal exterior unit. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the antenna unit is disposed near an outer peripheral edge of the metal exterior unit. The electronic device according to any one of claims 14 to 24, wherein the antenna unit is disposed near the insertion member or the gap. The interposition member or the gap portion of the metal exterior portion is included in a fan-shaped region formed by both ends of the magnetic core portion of the antenna portion having a predetermined length and a center portion of the metal exterior portion. 33. The electronic device according to claim 32, wherein the electronic device is formed continuously or intermittently at the joining portion. The electronic device according to claim 33, wherein the sector region is a range represented by a ratio of a magnetic core length of the antenna unit to an angle of the joint. 35. The electronic device according to claim 33, wherein an angle range of the fan-shaped region is 30 to 180 degrees, preferably 50 to 120 degrees, more preferably 60 to 90 degrees. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 35, wherein an electrical conduction portion is provided on at least a part of the metal exterior portion. 37. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the L value of the antenna unit is 1600 mH or less. 37. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the L value is 800 mH or less. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the L value is 220 mH or less. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein a winding resistance of the antenna unit is 1 KΩ or less. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the winding resistance is 400Ω or less. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the winding resistance is 100Ω or less. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the number of windings of the antenna unit is 1000 or more. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the number of windings is 1500 or more. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the winding has a wire diameter of 0.1 mmφ or less. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 45, wherein the antenna unit is provided so as to be in contact with an inner surface of the metal exterior unit. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 45, wherein the antenna unit is provided with a gap from an inner surface of the metal exterior unit. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein the metal exterior portion and the antenna portion are set such that the thickness of the body member of the metal exterior portion is 300 µm to 5000 µm. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein the metal exterior portion and the antenna portion are set such that a thickness of the body member of the metal exterior portion is from 500 m to 2000 m. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein the metal exterior portion and the antenna portion are set such that a gap from the inner surface of the body member to the antenna portion is 0 to 40000 µm. machine. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein the metal exterior portion and the antenna portion are set such that a gap from the inner surface of the body member to the antenna portion is 500 µm to 10000 µm. machine. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein the metal exterior portion and the antenna portion are set such that a thickness of a back cover member of the metal exterior portion is 100 μm to 5000 μm. . The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein the metal exterior portion and the antenna portion are set such that a thickness of a back cover member of the metal exterior portion is from 300 µm to 2000 µm. . The said metal exterior part and the said antenna part are set so that the clearance gap from the said back cover member inner surface to an antenna part may be set to 0 to 5000 micrometers. Electronics. The said metal exterior part and the said antenna part are set so that the space | interval from the said back cover member inner surface to an antenna part may be set to 100 micrometers-700 micrometers, The Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned. Electronics. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein an inner surface of the body member of the metal exterior portion and an outer surface of the antenna portion are substantially parallel. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein an inner surface of the back cover member of the metal exterior portion and an outer surface of the antenna portion are substantially parallel. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein the back cover member of the metal exterior part has a planar two-dimensional shape. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 47, wherein one end surfaces of both ends of the antenna unit are disposed substantially perpendicularly to an inner surface of the back cover member of the metal exterior unit. The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 59, wherein at least one nonmagnetic member having an electric resistivity of 7.0 µΩ · cm or less is fixed to an inner surface of the metal exterior portion. 61. The non-magnetic member is made of at least one of gold, gold alloy, silver, silver alloy, copper, body alloy, brass, aluminum, aluminum alloy, zinc, zinc alloy, magnesium, and magnesium alloy. Electronic device as described. The antenna unit includes a magnetic core material and a plurality of coils wound around the magnetic core material, and is a member on which the antenna unit is projected in parallel along at least one plane including an axis of the magnetic core material. 62. The electronic device according to claim 60, wherein a projected portion of the member is made of the non-magnetic member. The antenna unit includes a magnetic core material and a coil wound around the magnetic core material, and at least a member facing each end of the antenna unit or a portion facing the member is formed of the nonmagnetic member. The electronic device according to claim 60 or 61, wherein The electronic device according to any one of claims 1 to 59, wherein a surface treatment and / or a curing treatment is performed on at least one of the body (side) member and the back cover member. .

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