JP2020063919A - Electronic watch - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce a manufacturing cost while suppressing deterioration in visibility of information.SOLUTION: An electronic watch 100 is configured such that first pointer 121 and a second pointer 122 having the same rotational axes, and respectively displaying first information and second information have the same moment of inertia. This makes it possible to use components having the same specifications as the drive mechanism of the first pointer 121 and the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122. Also, the color arrangement of the first pointer 121 and the color arrangement of the second pointer 122 are different. This allows a user to easily distinguish the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic timepiece having a plurality of hands that rotate around the same rotation axis.

  Conventionally, there is known a timepiece having a plurality of hands, such as an hour hand, a minute hand and a second hand, which rotate around the same rotation axis. Further, there is known a timepiece that displays weather forecast information and atmospheric pressure information by using an hour hand and a minute hand for displaying the current time (for example, refer to Patent Document 1 below). In addition, there is known an instrument having one pointer, in which a portion of the pointer indicating the main scale and a portion of the pointer indicating the auxiliary scale are separated by coloring (for example, Patent Document 2 below). reference.). Further, there is known a structure in which the tip of a pointer is fixed to an outer peripheral wheel provided on the outer periphery of a timepiece to drive the pointer (for example, refer to Patent Document 3 below).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 07-191153 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 60-37817 JP, 2013-057519, A

  However, in the above-described related art, for an electronic timepiece that displays different information by a plurality of hands that rotate about the same rotation axis, the manufacturing cost of the electronic timepiece is reduced while suppressing the reduction in the visibility of these pieces of information. There is a problem that you cannot do it.

  For example, multiple hands that rotate around the same rotation axis, such as the hour hand, minute hand, and second hand, have different lengths and thicknesses so that the user can distinguish them, and as a result, the force required to drive each of the multiple hands. Are different from each other. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a train wheel or the like having different specifications for each drive mechanism that drives the plurality of hands, which increases the number of types of electronic timepiece components and increases the manufacturing cost.

  On the other hand, if the plurality of pointers have the same length and thickness, it becomes difficult for the user to distinguish each of the plurality of pointers. For example, if the hour hand and the minute hand have the same length and thickness, the user cannot distinguish between the hour hand and the minute hand, and it becomes difficult to grasp the hour and minute of the current time. As described above, if the lengths and thicknesses of the hands are the same, the visibility of the electronic timepiece is reduced.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic timepiece capable of reducing the manufacturing cost while suppressing the deterioration of the visibility of information in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, an electronic timepiece according to the invention has a first pointer that rotates about a rotation axis and an inertia of the first pointer that rotates about the rotation axis. A second pointer having the same moment of inertia as the moment and having a color arrangement different from that of the first pointer, and the first information is displayed by controlling the rotation of the first pointer, and the second information is displayed. And a control unit for displaying second information different from the first information by controlling the rotation of the pointer.

  This makes it possible to use parts having the same specifications as the drive mechanism for the first pointer and the drive mechanism for the second pointer. Further, the user can easily distinguish the first guideline and the second guideline.

  Further, in the electronic timepiece according to the invention, an hour hand shorter than the first hand is drawn on the first pointer, and a second hand is shorter than the second hand on the second hand. A long minute hand is drawn, and the control unit displays the hour of the current time by controlling the rotation of the first pointer, and the minute of the current time by controlling the rotation of the second pointer. It is characterized by displaying.

  The electronic timepiece according to the invention is characterized in that the hour hand and the minute hand are drawn in different colors.

  Also, in the electronic timepiece according to the invention, a first indicator for displaying third information other than the time is provided at the tip of the first pointer, and the tip of the second pointer is provided. Is provided with a second indicator for displaying the fourth information other than the time different from the third information, and the controller controls the rotation of the first pointer in the first state. The time of the current time is displayed by controlling, the minute of the time is displayed by controlling the rotation of the second pointer, and in the second state different from the first state, the time of the first pointer is displayed. It is characterized in that the third information is displayed by controlling the rotation, and the fourth information is displayed by controlling the rotation of the second pointer.

  In the electronic timepiece according to the invention, the first pointer and the second pointer rotate on the display plate, and at least a part of the color of the area of the first pointer where the hour hand is not drawn. Is the same color as that of the display plate, and at least a part of the area of the second pointer in which the minute hand is not drawn is the same as the color of the display plate. .

  The electronic timepiece according to the invention is characterized in that the length of the first pointer and the length of the second pointer are the same.

  The electronic timepiece according to the invention is characterized in that the shape of the first pointer and the shape of the second pointer are the same.

  The electronic timepiece according to the invention includes a first motor controlled by the control unit, a first train wheel that transmits the rotation of the first motor to the first pointer, and the control unit. A second motor that is controlled and has the same specifications as the first motor; and a second train wheel that has the same specifications as the first train wheel that transmits the rotation of the second motor to the second pointer. , Are provided.

  Advantageous Effects of Invention According to one aspect of the present invention, there is an effect that it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost while suppressing the deterioration of the visibility of information.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an external appearance of an electronic timepiece according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first pointer and a second pointer of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a top view showing an example of a drive mechanism for the first pointer and the second pointer according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an example of a drive mechanism for the first pointer and the second pointer according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the external appearance of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the external appearance of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the external appearance of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment.

  Embodiments of an electronic timepiece according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment)
(Appearance of electronic timepiece according to the embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an external appearance of an electronic timepiece according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an electronic timepiece 100 according to an embodiment has a dial (display plate) 110, a first pointer 121, a second pointer 122, and a second hand 123 inside a body that is an exterior (watch case). And a sub pointer 140. The first pointer 121, the second pointer 122, and the second hand 123 rotate on the dial 110, and the time (for example, "0", "1", "2", "3", etc. written on the dial 110 is displayed. ) Or a scale to indicate the current time.

  The current time is the internal time of the electronic timepiece 100, which is counted by the electronic timepiece 100. The current time is set, for example, by a user operation. Alternatively, the current time may be set according to the reception result of a standard radio wave or a GPS (Global Positioning System: Global Positioning System) signal.

  The first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same length (same moment of inertia), but since the hour hand and the minute hand are drawn respectively, the user can use them as the hour hand and the minute hand, respectively. You can This point will be described later (see FIG. 2).

  An example of the first information displayed by controlling the rotation of the first pointer 121 is the current time (hour). That is, the electronic timepiece 100 displays the current time to the user by controlling the rotation of the first pointer 121 so that the pointing direction of the first pointer 121 becomes the direction corresponding to the current time. .

  An example of the second information displayed by controlling the rotation of the second pointer 122 is the minutes of the current time. That is, the electronic timepiece 100 displays the current minute to the user by controlling the rotation of the second pointer 122 so that the pointing direction of the second pointer 122 corresponds to the current minute. To do.

  The sub hands 140 indicate the position of any one of the scales 150 written on the dial 110 to display the measurement result obtained by the measurement in the electronic timepiece 100. For example, the scale 150 indicates the battery remaining amount of the electronic timepiece 100, and the sub pointer 140 indicates the measured value of the battery remaining amount of the electronic timepiece 100 by instructing the scale 150.

  The sub hands 140 display the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 100 by pointing any one of the mode marks 161 to 163 written on the dial 110. For example, the mode marks 161 to 163 correspond to different operation modes of the electronic timepiece 100, and the sub hands 140 show the mode marks corresponding to the current operation mode of the electronic timepiece 100 among the mode marks 161 to 163. Give instructions. An example of the operation mode will be described later.

  Further, the electronic timepiece 100 includes a first push button 131, a second push button 132, and a crown 133 on the side surface of the body as an operation unit 130 that receives an operation (user operation) from the user of the electronic timepiece 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the first push button 131 is arranged at the 4 o'clock side, the second push button 132 is arranged at the 2 o'clock side, and the crown 133 is arranged at the 3 o'clock side.

  A windshield made of a transparent material such as glass is attached to the body of the electronic timepiece 100 so as to cover the dial 110. Further, a back cover is attached to the body of the electronic timepiece 100 on the side opposite to the windshield. Hereinafter, the direction in which the windshield is arranged in the electronic timepiece 100 (front side in the plane of FIG. 1) is called the front side, and the direction in which the case back is arranged in the electronic timepiece 100 (back side in the plane of FIG. 1) is called the backside. A band 170 for carrying the electronic timepiece 100 when the user of the electronic timepiece 100 wraps the wristwatch on the wrist of the electronic timepiece 100 is attached to the body.

  The electronic timepiece 100 may be a solar cell timepiece that uses light energy such as the sun as a power source. For example, a solar cell is arranged on the back side of the dial 110, and light is generated from the front side to generate electricity in the solar cell. Therefore, the dial plate 110 is formed of a material that transmits light rays to some extent. The electric power generated by the solar cell is stored in a secondary battery (for example, the secondary battery 512 shown in FIG. 5), and the electric power stored in the secondary battery is used as a power source of the electronic timepiece 100. The secondary battery can be realized by, for example, a lithium ion battery or the like. The sub pointer 140 and the scale 150 described above display, for example, the remaining amount of the secondary battery.

  Each of the first pointer 121, the second pointer 122, and the second hand 123 may be used for displaying information different from the current time. For example, in the time display mode (first state), the electronic timepiece 100 displays the hours, minutes and seconds of the current time by the first hands 121, the second hands 122 and the second hand 123, respectively.

  In the information display mode (second state) different from the time display mode, the electronic timepiece 100 displays the third information other than the time with the first hands 121 and the third information with the second hands 122. The fourth information other than the time different from the information may be displayed. At this time, the electronic timepiece 100 may display the second at the current time with the second hand 123, or may display other information with the second hand 123.

  Each of the third information and the fourth information displayed in the information display mode may be, for example, a measurement result obtained by measurement in the electronic timepiece 100, or the electronic timepiece 100 receives from an external communication device. It may be information obtained. As an example, the azimuth measurement result by the electronic timepiece 100 can be used as the third information, and the altitude measurement result by the electronic timepiece 100 can be used as the fourth information.

  In this case, for example, the electronic timepiece 100 displays the measurement result of the predetermined azimuth by pointing the predetermined azimuth (for example, north) specified based on the measurement of the azimuth with the first hands 121 in the information display mode. To do. The direction can be measured using a magnetic sensor or an acceleration sensor provided inside the electronic timepiece 100.

  Further, the electronic timepiece 100 displays the altitude measurement result by the second hands 122 in the information display mode. The altitude can be measured by using an altitude sensor such as a GPS unit provided inside the electronic timepiece 100. For example, it is assumed that each altitude that can be measured by the electronic timepiece 100 and the amount displayed by the second hands 122 are associated with each other by a predetermined rule. In this case, the electronic timepiece 100 uses the second hands 122 to indicate the direction of the minute corresponding to the altitude measurement result.

  However, the third information and the fourth information can be various kinds of information without being limited to the azimuth and the altitude. For example, each of the third information and the fourth information may be information such as temperature and humidity measured by the electronic timepiece 100. Further, the third information and the fourth information may be information received by the electronic timepiece 100 from an external communication device, such as weather information such as a weather forecast, schedule information of a user registered in the external communication device, and the like.

  The information display mode described above is included in each operation mode to which the mode marks 161 to 163 correspond, for example. For example, the information display mode for displaying the above-mentioned third information and fourth information corresponds to the mode mark 163. In this case, the electronic timepiece 100 indicates the mode mark 163 by the sub pointer 140 in the information display mode for displaying the above-mentioned third information and fourth information. This allows the user to know that the electronic timepiece 100 is in the information display mode.

  In the time display mode described above, the electronic timepiece 100 sets the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 100 to the time display mode by, for example, instructing the portion of the scale 150 corresponding to the measured value of the remaining battery level with the sub hands 140. And the measured value of the battery remaining amount of the electronic timepiece 100 are displayed. Alternatively, the above-described time display mode may be included in each operation mode to which the mode marks 161 to 163 correspond. For example, the time display mode described above corresponds to the mode mark 161, and the electronic timepiece 100 may indicate the mode mark 161 by the sub hands 140 in the time display mode described above.

  Switching of the above-described operation modes in the electronic timepiece 100 is performed, for example, in response to a user operation on the operation unit 130. As an example, the first push button 131 is assigned to switch operation modes including the time display mode and the information display mode described above, and the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 100 is changed each time the first push button 131 is pressed. Switch.

  The color of the first push button 131 is the same as or similar to the color of the sub pointer 140 and the colors of the mode mark 161, the mode mark 162, and the mode mark 163 of the dial 110. As an example, the first push button 131, the sub pointer 140, the mode mark 161, the mode mark 162, and the mode mark 163 are all yellow. The portion of the dial 110 where the mode mark 161, the mode mark 162, and the mode mark 163 are not shown, and the second push button 132 and the crown 133 are in a color different from yellow (for example, black). Accordingly, the user can easily (intuitively) find that the operation unit for switching the operation mode of the electronic timepiece 100 displayed by the sub hands 140 or the like is the first push button 131 of the operation unit 130. You can figure it out.

  The appearance of the electronic timepiece 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an example, and the appearance of the electronic timepiece 100 is not limited to this. For example, the body may be a rectangular shape instead of the round shape, and the presence or absence of the crown 133, etc., the number, the arrangement, and the shape can be arbitrarily changed. Alternatively, it is possible to add a guideline for displaying various information such as the day of the week, the presence or absence of summer time, the reception status of radio waves, and the date display section. Further, although the configuration in which the electronic timepiece 100 is a wristwatch has been described, the configuration is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the electronic timepiece 100 may be a timepiece such as a pocket watch, a table clock, and a wall clock.

(First Guideline and Second Guideline of Electronic Timepiece According to Embodiment)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a first pointer and a second pointer of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. The first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The rotary shaft 201 shown in FIG. 2 is the rotary shaft of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122. That is, the second pointer 122 rotates about the same rotary shaft (rotary shaft 201) as the rotary shaft of the first pointer 121. In other words, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same center of rotation.

  The first pointer 121 is in the shape of an arrow starting from the rotary shaft 201. Specifically, the first pointer 121 includes a tapered portion that becomes thinner as it goes away from the rotating shaft 201, and an arrowhead portion provided at the tip of the tapered portion (the end opposite to the rotating shaft 201). And,

  The second pointer 122, like the first pointer 121, has an arrow-shaped shape starting from the rotary shaft 201. Specifically, the second pointer 122 has a tapered portion that becomes thinner as it goes away from the rotating shaft 201, and an arrowhead portion provided at the tip of the tapered portion (the end portion on the opposite side to the rotating shaft 201). And,

  As described above, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same moment of inertia. The fact that the inertial moments of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 are the same means that, for example, it is possible to use parts having the same specifications for the drive mechanism of the first pointer 121 and the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122. To the extent that, the moment of inertia of the first pointer 121 and the moment of inertia of the second pointer 122 are close to each other.

  For example, by making the materials and shapes (including size and length) of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 the same, the inertia moments of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 become the same. . However, for example, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 are not limited to have the same shape, and even if the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have different thicknesses, the first pointer 121 is different. By adjusting the mass and the position of the center of gravity of the second pointer 122, the moment of inertia of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 can be made the same. For example, since the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have an elongated shape, by making the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same length in the longitudinal direction, The moment of inertia of the second pointer 122 can be the same.

  Since the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same moment of inertia, the forces required to drive the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 are the same. This makes it possible to use parts having the same specifications as the drive mechanism of the first pointer 121 and the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of types of parts in the electronic timepiece 100 and reduce the manufacturing cost. This point will be described later (see, for example, FIGS. 3 and 4).

  The moment of inertia of the pointers such as the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 largely depends on the length of the pointer. Therefore, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 having the same moment of inertia also have the same length. The length of the pointer is the length in the longitudinal direction of the pointer, for example, the length from the rotation axis of the pointer to the tip of the pointer (the end portion in the direction indicated by the pointer).

  The fact that the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same length means that, for example, if the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 each have only the respective lengths, the user does not have the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122. That is, the lengths of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 are close to each other to the extent that it is difficult to distinguish the pointer 122. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the distance L1 from the rotary shaft 201 to the tip of the first pointer 121 and the distance L2 from the rotary shaft 201 to the tip of the second pointer 122 are the same (L1 = L2). .

  Usually, the user mainly distinguishes the hour hand and the minute hand by their lengths. Therefore, if the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same length, the user will see the first pointer 121 and the second pointer. It becomes difficult to distinguish 122, and it becomes difficult to grasp the current time. Therefore, in the electronic timepiece 100, the colors of the first hands 121 and the second hands 122 are made different to facilitate the distinction between the first hands 121 and the second hands 122. The color arrangement is, for example, a color combination or arrangement in a portion visually recognized by the user.

  Specifically, in a portion of the first pointer 121 that is visually recognized by the user (for example, the front surface of the first pointer 121), the hour hand 211 that extends from the rotating shaft 201 and is shorter than the first pointer 121. Is drawn. Drawing the pointer of the hour hand 211 or the like means, for example, coloring by coloring or the like so that the boundary line of the color becomes the outline shape of the pointer.

  For example, the hour hand 211 is drawn by coloring a portion of the tapered portion of the first pointer 121 on the rotating shaft 201 side with a color different from the material of the first pointer 121 and the color of the dial 110. ing. As an example, when the material of the first pointer 121 is black and the color of the dial 110 is also black, the color of the hour hand 211 can be red. The hour hand 211 drawn on the first pointer 121 rotates about the rotating shaft 201 in response to the rotation of the first pointer 121.

  A portion of the second pointer 122 that is visible to the user (for example, the front surface of the second pointer 122) has a minute hand extending from the rotary shaft 201 and shorter than the second pointer 122 and longer than the hour hand 211 described above. 221 is drawn. In the minute hand 221, the portion of the tapered portion of the second pointer 122 on the side of the rotary shaft 201 and longer than the portion of the hour hand 211 corresponds to the material of the second pointer 122 and the color of the dial 110. It is drawn by coloring in different colors. As an example, when the color of the material of the second pointer 122 is black and the color of the dial 110 is also black, the color of the minute hand 221 can be blue. The minute hand 221 drawn on the second pointer 122 rotates about the rotating shaft 201 in accordance with the rotation of the second pointer 122.

  As described above, the minute hand 221 drawn on the second pointer 122 is made longer than the hour hand 211 drawn on the first pointer 121. Thereby, even if the lengths of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 are the same, the user can easily distinguish the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122. Therefore, the user can easily understand that the pointing direction of the first pointer 121 indicates the current time, and the pointing direction of the second pointer 122 indicates the minute of the current time.

  In this way, by making the moments of inertia of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 the same, it is possible to reduce the number of types of parts in the electronic timepiece 100 and reduce the manufacturing cost. Then, by making the color arrangement of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 different, it is possible to prevent the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 from being difficult to distinguish by the user. Specifically, since the hour hand 211 is drawn on the first pointer 121 and the minute hand 221 is drawn on the second pointer 122, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 are respectively the hour hand and the hour hand. The user can recognize that it is a minute hand.

  Moreover, since the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 221 are drawn in different colors (for example, red and blue), the user can more easily distinguish the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122. However, the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 221 may be drawn in the same color. Also in this case, the user can easily distinguish between the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 because the color arrangement (for example, the length) of the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 221 is different.

  The above-mentioned arrow-shaped portion of the first pointer 121 is a first instruction portion 212 for displaying the above-mentioned third information other than the time. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the first indicator 212 is colored in the same color as the hour hand 211 (for example, red), but the first indicator 212 may be colored in a different color from the hour hand 211. The first indicator 212 does not have to be colored.

  The above-mentioned arrow-shaped portion of the second pointer 122 serves as a second instruction portion 222 for displaying the above-mentioned fourth information other than the time different from the third information. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the second indicator 222 is colored in the same color as the minute hand 221 (for example, blue), but the second indicator 222 may be colored in a different color from the minute hand 221. The second indicator 222 does not have to be colored.

  The electronic timepiece 100 displays the third information by the first instruction section 212 by controlling the rotation of the first pointer 121 in the information display mode for displaying the above-mentioned third information and fourth information. , The fourth information is displayed by the second indicator 222 by controlling the rotation of the second pointer 122. In this state, the user grasps the third information by the instruction direction of the first instruction unit 212 and the fourth information by the instruction direction of the second instruction unit 222.

  As described above, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same length. Further, the first indicator 212 and the second indicator 222 are provided at the tips of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122, respectively. Therefore, the first instruction section 212 and the second instruction section 222 move on the same circumference with the common rotation shaft 201 as the center.

  That is, according to the electronic timepiece 100, the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 221 which are easily distinguished from each other due to their different lengths, and the first indicating portion 212 and the second hand which are good looking by moving on the same circumference. The instruction unit 222 can be realized by the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122. Therefore, it is possible to improve the appearance quality of the electronic timepiece 100 while reducing the manufacturing cost of the electronic timepiece 100 as described above.

  Of the first pointer 121, a portion of the intermediate portion 213 between the hour hand 211 and the first indicating portion 212 (a region where the hour hand 211 and the first indicating portion 212 are not drawn) visually recognized by the user is The color of the dial 110 is the same as that of the portion visually recognized by the user (for example, black). The portion of the intermediate portion 213 that is visible to the user is, for example, the front surface of the intermediate portion 213. The portion of the dial 110 that is visible to the user is the portion of the dial 110 that is visible to the user through the windshield, and is specifically the front surface of the dial 110. As a result, the intermediate portion 213 is seen to be integrated with the dial 110, so that the user can recognize the hour hand 211 drawn on the first pointer 121 as an hour hand without any discomfort. Therefore, it is possible to improve the appearance quality of the electronic timepiece 100 while reducing the manufacturing cost of the electronic timepiece 100 as described above.

  Similarly, the second pointer 122 is visually recognized by the user in an intermediate portion 223 (a region where the minute hand 221 and the second indicating portion 222 are not drawn) between the minute hand 221 and the second indicating portion 222. The colored portion has the same color (for example, black) as the color of the portion of the dial 110 visually recognized by the user. The portion of the intermediate portion 223 that is visible to the user is, for example, the front surface of the intermediate portion 223. As a result, since the intermediate portion 223 appears to be integrated with the dial 110 to the user, the user can recognize the minute hand 221 drawn on the second pointer 122 as a minute hand without any discomfort. Therefore, it is possible to improve the appearance quality of the electronic timepiece 100 while reducing the manufacturing cost of the electronic timepiece 100 as described above.

  Moreover, each of the intermediate portions 213 and 223 may be transparent. As a result, similarly to the case where each of the intermediate portions 213 and 223 has the same color as the dial 110, the intermediate portions 213 and 223 can be seen by the user as being integrated with the dial 110. Further, by making the intermediate portions 213 and 223 transparent, it is possible to avoid a state in which the characters and symbols displayed on the dial 110 are blocked by the intermediate portions 213 and 223 and cannot be seen by the user.

  However, it is not limited to the configuration in which all of the intermediate portion 213 is the same color or transparent as the dial 110. That is, a part of the intermediate portion 213 may not have the same color as the dial 110 and may not be transparent. Similarly, all of the intermediate portion 223 is not limited to the same color or transparent as the dial 110. That is, a part of the intermediate portion 223 may not have the same color as the dial 110 and may not be transparent.

  The color of each component in the above-mentioned first pointer 121 and second pointer 122 may be a color realized by coloring the component, or the color of the material (for example, metal or resin) of the component itself. Good.

(Drive mechanism for the first pointer and the second pointer according to the embodiment)
FIG. 3 is a top view showing an example of a drive mechanism for the first pointer and the second pointer according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing an example of a drive mechanism for the first pointer and the second pointer according to the embodiment. The step motor (first motor) 311, the gears 312 to 315 (first train wheel), and the hour wheel 316 are drive mechanisms for the first pointer 121. The step motor (second motor) 321, the gears 322 to 325 (second train wheel), and the hour wheel 326 are drive mechanisms for the second pointer 122.

  The step motor 311 has a rotor 311a that rotates according to the input drive signal. The gears 312 to 315 are a train wheel that transmits the rotation of the rotor 311a to the hour wheel 316 while decelerating the rotation thereof. The hour wheel 316 is provided with a first pointer 121 in the radial direction of rotation of the hour wheel 316, and the first pointer 121 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the hour wheel 316. As a result, the first pointer 121 rotates according to the rotation of the rotor 311a.

  The step motor 321 has a rotor 321a that rotates according to the input drive signal. The gears 322 to 325 are a train wheel that transmits the rotation of the rotor 321a to the hour wheel 326 while decelerating the rotation thereof. A second pointer 122 is attached to the hour wheel 326 in the radial direction of rotation of the hour wheel 326, and the second pointer 122 rotates in accordance with the rotation of the hour wheel 326. As a result, the second pointer 122 rotates according to the rotation of the rotor 321a.

  As described above, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same moment of inertia. Here, the moment of inertia is a quantity (hardness of rotation of an object) that represents the amount of inertia of rotation in which an object rotating about a certain axis keeps the same rotating motion as described above. . Then, the force for driving the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 is determined by the capacity of the motor and the reduction ratio of the train wheel.

  Therefore, since the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same moment of inertia, the ability of the motor for driving the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 and the reduction ratio of the train wheel are the same. Can be This makes it possible to use parts having the same specifications as the drive mechanism of the first pointer 121 and the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the step motors 311 and 321 have the same specifications, the gears 312 and 322 have the same specifications, the gears 313 and 323 have the same specifications, and the gears 314 and 314 have the same specifications. 324 is a part having the same specifications. Therefore, the number of types of parts in the electronic timepiece 100 can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the electronic timepiece 100 can be suppressed. The specifications of the step motors 311 and 321 are, for example, torque and rotation speed. The specifications of the gears 312 to 315 and 322 to 325 are the diameter, the tooth shape, the tooth pitch, and the like.

  Although the configuration in which the components having the same specifications are used for the drive mechanism of the first pointer 121 and the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122 has been described, the drive mechanism for the first pointer 121 and the drive for the second pointer 122. It is also possible to share with the mechanism. For example, one step motor is provided in place of the step motors 311 and 321, and the rotation of the rotor of the one step motor is transmitted to the hour wheel 316 and the hour wheel 326 by the gears 312 to 315 and the gears 322 to 325, respectively. It may be configured to. As described above, by sharing the step motor of the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122 and the step motor of the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122, the number of parts of the electronic timepiece 100 can be reduced. .

  Further, it is possible to share some of the gears 312 to 315 and the gears 322 to 325. As an example, one gear is provided instead of the gear 312 and the gear 322, and the one gear transmits the rotation of the one step motor described above to the gears 313 to 315 and the gears 323 to 325, respectively. It may be configured. Further, not only the gear 312 and the gear 322, but also other gears such as the gears 312 to 315 and the gears 322 to 325 can be shared. As described above, by sharing the gear of the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122 and the gear of the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122, the number of parts of the electronic timepiece 100 can be reduced.

(Hardware Configuration of Electronic Timepiece According to Embodiment)
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. 5, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 5, the electronic timepiece 100 according to the embodiment includes an operation unit 130, a solar battery 511, a secondary battery 512, a control circuit 520, a drive mechanism 530, a display device 540, and a communication unit. 550, and

  The solar cell 511 is arranged, for example, on the back side of the dial 110 shown in FIG. Then, the solar cell 511 generates electric power by external light such as sunlight radiated to the electronic timepiece 100, and supplies the generated electric power to the secondary battery 512. The secondary battery 512 stores the electric power generated by the solar cell 511. Then, the secondary battery 512 supplies the accumulated power to each circuit of the electronic timepiece 100 such as the control circuit 520. The secondary battery 512 can be realized by, for example, a lithium ion battery or the like.

  The control circuit 520 includes a ROM (Read Only Memory) 521, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 522, an RTC (Real Time Clock) 523, a measurement unit 524, a calculation unit (control unit) 525, and a motor drive circuit 526. And, including. The control circuit 520 can be realized by an information processing device such as a microcomputer.

  The ROM 521 is an auxiliary memory that stores various programs and data for operating the electronic timepiece 100. The ROM 521 is a non-volatile memory such as a magnetic disk or a flash memory. The RAM 522 is a main memory used as a work area of the arithmetic unit 525 and in which data to be processed by the arithmetic unit 525 is written.

  The RTC 523 supplies a clock signal used by the arithmetic unit 525 for timing. For example, the RTC 523 oscillates a crystal oscillator included in the electronic timepiece 100 to generate a clock signal, and supplies the generated clock signal to the arithmetic unit 525 as a reference signal.

  The measuring unit 524 measures a physical quantity measurable by the electronic timepiece 100 and outputs the measured value obtained by the measurement to the arithmetic unit 525. The physical quantity to be measured by the measuring unit 524 includes, for example, the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 512. In this case, the measurement of the remaining battery level by the measuring unit 524 can be performed by detecting the output voltage of the secondary battery 512, for example. However, the method of measuring the remaining battery level is not limited to this, and various measuring methods can be used.

  Further, the physical quantity to be measured by the measuring unit 524 may be a physical quantity whose measured value is displayed in the mode indicated by the mode mark 161, the mode mark 162, and the mode mark 163, such as the above-described azimuth, altitude, temperature, and humidity. Good. For example, the physical quantity to be measured by the measuring unit 524 includes the remaining battery level in the secondary battery 512 and the above-described azimuth and altitude. In this case, the measuring unit 524 can be realized by a circuit that measures the remaining battery level of the secondary battery 512, a circuit that measures the direction, and a circuit that measures the altitude.

  The arithmetic unit 525 controls the entire electronic timepiece 100. For example, the calculation unit 525 performs various controls by loading the program stored in the ROM 521 into the RAM 522 and executing the program. For example, the arithmetic unit 525 controls the motor drive circuit 526 so as to measure the current time based on the clock signal supplied from the RTC 523 and display the measured current time on the display device 540 in the time display mode. . At this time, the calculation unit 525 causes the first pointer 121 to indicate the direction corresponding to the current time, and causes the second pointer 122 to indicate the direction corresponding to the minute of the current time, corresponding to the second of the current time. The motor drive circuit 526 is controlled so that the second hand 123 is instructed the direction.

  Further, the arithmetic unit 525 controls the motor drive circuit 526 to display the measurement value output from the measurement unit 524 on the display device 540 in the information display mode described above. Further, when the information displayed in the information display mode described above includes the information received by the electronic timepiece 100 from the external communication device, the calculation unit 525 displays the information output from the communication unit 550, which will be described later, on the display device. The motor drive circuit 526 may be controlled so as to be displayed on 540.

  The motor drive circuit 526 outputs a drive signal for driving a motor included in a drive mechanism 530, which will be described later, in accordance with the control from the calculation unit 525. Thereby, for example, the current time measured by the control circuit 520 and each measurement value obtained by the measurement unit 524 are displayed on the display device 540.

  The drive mechanism 530 includes a step motor and a train wheel that operate according to the drive signal output from the above-described motor drive circuit 526, and the train wheel transmits the rotation of the step motor, whereby the pointer included in the display device 540. To rotate. Each driving mechanism of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is included in the driving mechanism 530. For example, the step motor 311 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 rotates the rotor 311a in response to a drive signal from the motor drive circuit 526. The step motor 321 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 rotates the rotor 321a in response to a drive signal from the motor drive circuit 526.

  The display device 540 includes, for example, the dial 110, the first pointer 121, the second pointer 122, the second hand 123 and the sub pointer 140 shown in FIG. Each information is displayed as each pointer included in the display device 540 rotates on the dial 110.

  The communication unit 550 communicates with a communication device external to the electronic timepiece 100. The communication unit 550 performs wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or Wi-Fi (registered trademark) with an external communication device. Alternatively, the communication unit 550 may perform communication by a wired connection such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable with an external communication device. The external communication device may be, for example, an information terminal such as a personal computer or a smart phone, or a server or the like capable of communicating with the electronic timepiece 100 via various networks.

  Communication unit 550 outputs information received from an external communication device to calculation unit 525, for example, under the control of calculation unit 525. The information received by the communication unit 550 from the external communication device is, for example, various kinds of information that can be received from the external communication device, such as weather information such as a weather forecast, schedule information of a user registered in the external communication device, and the like. be able to.

  The operation unit 130 receives an operation by the user and outputs the operation content to the control circuit 520. The control circuit 520 executes various processes according to the content of the operation input received by the operation unit 130. The operation unit 130 includes, for example, the first push button 131, the second push button 132 and the crown 133 shown in FIG.

  For example, the calculation unit 525 of the control circuit 520 sequentially switches the operation modes such as the time display mode and the information display mode described above each time the first push button 131 included in the operation unit 130 is pushed.

(Other Example of Appearance of Electronic Timepiece According to Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the external appearance of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. 6, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 6, the first pointer 121 may not include the first instruction unit 212 (see FIG. 2). In this case, the first pointer 121 is composed of a tapered portion that becomes thinner as it gets farther from the rotary shaft 201.

  Similarly, the second pointer 122 may not include the second instruction unit 222 (see FIG. 2). In this case, the second pointer 122 is composed of a tapered portion that becomes thinner as it moves away from the rotating shaft 201. Even in such a configuration, as described above, it becomes difficult for the user to distinguish the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 while reducing the number of types of parts in the electronic timepiece 100 to reduce the manufacturing cost. Can be suppressed.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram showing another example of the external appearance of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. 7, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 7, the second hand 123 may be formed such that the moment of inertia of the second hand 123 is the same as the moment of inertia of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122. For example, the length of the second hand 123 may be the same as that of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122.

  This makes it possible to use parts having the same specifications for the drive mechanism of the first pointer 121, the drive mechanism of the second pointer 122, and the drive mechanism of the second hand 123. Therefore, the number of types of parts in the electronic timepiece 100 can be further reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the electronic timepiece 100 can be suppressed.

  Then, a pointer is drawn with respect to the second hand 123 so that the user can understand that the second hand 123 is a second hand for displaying the second at the current time. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the pointer can be drawn by drawing a straight line in the longitudinal direction of the second hand 123, which is thinner than the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 221, with respect to the second hand 123. Thereby, even if the second hand 123 is formed such that the moment of inertia of the second hand 123 is the same as the moment of inertia of the second pointer 122, the user can recognize that the second hand 123 is the second hand.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 7, for example, the first pointer 121 may be formed such that the moment of inertia of the first pointer 121 is different from the moments of inertia of the second pointer 122 and the second hand 123. For example, the first pointer 121 may be shorter than the second pointer 122 and the second hand 123. In this case, the user can recognize that the first pointer 121 is the hour hand by the length of the first pointer 121. In such a configuration, the hour hand 211 may not be drawn on the first pointer 121.

  In this case, the first pointer and the second pointer having the same rotation axis and the same moment of inertia but different color arrangements can be the second pointer 122 and the second hand 123, respectively. In this case, the first information displayed by controlling the rotation of the first pointer (second pointer 122) is the minutes of the current time. Further, the second information displayed by controlling the rotation of the second pointer (second hand 123) is the second at the current time.

  Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 7, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 do not include the first indicator 212 and the second indicator 222, respectively, as in the example shown in FIG. The second hand 123 may not include the arrowhead-shaped indicating portion.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of the external appearance of the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment. 8, the same parts as those shown in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. As shown in FIG. 8, the hour hand 211 that is shorter than the first pointer 121 may not be drawn on the first pointer 121. Similarly, the minute hand 221 shorter than the second pointer 122 may not be drawn on the second pointer 122.

  In the example shown in FIG. 8, the entire portion (for example, the front surface) of the first pointer 121 visually recognized by the user is colored in one color (red as an example). Further, the entire portion (for example, the front surface) of the second pointer 122 that is visually recognized by the user is colored in one color (blue as an example) different from the color of the first pointer 121. .

  Even in such a configuration, the user can distinguish the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122, for example, by remembering that red is the hour hand and blue is the minute hand. Thereby, the user can grasp the time of the current time from the first pointer 121 and the minute of the current time from the second pointer 122.

  As in the example shown in FIG. 8, by differentiating the color of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122, the hour hand 211 and the minute hand 221 are not drawn on the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122, respectively. However, the user can distinguish between the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 8, as in the example shown in FIG. 6, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 respectively have the first indicator 212 and the second indicator 222 (see FIG. 2). The configuration may not be included. Further, in the configuration shown in FIG. 8, the moment of inertia of the second hand 123 may be the same as the moment of inertia of the second pointer 122, as in the example shown in FIG.

  In the electronic timepiece 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 6 to 8, for example, the case where the first hands 121 and the second hands 122 have the same length has been described, but the first hands 121 and the second hands 121 have the same length. The hands 122 may have the same shape (including size). In this case, the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same moment of inertia, and the same pointer can be used for the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122.

  Therefore, the number of types of parts in the electronic timepiece 100 can be further reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the electronic timepiece 100 can be suppressed. Further, even in the configuration in which the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 have the same shape, the user can change the color of the first pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 as described above to make the first pointer The pointer 121 and the second pointer 122 can be distinguished from each other.

  In the electronic timepiece 100 shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 6 to 8, the first hands 121 and the second hands are examples of the first pointer and the second pointer having the same rotation axis and the same moment of inertia but different color arrangements. Although the combination of the pointer 122 and the combination of the second pointer 122 and the second hand 123 have been described, the first pointer and the second pointer are not limited to this.

  For example, a second sub pointer having the same rotation axis and inertia moment as the sub pointer 140 may be provided in the electronic timepiece 100, and the sub pointer 140 may be the first pointer and the second sub pointer may be the second pointer. In this case, parts having the same specifications can be used for the drive mechanism of the sub pointer 140 and the drive mechanism of the second sub pointer, and the manufacturing cost of the electronic timepiece 100 can be reduced. Further, by making the color schemes of the sub-pointer 140 and the second sub-pointer different, it is possible to prevent difficulty in distinguishing between the sub-pointer 140 and the second sub-pointer.

  As described above, in the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment, the rotation axes are the same, and the inertial moments of the first pointer and the second pointer for displaying the first information and the second information are the same. This makes it possible to use parts having the same specifications as the drive mechanism for the first pointer and the drive mechanism for the second pointer. Therefore, the number of types of parts in the electronic timepiece can be reduced and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  In addition, by differentiating the color of the first pointer and the second pointer, even if the moment of inertia of the first pointer and the second pointer are the same, the user can easily use the first pointer and the second pointer. Can be distinguished. Therefore, the user can distinguish and grasp the first information and the second information by the first guideline and the second guideline, respectively. Therefore, according to the electronic timepiece according to the embodiment, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost while suppressing the deterioration of the visibility of information.

  As described above, according to the electronic timepiece of the invention, it is possible to reduce the manufacturing cost while suppressing the deterioration of the visibility of information.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the electronic timepiece according to the present invention is useful for the electronic timepiece having the same rotation axis and the first and second hands for displaying different information, and particularly, the hour hand and the minute hand. Suitable for electronic timepieces with.

100 electronic clock 110 dial 121 first pointer 122 second pointer 123 second hand 130 operation part 131 first push button 132 second push button 133 crown 140 sub pointer 150 scale 161 to 163 mode mark 201 rotating shaft 211 hour hand 212 second 1 indication part 213, 223 middle part 221 minute hand 222 second indication part 311 step motor (first motor)
311a, 321a rotors 312-315 gears (first train wheel)
316, 326 hour wheel 321 step motor (second motor)
322 to 325 gears (second train wheel)

Claims (8)

A first pointer that rotates about the axis of rotation,
A second pointer that rotates about the rotation axis, has a moment of inertia that is the same as the moment of inertia of the first pointer, and has a color scheme different from the color scheme of the first pointer;
A control unit for displaying the first information by controlling the rotation of the first pointer and displaying the second information different from the first information by controlling the rotation of the second pointer;
An electronic timepiece comprising: An hour hand shorter than the first pointer is drawn on the first pointer,
A minute hand shorter than the second pointer and longer than the hour hand is drawn on the second pointer,
The control unit displays the hour of the current time by controlling the rotation of the first pointer, and displays the minute of the current time by controlling the rotation of the second pointer.
The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein:   The electronic timepiece according to claim 2, wherein the hour hand and the minute hand are drawn in different colors. A first indicator for displaying third information other than the time is provided at the tip of the first pointer,
A second indicator for displaying fourth information other than the time different from the third information is provided at the tip of the second pointer,
In the first state, the control unit controls the rotation of the first pointer to display the time of the current time, and controls the rotation of the second pointer to display the minute of the time, In a second state different from the first state, the third information is displayed by controlling the rotation of the first pointer, and the fourth information is displayed by controlling the rotation of the second pointer. Display information,
The electronic timepiece according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that. The first pointer and the second pointer rotate on a display board,
At least a part of the color of the area in which the hour hand is not drawn in the first pointer is the same as the color of the display board,
The color of at least a part of the area of the second pointer where the minute hand is not drawn is the same as the color of the display board.
The electronic timepiece according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that.   6. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the length of the first pointer and the length of the second pointer are the same.   7. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the first pointer and the shape of the second pointer are the same. A first motor controlled by the control unit;
A first train wheel that transmits the rotation of the first motor to the first pointer;
A second motor controlled by the control unit and having the same specifications as the first motor;
A second train wheel having the same specifications as the first train wheel, which transmits the rotation of the second motor to the second pointer;
The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising:

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