JP5465031B2 - Radio clock - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an analog radio timepiece that receives radio waves.

  Radio timepieces that can receive a standard radio wave including time information, obtain an accurate time therefrom, and correct it are already widely used. In particular, in the background of rapid spread in recent years, the analog radio-controlled wristwatch that has a design that is the same as existing watches and that has a metal exterior has been put into practical use.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of such a radio timepiece. This radio timepiece includes a cover glass 400, a dial 401, a solar cell 402, an antenna 403, a substrate 404, an RF receiving IC 405, a decoder IC 413, a train wheel 406, a motor 407, a battery 408, an exterior 409, a crown 410, and a pointer 411. Has been.

  In this radio-controlled timepiece, a standard radio wave is received by an antenna 403, converted to a baseband frequency by an RF receiver 405, and time information is obtained by a decoder 413. Based on the time information obtained here, the motor 407 is driven to a desired time, and the pointer 412 is driven by the train wheel 406 to correct the time. The energy required for these series of operations is a mechanism that is converted from light energy to electrical energy by the solar cell 402 disposed in the vicinity of the dial 401, stored in the battery 408, and delivered at the time of use.

  In addition to the functions of a wristwatch, it has a strong point of view of decorative items that require a strong design, and has nothing to do with essential functions such as the color, material, design, etc. Important elements are very important. As a result, the value of products and the number of products sold will change greatly, and manufacturers are investing a great deal of capital to achieve both function and design. Especially for the exterior 409, non-metallic materials such as resin are suitable for ensuring reception performance, but because it is recognized as a cheap watch without texture, it accepts performance degradation to an acceptable limit and dares to adopt a metal exterior It is the reality.

  When the exterior 409 is made of metal, the incoming electromagnetic waves come from the dial 402 direction, but these slight positional relationships are affected by the arrangement of the antenna 403, the positional relationship with the exterior 409, and the influence of metal parts and the like inside. The antenna characteristics greatly change (usually in the direction of deterioration) due to the change and arrangement of the antenna, which is an important issue to be solved during development. Against this background, various proposals can be found regarding the arrangement of components such as antennas and various parts of radio timepieces.

JP 2005-3675 A

  According to Patent Document 1, in order to solve the above-described problems, the antenna side and back cover are made of metal, and the antenna axis is substantially orthogonal to the axial direction penetrating the dial and back cover. In addition, the center position of the antenna in a side view is disposed closer to one end of the exterior case than the center position of the exterior case section.

Since the center position of this antenna is arranged on one end side from the center position of the exterior case part, the antenna is located far from the metal back cover attached to the other end side of the exterior case part. By being arranged, electromagnetic waves around the antenna are formed without being affected by the back cover, and the antenna can transmit and receive radio waves satisfactorily from one end side. For this reason, the antenna is housed in a metal outer case while ensuring communication performance, so that the appearance of the wristwatch can be improved and it can be made even more luxurious.

  Keeping the antenna position as far as possible from the back cover side is an important factor for improving the sensitivity, which means that the antenna is close to the dial side. The size and shape of the pointers placed on the dial as the design and appearance are improved are important elements included in the dials, but thick pointers are often used in order to prioritize the design. Usually, since the pointer is laminated in a narrow range between the dial and the cover glass, a very thin shape is required. Furthermore, the whole must be supported by one place attached to the pointer shaft at one end portion, and the shape needs to be stable even when there is a secular change or an environmental change. Metals can meet these demands, and almost all hands of analog watches are made of metal.

  Therefore, since the pointer is made of metal, the antenna disposed below the pointer is affected by the metal. The long wave radio-controlled watch does not provide an effective solution to this problem with forced reception performed by the user at any time, but scheduled reception that is performed several times a day is close to 14:00 to midnight. Is the majority. This is a reasonable direction for a radio-controlled timepiece in which an antenna is often arranged at approximately 9 o'clock, and has a feature that the antenna position and the hand position at the time of reception do not overlap. In addition, motor drive noise also degrades antenna performance, so even the second hand temporarily stands by in the hour direction when receiving, so there is no pointer on the antenna placed close to the dial side .

  However, since the standard radio wave is a radio wave in the long wave band, the guideline itself is small compared to the wavelength thereof, and the problem is minor unless it is an extremely large needle, but it is not unaffected.

On the other hand, information is exchanged in various frequency bands today, and there are radio signals including time information. As an example of this, time information and other useful information using radio signals based on so-called high frequencies such as GPS radio waves in the 1.5 GHz band, CDMA mobile phone radio waves in the 2 GHz band, and Bluetooth (registered trademark) radio waves as well. It is also possible to obtain information.

  Such a high-frequency signal has a short wavelength and strong straightness, and a small antenna that utilizes the electric field component of electromagnetic waves and skillfully uses the resonance phenomenon. A radio-controlled timepiece that receives such a band has a different aspect from the conventional example, and the antenna is a small antenna that has a wavelength shortening effect using a dielectric, and resonates with the wavelength. There is a problem that is easily affected by the metal.

  In addition, even if a receiver that receives such radio waves is used as a wristwatch, it is needless to say that the design and texture requirements of the watch inherent to the product characteristics are unchanged, and metal is required for the exterior. . On the other hand, the texture of the exterior includes the design of the dial that determines the color, texture and expression of the watch itself, and sometimes it is necessary to use a thick hand. When such restrictions are imposed, it is essential to keep the antenna arrangement close to the dial side in order to ensure reception performance and to keep away surrounding metal parts. However, because it is a type of antenna that is easily affected by metal, the influence of the metal pointer becomes stronger when the antenna comes close to the dial side, and it is more closely focused as a problem than the long wave radio clock. is there.

The present invention provides an analog timepiece that receives a standard radio wave or a high-frequency signal, and includes a radio wave timepiece that includes an antenna and a pointer, and does not impair the reception performance of the pointer, and can also have a texture and design as a wristwatch. With the goal.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides:
A dial and an antenna disposed below the dial;
In a radio timepiece equipped with a pointer for displaying time,
The antenna is arranged so as to overlap with the rotation locus area of the pointer,
The pointer has at least a radio wave transmission region having a radio wave transmission higher than that of a metal material,
The radio wave transmission region is present in at least a region overlapping with the antenna.

At least a part of the pointer is made of a metal material,
The radio wave transmission region is formed as an opening from which a metal material constituting the pointer is removed.

The opening is filled with a non-metallic material that transmits radio waves.

The opening is formed by being opened at a tip portion of the pointer.

At least a portion of the pointer is formed of a non-metallic material;
The portion made of the non-metallic material functions as the radio wave transmission region.

A dial, an antenna disposed under the dial, and a pointer,
In the radio-controlled timepiece in which the antenna is arranged so as to overlap with the rotation locus area of the pointer,
The pointer has at least a radio wave transmission region having a radio wave transmission higher than that of a metal material,
The radio wave transmission region exists at least in a region overlapping with the antenna;
The part that fits the pointer shaft is made of a metal material,
At least a portion of the distal end portion including a region overlapping the antenna is configured by a non-metallic material that transmits radio waves, non-metallic material of the tip is characterized in that has a radio wave transmittance region.

The pointer is made of only a non-metallic material, and the entire pointer functions as a radio wave transmission region.

  As an effect of the present invention, by providing a radio wave transmission region having a radio wave transmission property higher than that of a metal material, even when the antenna position and the pointer interfere with each other, the radio wave is transmitted through the radio wave transmission region and the performance of the antenna is deteriorated. I will not let you.

As a method of constructing such a radio wave transmission region, the radio timepiece according to claim 2 is realized by removing the central portion of the pointer.
In this structure with the needle center part removed, even if the position of the antenna interferes with the pointer position, the influence of the metal of the pointer viewed from the antenna is small by removing the center part of the needle. At the same time, radio waves arrive through the extracted area, so that reception performance is not impaired. In particular, the effect becomes remarkable when a thick guideline having a design impact must be used. As a secondary effect, the problem of the weight of the needle attached to the thick hand is also eliminated, leading to a reduction in energy consumption of the motor that drives the hand, and the effect is spread to the time duration of the watch battery.

As a method for constructing the radio wave transmission region according to claim 1, in the radio timepiece according to claim 3, the central portion of the pointer is removed and the portion is filled with a non-metallic material.
In such a structure in which the center portion of the pointer is made of a non-metallic material, it is substantially the same as the effect that the center portion of the pointer is removed, and even if the positional relationship between the antenna position and the pointer position interferes, The same effect as when the center portion of the material needle is removed can be obtained.
In addition, the effect of filling the extracted part with a non-metallic material makes it possible to cope with structures other than the structure that has been removed from the request for the guide design, and ensures design diversity. In particular, in the case of thick needles, there are many nocturnal paints applied to the tip of the needle to improve nighttime visibility, but by applying such paint to a non-metallic material and filling the hollow part of the pointer The antenna performance is ensured at the same time as nighttime visibility.

As a modification of the antenna configuration of claim 2, the radio timepiece according to claim 4 has a configuration in which the tip portion of the pointer is opened so as not to be looped with a metal material.
By doing this, when there is a looped metal near the antenna, the induction current caused by the electromagnetic waves circulates through the looped metal, and the effect of reducing the energy obtained by the antenna is avoided, and the antenna performance is ensured. .

Further, as a method of configuring the radio wave transmission area according to claim 1, the radio timepiece according to claim 5 uses a pointer in which a pointer portion to be fitted with the pointer shaft is made of metal and a tip direction is made of nonmetal.
Since the vicinity of the pointer shaft located at the center of the watch is a position where the antenna does not interfere, the pointer portion corresponding to this portion is made of metal, and the area beyond that is made of a non-metallic material. With this combination, the influence of the pointer on the antenna can be minimized.
Furthermore, since the fitting between the pointer shaft and the pointer is performed by metal-to-metal pressure bonding, a metal material that can withstand this pressure bonding is employed at a position where the needle shaft is fitted . With this effect, the pointer fitting method may be the same as the conventional method, and it is possible to support a thin and compact pointer shaft fitting portion even if it is thick and large.

1 is a perspective view of a radio timepiece according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the radio timepiece in FIG. It is the schematic perspective view seen from the dial surface of the radio timepiece in FIG. It is the schematic perspective view seen from the dial face of the radio timepiece which shows the modification concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic perspective view seen from the dial face of the radio timepiece concerning a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a modification of the pointer of the radio timepiece according to the second embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic perspective view seen from the dial face of the radio timepiece concerning a 3rd embodiment of the present invention. It is a modification of the pointer of the radio timepiece according to the third embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the radio timepiece which shows a conventional example. It is a top view of the pointer for radio timepieces concerning a 4th embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing of the pointer attaching part of the radio timepiece concerning a 4th embodiment of the present invention.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a radio timepiece according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
The first embodiment is an example in which the opening of the metal pointer is a radio wave transmission region.

[Configuration of radio timepiece in the first embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the radio timepiece according to the first embodiment includes a dial 101 and hands 111 and 112 under a cover glass 100, and a solar cell 102 directly under the dial 101. Further below, an antenna 103, a circuit board 104 holding and fixing the antenna, a signal processing IC 105 mounted on the circuit board, a train wheel 106 for driving the pointer, and a motor 107 for moving the train wheel 106 are arranged. ing. The electric power generated in the solar cell 102 is stored and used in a battery 108 arranged on the watch case back side. An exterior 109 for storing these built-in items and a crown 110 for controlling the watch from the outside are arranged. There are many parts that constitute a watch other than these representative parts, but they are omitted because they are not directly related to the gist of the present invention.

  FIG. 1a is a cross-sectional view of FIG. Since the antenna 103 is arranged under the dial 101, the pointer 111 existing on the dial 101 may be configured to block the direction of arrival of radio waves depending on the time. For example, there is a problem of deteriorating the reception performance of the antenna 103.

  FIG. 1b is a schematic perspective view seen from the direction of the cover glass 100 in FIG. In this figure, the pointer 111 indicates 9:50 with respect to the antenna 103 arranged in the 9 o'clock direction. In this way, when the pointer 111 is large and thick, it covers the antenna 103. However, since the hollow portion 112 of the pointer 111 is missing, the influence of the pointer 111 made of metal is suppressed and reception is performed. It will not hinder performance.

  When the receiving antenna is mounted on the exterior 109, it is very desirable in terms of antenna characteristics that the exterior 109 is made of a non-metallic resin or the like. However, it is difficult from the viewpoint of product value to refuse to be composed of metal materials from the design and decorative values of watches. In the present embodiment, it may be made of a metal material, and there is no problem with a conventionally used material such as SUS or Ti alloy. In this case, the radio wave arrival direction of the antenna is only the dial direction, and it is impossible for the radio wave to enter from the side surface or the back cover side by the metal exterior. In the case of such a configuration, the effectiveness of removing the pointer 111 that affects the antenna characteristics in the dial direction is strongly exerted.

In this embodiment, the frequency of radio waves captured by the antenna 103 is not defined. This is because it is effective for various frequencies such as long wave radio waves, FM radio waves, GPS radio waves, portable radio waves, Bluetooth (registered trademark) radio waves. There are various shapes of antennas to be used depending on the respective frequencies, but it is desirable that the area of the hollow portion 112 is cut out from the projection portion related to the antenna 103. In particular, chip antennas and patch antennas used for high frequencies of 1 GHz or higher, which capture the radio waves by resonating with the physical dimensions of the antenna itself with respect to the wavelength of the radio waves, greatly change the reception performance due to the influence of surrounding metals. Application to these is preferable. Further, regarding the solar cell 102, there are cases where there is a great influence or a small influence depending on the corresponding frequency, and in this embodiment, a region corresponding to the upper projection portion of the antenna 103 is cut out.

[Effect of the first embodiment]
(1) Improvement of reception performance In the radio timepiece of the present embodiment, the hollow portion 112 of the pointer 111 above the antenna 103 is formed, so that the radio wave arrives even if the exterior 109 is made of a metal material. The influence of the metal of the pointer 111 that hinders antenna performance in the direction is reduced, and the antenna 103 can effectively capture radio waves.

(2) Reduction of the pointer weight In the radio timepiece of the present embodiment, the weight of the pointer 111 itself is reduced by forming the hollow portion 112 of the pointer 111 above the antenna 103. The large and thick pointer naturally requires the torque of the pointer shaft that moves it, and is related to the torque generated by the motor 107. The torque generated by the motor 107 depends on the motor size and current consumption, and this invention leads to a reduction in volume and current consumption occupied by the motor.

[Modification of First Embodiment]
FIG. 1c shows a modified example of the first embodiment, and is a schematic perspective view seen from the dial face. However, the solar cell 102 is not shown in the drawing because it is not a constituent element that constitutes the essence of the present invention. It is. Regarding the area of the hollow portion 112 of the pointer 111, it is possible to make the hollow portion 112 small, particularly in a low-frequency, particularly long-wave radio-controlled watch that is less affected by the pointer 111. In this figure, a long wave radio timepiece whose projection area of the antenna 103 is smaller than the size of the dial 101, the antenna 103 is arranged closer to the center. Therefore, the hollow portion 112 is made smaller and the position thereof is arranged closer to the center. By doing this, it is possible to ensure the antenna performance even if the minimum portion that has the strongest influence between the pointer 111 and the antenna 103 is the hollow portion 112, and the hollow portion 112 from the design aspect. The degree of freedom of the size can be obtained, so that there is a merit that the restriction on the design is eliminated.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the following embodiments, the same or similar configurations as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
The second embodiment is an example in which a non-metallic material is embedded in the opening portion of the metal pointer in the first example and the portion is used as a radio wave transmission region.

[Configuration of Radio Timepiece in Second Embodiment]
The radio timepiece in the second embodiment is configured as shown in FIG. The difference from the radio timepiece in the first embodiment is that a non-metallic material, for example, a material such as a resin, is embedded in the hollow portion 212 of the pointer 211. Furthermore, when fluorescent paint or luminescent paint is applied to the surface of the material embedded in the hollow portion 212, the visibility of the needle with the large needle itself is good, and the visibility at night is also improved. Connected.

  Also, since the pointer 211 is a part of the design, it is difficult to always adopt a hollow needle just because it is effective for the antenna 203. In such a case, the effectiveness of the present invention according to the second embodiment that does not hinder the reception performance of the antenna 203 is strongly exhibited while ensuring the degree of freedom in design by filling the hollow portion 212 with a non-metallic material. The

[Effects of Second Embodiment]
(1) Improvement of reception performance In the radio-controlled timepiece according to the present embodiment, the exterior portion 209 is made of metal by forming the hollow portion 212 of the pointer 211 above the antenna 203 and filling it with a non-metallic material. Even if a material is used, the influence of the metal of the pointer 211 that hinders antenna performance in the direction of arrival of radio waves is reduced, and the antenna 203 can effectively capture radio waves.

(2) Improvement in design freedom In the radio timepiece of the present embodiment, the hollow portion 212 is filled with a non-metallic material, so that even if the hollow needle is not suitable in design, the appearance is not impaired, so the design freedom is reduced. improves. In particular, a large thick needle is often applied with a fluorescent paint or a luminescent paint at a position corresponding to the hollowed out portion, so that there is an effect that it can be shown as a general guideline while ensuring reception performance.

[Modification of Second Embodiment]
FIG. 2a is a modification of the pointer in the second embodiment. In this modification, the shape in which the distal end portion 211a of the pointer 211 is deleted and the opening is opened is employed.
By doing so, it is preferable from the viewpoint of strength that the joining area between the non-metal and the metal portion is ensured, because the pointer 211 is supported by the pointer shaft fitting portion 213. Also, if there is a looped metal near the antenna, the induced current caused by the electromagnetic wave circulates through the looped metal, resulting in a decrease in the energy obtained by the antenna. This modification is also an effective shape from this point of view, leading to a configuration in which a conductive loop shape close to the antenna 203 is eliminated, and the reception performance is further improved as compared with the second embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the following embodiments, the same or similar configurations as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
The third embodiment shows another example in which the radio wave transmission region is formed of a non-metallic member.

[Configuration of radio timepiece in the third embodiment]
The radio timepiece 1 in the third embodiment is configured as shown in FIG. The difference from the radio timepiece in the first embodiment is that the pointer shaft fitting portion 313 is made of a metal material, and the pointer 311 ahead is made of a non-metal material.

[Effect of the third embodiment]
(1) Improvement of reception performance In the radio-controlled timepiece of this embodiment, only the pointer shaft fitting portion 313 of the pointer 311 above the antenna 303 is made of a metal material, and the tip is made of a non-metallic material. ing. By doing so, the pointer shaft fitting portion 313 is made of metal, but only the central portion of the watch apart from the antenna 303, and the portion related to the antenna 303 is made of non-metal. Even if the exterior 309 is made of a metal material, the antenna 303 can capture the radio wave without being affected by the pointer because the pointer 311 that obstructs the antenna performance in the direction of arrival of the radio wave is made of a non-metal. become.

(2) The method of fixing to the pointer shaft is as simple as in the past. In the radio timepiece of the present embodiment, a substantial part of the pointer is made of non-metal, but if the whole is made of non-metal, it is thin. Since it is necessary to maintain the strength, it is necessary to devise a fixing method to the pointer shaft, or the needle itself becomes thick in order to strengthen it. However, according to the present embodiment, since the pointer shaft fitting portion is made of metal, there is no problem with the conventional fixing method, and there are merits in any of the mounting work, cost, and performance.

[Modification of Third Embodiment]
FIG. 3 a is a modification in which the pointer portion of the third embodiment is extracted. In this modification, the pointer 311 is made of a non-metal, and the pointer shaft fitting portion 313 is extended along the center of the pointer 311. By doing so, the non-metallic pointer 311 is supported by the pointer shaft fitting portion 313, so that the structure of the needle itself in which the non-metallic and metallic portions are mixed is stabilized, especially compared to the case where there is no extension portion. Therefore, superiority is ensured in terms of strength. Of course, since there are few metal parts existing in the needle itself, interference with the antenna is also reduced. Various joining methods can be considered for joining the nonmetal to the metal, but any structure that reduces the metal in the portion applied to the antenna and supports the nonmetallic pointer 311 is included in the category of this embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described.
In the following embodiments, the same or similar configurations as those of the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.
In the fourth embodiment, as an example in which the radio wave transmission region is configured by a non-metallic member, an example in which the pointers are all configured by a non-metallic member is shown.

[Configuration of Guidelines in the Fourth Embodiment]
The pointer in the radio timepiece according to the fourth embodiment is configured as shown in FIG. The difference from the hands of the radio timepiece in the first embodiment is that the hands 511 are all made of a non-metallic material.
By doing in this way, it becomes possible to greatly improve the influence of the pointer 511 on the radio wave.

  When the entire pointer is made of a non-metal, the fitting method generally used in a timepiece does not have a sufficient fitting force and cannot be attached. Therefore, the pointer is attached by the method shown in FIG. 5a. Reference numeral 511 denotes a non-metallic pointer, which is attached to the needle shaft 513 by a metal needle shaft fixing cap 514. Both the needle shaft fixing cap 514 and the needle shaft 513 are made of metal, and the needle shaft fixing cap 514 fixes the pointer 511 to the needle shaft 513 by a method such as pressure bonding or screwing.

[Effect of the fourth embodiment]
(1) Improvement of receiving performance The hands 511 of the radio timepiece of this embodiment are made of a non-metallic material. By doing so, since the needle itself applied to the antenna is made of non-metal, the reception performance is not affected at all, and the best reception performance can be ensured.

100, 200, 300, 400 Cover glass 101, 201, 301, 401 Dial 102, 202, 302, 402 Solar cell 103, 203, 303, 403 Antenna 104, 204, 304, 404 Substrate 105, 205, 305 Signal processing IC
405 RF receiver IC
106, 206, 306, 406 Train wheel 107, 207, 307, 407 Motor 108, 208, 308, 408 Battery 109, 209, 309, 409 Exterior 110, 210, 310, 710 Crown 111, 211, 311, 411, 511 Pointer 112 hollow portion 213, 313 Pointer shaft fitting portion 413 decode IC
513 Needle shaft 514 Needle shaft fixing cap

Claims (4)

A dial, an antenna disposed under the dial, and a pointer ,
In the radio-controlled timepiece in which the antenna is arranged so as to overlap with the rotation locus area of the pointer,
The pointer has at least a radio wave transmission region having a radio wave transmission higher than that of a metal material,
The radio wave transmission region exists at least in a region overlapping with the antenna ; and
At least a part of the pointer is made of a metal material,
The radio wave timepiece , wherein the radio wave transmission region is formed as an opening from which a metal material constituting the pointer is removed. The radio timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is filled with a non-metallic material that transmits radio waves. The radio wave timepiece according to claim 2 , wherein the opening is formed by being opened at a tip portion of the pointer. A dial, an antenna disposed under the dial, and a pointer,
In the radio-controlled timepiece in which the antenna is arranged so as to overlap with the rotation locus area of the pointer,
The pointer has at least a radio wave transmission region having a radio wave transmission higher than that of a metal material,
The radio wave transmission region exists at least in a region overlapping with the antenna;
The part that fits the pointer shaft is made of a metal material,
A radio-controlled timepiece, wherein at least a part of a tip portion including a region overlapping with the antenna is made of a non-metallic material that transmits radio waves, and the non-metal material portion at the tip is the radio-wave transmitting region.