JP6803199B2 - clock - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a watch.

Conventionally, there is a clock for the visually impaired (low vision person, blind person, etc.) that displays the time in Braille. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, as a portable Braille display device capable of displaying time in Braille, a Braille display unit that continuously displays Braille on a rotating disk, a member that attaches the Braille display unit to a part of the body, and Braille A rotating member consisting of a lid that opens and closes the display unit so that the display unit can be opened and closed, and a Braille display unit that can advance and retreat multiple pins that display Braille on the tactile surface, and an actuator that projects the pins from the tactile surface. A retracting means that abuts on a pin and retracts the pin toward the tactile surface side, a selective driving means that selectively drives an actuator, and a rotational driving means that rotationally drives a rotating member are disclosed. According to this portable Braille display device, if a finger is lightly placed on the tactile surface of a rotating rotating member, it corresponds to a state of tracing on Braille paper, and one phrase or the like can be continuously displayed in sequence. In addition, it eliminates the need for line feed operations like Braille paper, and is said to be an extremely easy-to-use device for people with disabilities.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-302437

However, when the time is displayed in Braille, four Braille characters must be arranged in order to represent at least a four-digit number representing the hour and minute. Therefore, the user needs to identify four Braille characters when checking the exact time. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the prior art in that the visually impaired person can recognize the time accurately and quickly.

Therefore, the present invention provides a clock capable of causing a visually impaired person to recognize the time accurately and quickly.

The timepiece of the present invention has a plurality of time display members arranged side by side in a display area exposed to the outside, and the predetermined time display member is displaced with respect to the time display member other than the predetermined time display member. The minute display unit has a display unit and a plurality of minute display members arranged side by side in the display area, and the predetermined minute display member is displaced with respect to the minute display member other than the predetermined minute display member. A unit and a plurality of indexes arranged side by side in the circumferential direction in the display area are provided , and the plurality of indexes are provided at a position of 12 o'clock and are formed in a triangular shape and at 6 o'clock. It is characterized by having an index provided at a position and formed in a diamond shape .

According to the present invention, a predetermined time display member displaced among a plurality of time display members arranged side by side in the display area by touching the display area, and a plurality of time display members arranged side by side in the display area. It is possible to grasp the displaced predetermined minute display member among the minute display members. Therefore, by setting in advance a predetermined hour display member that is displaced corresponding to the time to be displayed and a predetermined minute display member that is displaced corresponding to the minute, the user can be set in advance corresponding to each time. Can recognize the time without relying on vision. Moreover, since the time can be recognized only by grasping the positions of the displaced hour display member and minute display member, the user can quickly recognize the time as compared with the conventional technique in which the time is displayed in Braille of four characters. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person recognize the time accurately and quickly.

In the watch, said plurality of time display member, and the plurality of minute display member is arranged in the circumferential direction, it is desirable.

According to the present invention, the time is recognized by grasping the positions of the hour and minute hands in the circumferential direction as in a general analog clock, and the time display member and the minute display member are displaced in the circumferential direction. The time can be recognized just by grasping the position. Therefore, since it is possible to intuitively recognize the time, it is possible to make the visually impaired person recognize the time more quickly.

In the watch, the content display unit, when viewed from the front Symbol axis direction, are disposed outside the said time display portion, it is desirable.

In a general analog clock, the minute hand is formed longer than the hour hand. That is, the tip of the minute hand is located at a position farther from the rotation axis than the tip of the hour hand.
According to the present invention, the minute display unit having a plurality of minute display members arranged side by side in the circumferential direction is arranged outside the hour display unit having a plurality of hour display members arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. Therefore, when the displaced predetermined hour display member and the predetermined minute display member are touched, which is the minute display member is associated with the positional relationship between the hour hand and the minute hand of a general analog clock. Can be identified intuitively. Therefore, the visually impaired person can recognize the time more quickly.

In the watch, a pair of indicators adjacent of the plurality of indicators are formed in different shapes, it is desirable.

According to the present invention, by having the user touch the index to identify the shape of the index, it is possible to grasp the position of the touched index in the circumferential direction due to the difference in the shape of the index. As a result, by identifying the shape of the surrounding index when grasping the displaced predetermined time display member or the predetermined minute display member, the position of the predetermined time display member or the predetermined minute display member in the circumferential direction can be grasped. it can. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person accurately recognize the time.

In the above clock, the plurality of indexes have indexes provided at the position at m when m is a natural number of 1 to 5 and 7 to 11, and n is 2 to 5 and 8 to 11. The index provided at the n o'clock position has a larger radial dimension orthogonal to the predetermined axis than the index provided at the (n-1) time position. It is desirable that it is formed.

According to the present invention, in the first index and the second index, the indexes located on the downstream side in the clockwise direction are arranged so as to have a larger radial dimension than the indexes located on the upstream side. Therefore, by having the user identify the shapes of the first index and the second index, the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction can be intuitively grasped. Therefore, the visually impaired person can recognize the time more quickly.

In the above timepiece, it is desirable that the hour display unit has 12 hour display members and the minute display unit has 60 minute display members.

According to the present invention, the time can be displayed in 1-hour increments and can be displayed in 1-minute increments. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person accurately recognize the time.

It is desirable that the above-mentioned timepiece includes an operation input member that can be operated from the outside, and the predetermined time display member and the predetermined minute display member are displaced when the operation input member is operated.

According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the consumption of electric power for displacing the hour display member and the minute display member when the operation input member is not operated. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a watch having low power consumption and a long battery life.

In the above-mentioned clock, it is desirable that the predetermined hour display member and the predetermined minute display member project in the direction in which the display area faces.

According to the present invention, a predetermined time display member or a predetermined time display member displaced when the user touches the display area, as compared with a configuration in which the predetermined time display member or the predetermined minute display member is displaced so as to be recessed in the display area. The displacement display member can be easily grasped. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person recognize the time accurately and quickly.

In the above-mentioned clock, the contact portion that abuts on any one of the plurality of hour display members and the plurality of minute display members, and the contact portion along a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the member. It is desirable to include a drive unit having a power unit that displaces the member and a cam mechanism that displaces the member by the displacement of the contact portion.

According to the present invention, the cam mechanism that displaces any one of the plurality of hour display members and the plurality of minute display members is provided by a contact portion that is displaced along a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the member. Since the member is displaced, the mechanism for displacement of the member can be formed smaller in the displacement direction of the member as compared with the configuration in which the component that displaces the member is displaced along the displacement direction of the member. it can. Therefore, the clock can be miniaturized.

In the above-mentioned timepiece, it is desirable that the power unit is formed of a shape memory alloy and expands and contracts when an electric current flows.

According to the present invention, the contact portion can be displaced by arranging the power unit so that the direction of expansion and contraction of the power unit coincides with the direction of displacement of the contact portion and then passing an electric current through the power unit. .. Therefore, the drive unit can be configured with a simple configuration, and the drive unit can be miniaturized as compared with a configuration in which the hour display member and the minute display member are displaced by a magnetic force, for example. Therefore, the clock can be made smaller.

According to the present invention, a predetermined time display member displaced among a plurality of time display members arranged side by side in the display area by touching the display area, and a plurality of time display members arranged side by side in the display area. It is possible to grasp the displaced predetermined minute display member among the minute display members. Therefore, by setting in advance a predetermined hour display member that is displaced corresponding to the time to be displayed and a predetermined minute display member that is displaced corresponding to the minute, the user can be set in advance corresponding to each time. Can recognize the time without relying on vision. Moreover, since the time can be recognized only by grasping the positions of the displaced hour display member and minute display member, the user can quickly recognize the time as compared with the conventional technique in which the time is displayed in Braille of four characters. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person recognize the time accurately and quickly.

It is a perspective view of the timepiece which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view of an hour display member and a drive part. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clock according to an embodiment. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates the case where 10:25 is displayed.
As shown in FIG. 1, the clock 1 includes a display panel 2 for displaying the time, a case 3 for holding the display panel 2, and a control unit 4 housed inside the case 3. In the following description, when the watch 1 is worn on the wrist and used, the side visually recognized by the user is referred to as the front side, and the opposite side is referred to as the back side.

The case 3 has an opening on the front side and can accommodate the control unit 4 inside. The front side opening 3a of the case 3 is formed in a circular shape when viewed from the front and back directions. A pair of band attachment portions 11 for attaching the band are formed in the case 3. A button 12 (operation input member) is provided on the side surface of the case 3. The button 12 is formed so as to be operable from the outside. The button 12 is used when displaying the time described later. In the following description, the circumferential direction around the central axis O extending in the front-back direction of the front-side opening 3a is simply referred to as the "circumferential direction", and the direction orthogonal to the front-back direction and extending radially from the central axis O is the "diameter direction". ". Further, the arrow CW in the figure indicates the clockwise direction seen from the front side in the circumferential direction.

The display panel 2 makes the user recognize the time (hour and minute) by touching the user with a finger. The display panel 2 is formed in a circular shape coaxial with the central axis O of the front side opening 3a of the case 3 when viewed from the axial direction, and is fixed to the front side opening 3a of the case 3. The portion of the display panel 2 facing the front side is a display area 2a exposed to the outside. The display area 2a is a portion that the user touches with a finger when recognizing the time.

The display board 2 includes a substrate 20, a time display unit 21 for making the user recognize the time, a minute display unit 22 for making the user recognize the minute, and a plurality of display boards 2 arranged on the surface 20a of the substrate 20 (in the present embodiment). 12) indicators 23a to 23l.

The substrate 20 constitutes a part of the display area 2a of the display panel 2. The surface 20a of the substrate 20 is formed in a plane shape orthogonal to the front and back directions. The substrate 20 is formed in a circular shape that is coaxial with the outer substrate 20b formed in an annular shape extending along the circumferential direction and the central axis O when viewed from the front and back directions, and has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the outer substrate 20b. The inner substrate 20c and the like are included.
The inner substrate 20c is formed with a plurality of (12 in this embodiment) arrangement portions 20d on which the time display members 30 described later are arranged. The arrangement portion 20d penetrates in the front-back direction or is recessed toward the back side in a shape corresponding to the time display member 30.

The plurality of indexes 23a to 23l are provided on the surface 20a of the outer substrate 20b. Each of the indexes 23a to 23l projects from the surface 20a of the substrate 20 to the front side. The indexes 23a to 23l are arranged at predetermined time positions around the central axis O. In the present embodiment, the plurality of indexes 23a to 23l are provided at the same position in the radial direction at equal intervals (30 ° pitch) in the circumferential direction. The indexes 23a to 23l may be referred to as scales or abbreviations of analog timepieces.

Each of the plurality of indexes 23a to 23l is formed so that a pair of adjacent indexes have different shapes from each other. Needless to say, each of the plurality of indexes 23a to 23l may have a shape in which a pair of adjacent indexes are the same, proportional to or similar to each other.
The index 23a provided at the 12 o'clock position is formed in an isosceles triangle shape when viewed from the front and back directions, and is arranged so that the vertices of the isosceles triangle (vertices shared by the two equal sides) face inward in the radial direction. ing.

The five indexes 23b to 23f provided from the 1 o'clock position to the 5 o'clock position are each formed in a rectangular shape extending along the radial direction when viewed from the front and back directions. Each index 23c to 23f provided from the 2 o'clock position to the 5 o'clock position has a larger radial dimension than other indexes adjacent to each other in the counterclockwise direction (upstream side in the clockwise direction). It is formed. Specifically, the index 23c provided at the 2 o'clock position is formed so as to have a larger radial dimension than the index 23b provided at the 1 o'clock position. The index 23d provided at the 3 o'clock position is formed so as to have a larger radial dimension than the index 23c provided at the 2 o'clock position. The index 23e provided at the 4 o'clock position is formed so as to have a larger radial dimension than the index 23d provided at the 3 o'clock position. The index 23f provided at the 5 o'clock position is formed so as to have a larger radial dimension than the index 23e provided at the 4 o'clock position.

The index 23g provided at the 6 o'clock position is formed in a rhombus shape when viewed from the front and back directions, and one diagonal line of the rhombus is arranged along the radial direction.
The five indexes 23h to 23l provided from the 7 o'clock position to the 11 o'clock position are formed in the same shape as the indexes 23b to 23f located on opposite sides of the central axis O, respectively. Each of the indicators 23i to 23l provided from the 8 o'clock position to the 11 o'clock position is counterclockwise like the indicators 23c to 23f provided from the 2 o'clock position to the 5 o'clock position. It is formed so that the dimension in the radial direction is larger than that of adjacent indexes.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the time display member and the drive unit.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the hour display unit 21 is arranged radially inside the outer peripheral edge of the inner substrate 20c when viewed from the front and back directions. When the time display unit 21 displaces a plurality of time display members 30 (12 in this embodiment) arranged side by side in the circumferential direction in the display area 2a and the time display members 30 along the front and back directions. It has the same number of drive units 31 as the display member 30. The time display unit 21 causes the user who touches the time display unit 21 to recognize the time by displacing the predetermined time display member 30 with respect to another time display member 30.

The hour display member 30 is a member having a thickness in the front and back directions. The time display member 30 is formed of, for example, an insulating material such as a resin material or ceramics. The hour display member 30 is formed so that the width in the circumferential direction gradually increases from the inside to the outside in the radial direction when viewed from the front and back directions. Specifically, the time display member 30 is formed in an isosceles trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front and back directions, and a pair of trapezoidal legs are arranged so as to extend along the radial direction. The hour display member 30 is formed so that the radial dimension is sufficiently larger than the maximum circumferential dimension. The surface of the time display member 30 facing the front side is formed parallel to the surface 20a of the substrate 20 in the state before displacement. The time display member 30 is arranged in the arrangement portion 20d of the inner substrate 20c so that a part thereof protrudes to the front side from the surface 20a of the substrate 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the time display member 30 is formed with a shaft insertion hole 32 and a groove 33.
The shaft insertion hole 32 is formed at an end portion on the inner side in the radial direction of the hour display member 30 and located on the back side of the surface 20a of the substrate 20. The shaft insertion hole 32 penetrates in a direction orthogonal to the center line passing through the circumferential center portion of the display member 30 when viewed from the front and back directions. A shaft member (not shown) is inserted into the shaft insertion hole 32. The hour display member 30 is rotatably supported by the shaft member with respect to the substrate 20, and the end portion on the outer side in the radial direction is urged toward the back side by an urging member (not shown).

The groove 33 is formed on the back surface of the time display member 30. The groove portion 33 extends with a constant width along the radial direction at the central portion in the circumferential direction of the display member 30 when viewed from the front and back directions. The bottom surface of the groove 33 is a first bottom surface 33a located inside in the radial direction and extending along the radial direction, and a second bottom surface 33a located outside in the radial direction and inclined at a constant angle toward the front side from the inside to the outside in the radial direction. It has a bottom surface 33b and. That is, the radial inner portion of the groove 33 extends at a substantially constant depth, and the radial outer portion of the groove 33 gradually becomes deeper from the radial inner side to the outer side.

The drive unit 31 has a contact portion 34 that abuts on the time display member 30, and a telescopic portion 35 (power unit) that displaces the contact portion 34. The contact portion 34 is formed in a hemispherical shape, and is arranged in a state where the spherical portion 34a faces the front side and the flat surface portion 34b faces the back side. The outer diameter of the abutting portion 34 as seen from the front and back directions is smaller than the width of the groove portion 33. The contact portion 34 is arranged at the radially outer end portion in the groove portion 33 in a state where the spherical portion 34a is in contact with or close to the second bottom surface 33b of the groove portion 33. The contact portion 34 is arranged in a state where the displacement to the back side is restricted.

The telescopic portion 35 is made of a shape memory alloy such as a Ni—Ti alloy. In this embodiment, the stretchable portion 35 is formed of biometal (registered trademark). The expansion / contraction portion 35 is formed in a coil shape and is arranged in the groove portion 33 in a state where the expansion / contraction direction coincides with the extending direction of the groove portion 33. The radial outer end of the telescopic portion 35 is connected to the abutting portion 34. The radial inner end of the telescopic portion 35 is fixed to the substrate 20 (see FIG. 1). Both ends of the telescopic portion 35 are electrically connected to the control unit 4 (see FIG. 1), respectively. The telescopic portion 35 generates heat when an electric current flows and contracts in the radial direction from the initial state, and when cooled, it expands in the radial direction and returns to the initial state.

3 and 4 are partial cross-sectional views taken along the line III-III of FIG. FIG. 3 illustrates the case where the telescopic portion 35 is in the initial state, and FIG. 4 illustrates the case where the telescopic portion 35 is in the radialally contracted state. In addition, in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the position of the surface 20a of the substrate 20 is indicated by a chain double-dashed line.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the telescopic portion 35 contracts in the radial direction, the contact portion 34 is displaced inward in the radial direction. Here, the spherical surface portion 34a facing the front side of the contact portion 34 is in contact with or close to the second bottom surface 33b of the groove portion 33. Further, the second bottom surface 33b is inclined toward the front side from the inside to the outside in the radial direction. Therefore, when the contact portion 34 is displaced inward in the radial direction, the contact portion 34 presses the second bottom surface 33b in contact with the spherical portion 34a toward the front side. As a result, the time display member 30 rotates with respect to the substrate 20 (see FIG. 1) while resisting the urging force of the above-mentioned urging member, and is displaced so as to protrude from the display area 2a. That is, the second bottom surface 33b of the time display member 30 and the contact portion 34 of the drive unit 31 constitute a cam mechanism that displaces the time display member 30 in the front and back directions due to the radial displacement of the contact portion 34. ..

As shown in FIG. 1, the minute display unit 22 is arranged at a position outside the hour display unit 21 in the radial direction. The minute display unit 22 is arranged without a gap between the inner peripheral edge of the outer substrate 20b and the outer peripheral edge of the inner substrate 20c when viewed from the front and back directions. The minute display unit 22 displaces a plurality of (60 in this embodiment) minute display members 40 closely arranged in the circumferential direction in the display area 2a and the minute display members 40 along the front and back directions. It has the same number of drive units (not shown) as the member 40. Note that FIG. 1 integrally illustrates a plurality of non-displaced minute display members 40 for easy viewing. The minute display unit 22 causes the user who touches the minute display unit 22 to recognize the minute of the current time by displacing the predetermined minute display member 40 with respect to the other minute display member 40. Since the minute display member 40 is formed in the same manner as the time display member 30 described above except for the shape viewed from the front and back directions, the following description of the minute display member 40 mainly refers to the shape viewed from the front and back directions. explain. Further, since the drive unit of the minute display unit 22 is formed in the same manner as the drive unit 31 of the hour display unit 21, details are given by the same reference numerals as the drive unit 31 of the hour display unit 21 (see FIG. 2). Explanation is omitted.

The minute display member 40 is a member having a thickness in the front and back directions. The minute display member 40 is formed so that the width in the circumferential direction gradually increases from the inside to the outside in the radial direction when viewed from the front and back directions. Specifically, the minute display member 40 is formed in an isosceles trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front and back directions, and a pair of trapezoidal legs are arranged so as to extend along the radial direction. The minute display member 40 is formed so that the radial dimension is sufficiently larger than the maximum circumferential dimension. The radial inner edge of the portion display member 40 when viewed from the front and back directions is formed in an arc shape along the outer peripheral edge of the inner substrate 20c. The radial outer edge of the portion display member 40 when viewed from the front and back directions is formed in an arc shape along the inner peripheral edge of the outer substrate 20b. A part of the minute display member 40 is arranged so as to project toward the front side of the surface 20a of the substrate 20. The surface of the minute display member 40 facing the front side is formed parallel to the surface 20a of the substrate 20 in the state before displacement, and is located at the same position as the surface of the hour display member 30 facing the front side in the front and back directions. ..

The control unit 4 includes a printed circuit board, a battery, and the like provided with a circuit having a timekeeping function. Specifically, an oscillation circuit, a frequency dividing circuit, a ROM (Read Only Memory, read-only memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory, random access memory), a CPU, and the like are mounted on the printed circuit board. The control unit 4 may be configured to receive time information from, for example, a radio clock transmitting station or an artificial satellite of GPS (Global Positioning System). The control unit 4 is electrically connected to the expansion / contraction unit 35 of the hour display unit 21 and the expansion / contraction unit 35 of each drive unit 31 of the minute display unit 22 via a lead wire (not shown) or the like.

Hereinafter, the operation of the clock 1 of the present embodiment will be described.
When the button 12 is operated by the user, the control unit 4 displaces the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 corresponding to the current time toward the front side. Specifically, the control unit 4 displaces only the time display member 30 at the position corresponding to the current time among the plurality of time display members 30 so as to be displaced to the front side of the other time display members 30. The telescopic portion 35 of the drive unit 31 that displaces the time display member 30 is energized for a predetermined time. At the same time, the control unit 4 displaces only the minute display member 40 at the position corresponding to the minute of the current time among the plurality of minute display members 40 so as to be displaced to the front side of the other minute display members 40. The telescopic portion 35 of the drive unit 31 that displaces the display member 40 is energized for a predetermined time.

As described above, when an electric current is passed through the telescopic portion 35 of the drive unit 31, the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 are displaced to the front side. For example, in the state shown in FIG. 1, the hour display member 30 corresponding to the 10 o'clock position is displaced to the front side with respect to the other hour display member 30, and the minute display member 40 corresponding to the 25 minute position displays another minute. It is displaced to the front side with respect to the member 40. In this state, when the user touches the display area 2a of the display panel 2, the current time can be recognized without relying on the visual sense.

When a predetermined time elapses after the button 12 is operated, the control unit 4 stops energizing the telescopic unit 35 of the drive unit 31. As a result, the heat generation of the expansion / contraction portion 35 is stopped and cooled, and the expansion / contraction portion 35 extends in the radial direction. Then, the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 are restored to the same positions in the front and back directions as the other hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 by the above-mentioned urging member (not shown).
This completes the time display operation of the clock 1.

As described above, in the present embodiment, there are a plurality of time display members 30 arranged side by side in the display area 2a exposed to the outside, and the predetermined time display member 30 is displaced with respect to the other time display member 30. The hour display unit 21 and the minute display unit 22 having a plurality of minute display members 40 arranged side by side in the display area 2a and the predetermined minute display member 40 being displaced with respect to the other minute display member 40. It was configured to be prepared. According to this configuration, by letting the user touch the display area 2a, the time display member 30 and the display area 2a are arranged side by side among the plurality of time display members 30 arranged side by side in the display area 2a. It is possible to grasp the displaced minute display member 40 among the plurality of minute display members 40. Therefore, by setting the hour display member 30 that is displaced corresponding to the time to be displayed and the minute display member 40 that is displaced corresponding to the minute in advance corresponding to each time, the user can visually recognize the display member 30. You can recognize the time without relying on. Moreover, since the time can be recognized only by grasping the positions of the displaced hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40, the user can quickly set the time as compared with the conventional technique in which the time is displayed in Braille of four characters. Can be recognized. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person recognize the time accurately and quickly.

Moreover, since the plurality of hour display members 30 and the plurality of minute display members 40 are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction, the positions of the hour hand and the minute hand in the circumferential direction can be grasped like a general analog clock. Similar to the configuration for recognizing the time with, the time can be recognized only by grasping the positions of the displaced hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, since it is possible to intuitively recognize the time, it is possible to make the visually impaired person recognize the time more quickly.

Further, as a conventional clock for the visually impaired, there is a clock provided with an hour hand and a minute hand as in the conventional analog clock, and the time is recognized by touching the hour hand and the minute hand. In this case, the contact of the user may cause deformation or rotation of the hour and minute hands, making it impossible to display an accurate time. In the present embodiment, since the time can be displayed without using the hour hand and the minute hand, the timepiece 1 having excellent reliability as compared with the prior art can be obtained.

Further, in a general analog timepiece, the minute hand is formed longer than the hour hand. That is, the tip of the minute hand is located at a position farther from the rotation axis than the tip of the hour hand.
In the present embodiment, the minute display unit 22 having a plurality of minute display members 40 arranged side by side in the circumferential direction is outside the hour display unit 21 having a plurality of hour display members 30 arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. Is located in. Therefore, when the displaced hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 are touched, which is the minute display member 40 is intuitively associated with the positional relationship between the hour hand and the minute hand of a general analog timepiece. Can be identified. Therefore, the visually impaired person can recognize the time more quickly.

Further, since the plurality of indexes 23a to 23l are formed so that the adjacent indexes have different shapes from each other, the difference in the shape of the indexes can be obtained by having the user touch the indexes to identify the shape of the indexes. Therefore, the position of the touched index in the circumferential direction can be grasped. Thereby, by identifying the shape of the surrounding index when grasping the displaced hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40, the positions of the displaced hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 in the circumferential direction can be grasped. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person accurately recognize the time.

Further, among the plurality of indexes 23a to 23l, each of the indexes 23c to 23f and 23i to 23l is formed so as to have a larger radial dimension than the indexes adjacent to each other in the counterclockwise direction in the circumferential direction when viewed from the front side. Has been done. Therefore, in the indexes 23b to 23f and 23h to 23l, the indexes located on the downstream side in the clockwise direction are arranged so as to have a larger radial dimension than the indexes located on the upstream side. Therefore, by having the user identify the shapes of the indexes 23b to 23f and 23h to 23l, the clockwise direction and the counterclockwise direction can be intuitively grasped. Therefore, the visually impaired person can recognize the time more quickly.

Further, since the hour display unit 21 has 12 hour display members 30 and the minute display unit 22 has 60 minute display members 40, the hour can be displayed in 1-hour increments and 1 minute. Can be displayed in increments. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person accurately recognize the time.

Further, in the present embodiment, the clock 1 is provided with a button 12 that can be operated from the outside, and the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 are configured to be displaced when the button 12 is operated. According to this configuration, it is possible to suppress the consumption of electric power that displaces the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 when the button 12 is not operated. Therefore, the timepiece 1 having low power consumption and long battery life can be obtained.

Further, since the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 project toward the front side, when the user touches the display area 2a as compared with the configuration in which the hour display member and the minute display member are displaced so as to be recessed. When displaced, the display member 30 and the minute display member 40 can be easily grasped. Therefore, it is possible to make the visually impaired person recognize the time accurately and quickly.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, the clock 1 is in the direction (diameter direction) intersecting the displacement direction (that is, the front and back directions) of the contact portion 34 that abuts each of the plurality of time display members 30 and the time display member 30. It includes a drive unit 31 having an expansion / contraction portion 35 that displaces the contact portion 34 along the line, and a cam mechanism that displaces the time display member 30 by the displacement of the contact portion 34. According to this configuration, in the cam mechanism, the hour display member 30 is displaced by the contact portion 34 that is displaced along the radial direction, so that the component that displaces the hour display member 30 is displaced along the front and back directions. Therefore, the mechanism for displacing the time display member 30 can be formed small in the front and back directions. The same applies to the drive unit 31 and the cam mechanism that displace the minute display member 40. Therefore, the thickness of the timepiece 1 having a thickness in the front and back directions can be reduced to reduce the size of the timepiece 1.

Further, since the expansion / contraction portion 35 is formed of a shape memory alloy and expands / contracts when an electric current flows, the expansion / contraction portion 35 is arranged so that the expansion / contraction direction of the expansion / contraction portion 35 matches the displacement direction of the contact portion 34. The contact portion 34 can be displaced by passing an electric current through the telescopic portion 35 after arranging the arrangement. Therefore, the drive unit 31 can be configured with a simple configuration, and the drive unit 31 can be downsized as compared with a configuration in which the time display member 30 is displaced by a magnetic force, for example. The same applies to the drive unit 31 that displaces the minute display member 40. Therefore, the thickness of the clock 1 can be reduced to reduce the size of the clock 1.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment described with reference to the drawings, and various modifications can be considered within the technical scope thereof.
For example, in the above embodiment, when the user is made to recognize the time, the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 at the positions corresponding to the current time are mounted on the other hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40. It is displaced toward the direction (front side) protruding from the display area 2a. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the hour display member and the minute display member at the position corresponding to the current time may be displaced toward the concave direction (back side) with respect to the other hour display member or the minute display member. .. Further, the hour display member and the minute display member at the position corresponding to the current time may be displaced outward in the radial direction with respect to the other hour display member or the minute display member.

Further, in the above embodiment, when the user is made to recognize the time, only the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 at the positions corresponding to the current time are displayed with respect to the other hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40. It is displaced. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, all hour display members 30 corresponding to the current time and the elapsed time after 12:00, and all minute display members corresponding to the current time and the elapsed time after 0 minutes per hour. 40 and may be displaced. Specifically, for example, when displaying 10:25, the 11 hour display members 30 corresponding to 12:00 to 10:00 and the 26 minute display members 40 corresponding to 0 to 25 minutes are displaced. May be good.

Further, in the above embodiment, the expansion / contraction portion 35 formed in a coil shape by the shape memory alloy is used as the power unit that displaces the contact portion 34 along the radial direction in the drive portion 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. .. As the power unit, for example, a voice coil motor or the like may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the hour display member 30 and the minute display member 40 are displaced in the front-back direction by the cam mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to this. As a power source for displacing the hour display member and the minute display member, for example, a bimetal that bends in the front and back directions due to a thermal change, or an electroactive polymer whose shape and size can be changed by an electric field action may be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, the time display unit 21 is formed by a plurality of time display members 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The hour display unit may be formed by a plurality of indexes formed so as to be displaceable in the front and back directions. Further, the hour display unit may be formed by a plurality of hour display members 30 and a plurality of indexes formed so as to be displaceable in the front and back directions.

Further, even if the clock 1 is configured to displace the predetermined time display member 30 and the predetermined minute display member 40 when the button 12 is operated, and at the same time, notify the time by voice, vibration, or the like. Good.
Further, the hour display member and the minute display member may be formed so as to be lit separately, and the control unit may control the time display member and the minute display member to be lit when they are displaced. As a result, the visually impaired person can recognize the time both visually and tactilely.

In addition, the watch 1 is formed so as to be able to communicate with an external device such as a smartphone, and the maintenance time of the watch 1, the remaining battery level, the body temperature of the person wearing the watch 1, the pulse rate, the map position, etc. It may be formed so as to display the information of.

In addition, it is possible to replace the components in the above-described embodiment with well-known components as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 ... Clock 2a ... Display area 12 ... Button 21 ... Hour display unit 22 ... Minute display unit 23a, 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, 23f, 23g, 23h, 23i, 23j, 23k, 23l ... Index 30 ... Time display member 31 ... Drive unit 33b ... Second bottom surface (cam mechanism) 34 ... Contact part (cam mechanism) 35 ... Telescopic part (power unit) 40 ... Minute display member O ... Central axis (predetermined axis)

Claims (10)

A time display unit having a plurality of time display members arranged side by side in a display area exposed to the outside, and the predetermined time display member is displaced with respect to the time display member other than the predetermined time display member.
A minute display unit having a plurality of minute display members arranged side by side in the display area, and the predetermined minute display member being displaced with respect to the minute display member other than the predetermined minute display member.
A plurality of indexes arranged side by side in the circumferential direction around a predetermined axis in the display area,
Equipped with a,
The plurality of indicators are
An index provided at the 12 o'clock position and formed in a triangular shape when viewed from the axial direction of the predetermined axis,
An index provided at the 6 o'clock position and formed in a diamond shape when viewed from the axial direction,
Have,
A watch that features that. It said plurality of time display member, and the plurality of minute display member is arranged in the circumferential direction,
The timepiece according to claim 1. The content display unit, when viewed from the front Symbol axis direction, are disposed outside the said time display portion,
The timepiece according to claim 2. A pair of indicators adjacent of the plurality of indicators are formed in different shapes from each other,
The timepiece according to claim 2 or 3. The plurality of indexes have indexes provided at the position at m when m is a natural number of 1 to 5 and 7 to 11.
When n is a natural number of 2 to 5 and 8 to 11, the index provided at the n o'clock position is more orthogonal to the predetermined axis than the index provided at the (n-1) time position. It is formed so that the radial dimension is large.
The timepiece according to claim 4. The time display unit has 12 time display members.
The minute display unit has 60 minutes display members.
The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that. Equipped with an operation input member that can be operated from the outside
The predetermined time display member and the predetermined minute display member are displaced when the operation input member is operated.
The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that. The predetermined time display member and the predetermined minute display member project in the direction in which the display area faces.
The timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the timepiece is characterized in that. A contact portion that abuts on any one of the plurality of hour display members and the plurality of minute display members, and a power unit that displaces the contact portion along a direction intersecting the displacement direction of the member. With a drive unit
A cam mechanism that displaces the member by displacement of the contact portion, and
The clock according to claim 8, wherein the timepiece is provided with. The power unit is formed of a shape memory alloy and expands and contracts when an electric current flows.
The timepiece according to claim 9.

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