JP7219112B2 - electronic clock - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to electronic timepieces.

Patent Document 1 describes a battery-driven timepiece in which an annular space is formed under an upper annular portion that extends inside the case frame and is the outer periphery of the movement, and an annular battery is housed therein. ing.

In recent years, there has been a demand for thinner and more flexible batteries, and various thin batteries such as paper batteries have been developed. For example, Patent Literature 2 describes a bendable flexible battery that includes an electrode group and an exterior body that accommodates the electrode group.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 51-13368 JP 2016-72015 A

7A and 7B are schematic plan and sectional views of a conventional electronic timepiece movement 2. FIG. These figures show the train wheel 15, the back 16, and the battery 200 among the constituent elements of the movement 2. As shown in FIG. Reference numeral 151 denotes a rotating shaft (handle shaft) of a pointer (not shown), and reference numeral 19 denotes an operation shaft (winding stem, crown) for manually adjusting the position of the pointer by the user. The gear train 15 is various gears for rotating the hands, and the underside 16 is a mechanism for transmitting the user's operation of pulling the crown to the gear train 15 . A battery 200 is a button battery that powers the movement 2 .

Button batteries are widely used in analog quartz watches, and the button batteries are placed inside the movement to stabilize the power supply. In general, a button battery has a cylindrical shape, and its size and thickness are relatively large among watch components in a movement. Further, as shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B), the train wheel 15 is arranged at the center of the movement, and the underside 16 is arranged around the winding stem 19 . Therefore, the outer diameter of the movement 2 is determined by the train wheel 15 , the back circumference 16 and the size of the battery 200 , and the thickness of the movement 2 is determined by the thickness of the battery 200 . Since it is difficult to change the size and position of the train wheel 15, the reverse side 16, and the winding stem 19 due to the structure of the timepiece, in order to reduce the size and thickness of the electronic timepiece, the battery must be made smaller and thinner. It is necessary to place the battery while avoiding the members of the

In general, a button battery is filled with an electrolyte liquid and covered with a metal, so it is relatively heavy among watch parts. Therefore, when the electronic timepiece receives an impact, the battery may try to fly out of the movement, destroying other members around the battery, or the electronic timepiece may be powered off and reset.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to reduce the size and thickness of a movement of an electronic timepiece and to improve the impact resistance of the movement as compared with the case where a button battery is used.

It has an exterior case, a movement arranged in the exterior case, and a battery for driving the movement, the battery having at least one convex portion on its surface and extending between the exterior case and the movement so as to cover the movement. There is provided an electronic timepiece characterized in that it is disposed in the case and is in contact with at least one of the exterior case and the movement with the convex portion.

The battery has a thin plate shape extending along the side wall of the outer case, is arranged to cover the side surface of the movement, and the protrusion contacts at least one of the inner surface of the side wall of the outer case and the side surface of the movement. preferably.

The movement has a stem protruding sideways, and the battery is arranged in a C shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the electronic timepiece, avoiding the position of the stem in the circumferential direction of the movement. preferably.

The protrusions are preferably a plurality of protrusions arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the movement.

The battery has a thin plate shape extending along the bottom of the outer case, which is the side opposite to the time display surface, and is arranged to cover the bottom surface of the movement. is preferably in contact with at least one of the bottom surface of the

The protrusions are preferably formed on both sides of the battery and are in contact with both the exterior case and the movement.

It is preferable that the battery has a plurality of folds formed by being folded multiple times like a folding screen, and that the convex portions are peak portions of the folds.

According to the electronic timepiece described above, the movement is smaller and thinner than when a button battery is used, and the impact resistance is improved.

1A and 1B are a plan view and a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic timepiece 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of batteries 20, 20A, 20B; FIG. 1A and 1B are a plan view and a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic timepiece 1'; FIG. 3A and 3B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of batteries 20C and 20D; FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an electronic timepiece 1''; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of batteries 20E and 20F; 1A and 1B are schematic plan and cross-sectional views of a conventional electronic timepiece movement 2. FIG.

An electronic timepiece will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the drawings or the embodiments described below.

1A and 1B are a plan view and a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic timepiece 1. FIG. The electronic timepiece 1 has a movement 10, a battery 20, an exterior case 30, a back cover 35, a dial 50, a windshield 70, and an antenna 80 as main components. FIG. 1A is a plan view of the electronic timepiece 1 viewed from the back cover 35 side, and the back cover 35 is illustrated as being transparent so that the internal structure can be seen. FIG. 1(B) shows a cross section of the electronic timepiece 1 along line IB--IB of FIG. 1(A). An example in which the electronic timepiece is an analog wristwatch will be described below, but the electronic timepiece is not limited to a wristwatch, and may be a table clock or a digital clock.

The exterior case 30 is circular in plan view in the illustrated example, and has a cylindrical internal space. The back cover 35 is a member that covers the bottom of the internal space of the electronic timepiece 1 surrounded by the outer case 30 . The dial 50 and the windshield 70 are arranged on the opposite side of the back cover 35 across the movement 10, and together with the back cover 35 are circular in plan view. However, the outer case 30, the back cover 35, the dial 50, and the windshield 70 may have other shapes such as a square shape depending on the design of the electronic timepiece. Antenna 80 receives satellite radio waves such as GPS (Global Positioning System), standard radio waves, or other radio waves. The electronic timepiece 1 is a radio-controlled timepiece that can receive time information through an antenna 80 and set the current time.

The movement 10 is a driving mechanism of the electronic timepiece 1 including mechanical parts and electrical parts, and is arranged inside the exterior case 30 . The movement 10 includes a circuit board 11, a circuit retainer 12, a main plate 13, a motor for driving hands (not shown), a gear train, and the like, and is a unitized component incorporating them. The shape of the movement 10 is generally cylindrical in the illustrated example, but is not limited thereto.

The circuit board 11 is a board on which a circuit (not shown) for measuring time is mounted. In FIG. 1A, the circuit board 11 is almost invisible because it is hidden by the circuit retainer 12, but the circuit board 11 has a generally disk shape, and the bottom surface of the main plate 13 covers the surface (bottom surface) of the movement 10 on the side of the back cover 35. is fixed to The circuit retainer 12 is a metal plate placed on the circuit board 11 (on the back cover 35 side) to fix the circuit board 11, and is screwed to the bottom surface of the base plate 13 with the circuit board 11 interposed therebetween. there is The main plate 13 is a main body portion of the movement 10 in which driving parts such as a motor and train wheel are incorporated. In reality, the base plate 13 is formed with various irregularities, but if these are ignored, the base plate 13 generally has a disk shape.

The operation button 18 is an operation unit that is pressed by the user in order to set the time and execute various additional functions of the electronic timepiece 1 . . In FIG. 1A, the tip of the operation button 18 is exposed to the outside of the electronic timepiece 1, although it is hidden by the exterior case 30 and cannot be seen. A winding stem (crown) 19 is an operation shaft that is turned by the user to manually adjust the position of the hands, etc., and like the operation button 18, protrudes from the side surface of the movement 10 and passes through the side wall of the exterior case 30. , and its tip is exposed to the outside of the electronic timepiece 1 . In the illustrated example, the operation button 18 and the winding stem 19 are separated from each other by about 30 degrees in the circumferential direction of the movement 10, but the positional relationship between the two may differ from that illustrated.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the battery 20. FIG. The battery 20 is a power source for the electronic timepiece 1 that drives the movement 10, and has a thin plate shape that extends along the inner wall of the exterior case 30 when folded like a folding screen. The battery 20 is, for example, a flexible battery in which an electrolyte layer between a positive electrode and a negative electrode is formed as a thin film, and the electrode and the electrolyte layer are housed in a flexible outer package. Alternatively, the battery 20 may be a well-known all-solid-state battery or a polymer battery that is thin, but preferably has flexibility so that it can be bent and deformed into a C-shape. The thickness of battery 20 in the radial direction of electronic timepiece 1 is preferably smaller than the width of battery 20 in the thickness direction of electronic timepiece 1 .

The battery 20 is arranged between the inner wall of the exterior case 30 and the side surface of the movement 10, and covers substantially the entire movement 10 (in terms of central angle), except for the positions of the operation buttons 18 and the winding stem 19 in the circumferential direction of the movement 10. and about 330 degrees). That is, the battery 20 is wound in a C-shape around the outer periphery of the movement 10 avoiding the operation button 18 and the winding stem 19 passing through the space between the outer case 30 and the movement 10 , and covers the side surface of the movement 10 . ing.

Reference numerals 21 and 22 refer to the electrodes (positive electrode and negative electrode) of battery 20 . The electrodes 21 and 22 may be located anywhere, for example, on the inner peripheral surface, the outer peripheral surface, both end surfaces, or the bottom surface (the surface on the back cover 35 side) at both ends of the C-shaped battery 20 . FIGS. 1A and 1B are simplified so that both ends of the battery 20 (inner peripheral surface, outer peripheral surface, both end surfaces and bottom surface) are electrodes 21 and 22 . In FIG. 2A, the inner peripheral surface of the battery 20 is illustrated as the electrodes 21 and 22 .

The battery 20 has a plurality of creases 23 (folds) formed by being folded multiple times like a folding screen. The creases 23 are convex portions of the battery 20 and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the battery 20 (the circumferential direction of the movement 10). The battery 20 is in contact with both the exterior case 30 and the movement 10 at the crease 23, and more precisely, is in contact with the inner surface of the side wall of the exterior case 30 at the crease peaks on the outer peripheral surface. The crests of the folds on the inner peripheral surface are in contact with the side surface of the movement 10 . A reference numeral 29 indicates a gap into which the operation button 18 and the winding stem 19 are inserted when the battery 20 is wound around the movement 10 .

The circuit on the circuit board 11 and the electrodes 21 and 22 of the battery 20 are electrically connected by terminals 111 and 112 shown in FIGS. 1(A) and 1(B). In the illustrated example, two portions of the circuit retainer 12 are cut out for connection of the terminals 111 and 112, and the circuit board 11 is exposed to the rear cover 35 side at these portions. The terminals 111 and 112 are elongated plate-like conducting members, and extend radially of the movement 10 at exposed portions of the circuit board 11, with the terminal 111 extending toward the electrode 21 and the terminal 112 extending toward the electrode 22, respectively.

The terminals 111 and 112 are pressed from the side of the back cover 35 by a pressing member 36 fixed to the inner surface of the back cover 35, and are in contact with the circuit on the circuit board 11 and the electrodes 21 and 22 of the battery 20, respectively. . The pressing member 36 has a central portion smaller in diameter than the back cover 35 and two arms 361 and 362 obliquely extending in the thickness direction of the electronic timepiece 1 from its outer periphery toward the circuit board 11 . The arms 361 and 362 are elastic bodies such as leaf springs, and press the terminals 111 and 112 against both the circuit board 11 and the battery 20, respectively. After the movement 10 is incorporated in the exterior case 30, the battery 20 is housed in the exterior case 30, and the terminals 111 and 112 are pressed with the arms 361 and 362, thereby electrically connecting the circuit board 11 and the battery 20. is ensured. The surfaces of the arms 361 and 362 or the terminals 111 and 112 on the back cover 35 side are made of an insulator so that a short circuit does not occur between the electrodes 21 and 22 .

3A and 3B are a plan view and a partial cross-sectional view of the electronic timepiece 1'. The electronic timepiece 1' differs from the electronic timepiece 1 in that the operation button 18 and the pressing member 36 shown in FIG. It has the same configuration as the electronic timepiece 1 in terms of . In FIG. 3A, similarly to FIG. 1A, the back cover 35 side of the electronic timepiece 1' is illustrated assuming that the back cover 35 is transparent. FIG. 3B shows a cross section of the electronic timepiece 1' along the line IIIB-IIIB of FIG. 3A, but the exterior case 30 and windshield 70 are omitted. In an electronic timepiece that does not have an operation button like the electronic timepiece 1', the battery 20 can be wound around the entire circumference of the movement 10 except for the position where the winding stem 19 protrudes.

Both terminals 111 ′ and 112 ′ have the same shape and are sandwiched between the circuit board 11 and the circuit retainer 12 . It is bent to the 50 side. The terminals 111' and 112' are elastic bodies such as leaf springs, and their tip portions are biased toward the outer peripheral side (left side in FIG. 3B) and come into contact with the side surfaces of the electrodes 21 and 22 of the battery 20. ing. The tips of the terminals 111 ′ and 112 ′ are movable in the notch 131 of the main plate 13 in the radial direction of the movement 10 (left and right in FIG. 3B). In the electronic timepiece 1', the terminals 111' and 112' are preliminarily provided on the movement 10, and the circuit board 11 and the circuit board 11 can be connected by simply placing the battery 20 in the exterior case 30 after the movement 10 is incorporated in the exterior case 30. Electrical connection with battery 20 is ensured.

Reference numerals 40 and 45 refer to a solar cell and a date wheel respectively arranged between the movement 10 and the dial 50 . The solar cell 40 and the date indicator 45 may be included in the electronic timepiece 1 as well, although they are not shown in FIG. 1(B). Battery 20 is not limited to a primary battery, and may be a secondary battery charged by solar cell 40 .

Since the electronic timepieces 1 and 1' do not have a battery inside the movement 10, the movement 10 can be made smaller and thinner than the movement 2 shown in FIG. 7A which includes a button battery inside. Moreover, in the electronic timepieces 1 and 1', there is a certain degree of freedom in the length of the battery 20 in the circumferential direction, the thickness in the radial direction, and the width of the battery 20 in the thickness direction of the electronic timepiece. Therefore, batteries of various shapes and sizes can be prepared for the same movement 10, and a long-life battery or an inexpensive battery can be appropriately selected from a plurality of types of thin batteries.

The battery 20 of the electronic timepieces 1 and 1 ′ has elasticity by being folded like a folding screen, and also functions as a shock absorbing material (buffer material) for the movement 10 between the movement 10 and the exterior case 30 . In conventional electronic watches in which the outer periphery of the movement is surrounded by a plastic frame (middle frame), the middle frame also serves as a cushioning material. Even in this case, the battery 20 itself acts as a cushioning material. Therefore, in the electronic timepieces 1 and 1', the impact resistance is improved, the power source is stabilized, and the need for a separate member for fixing the battery 20 in the movement 10 and the cushioning material for the movement 10 is eliminated. The effect of reducing the number is also obtained. In addition, by making the battery 20 uneven, the length of the battery 20 becomes longer and the volume of the electrolyte increases, so that the battery capacity also increases.

2B and 2C are perspective views of other batteries 20A and 20B. A battery 20A shown in FIG. 2B has four protrusions 24 on the outer peripheral surface, and recesses 25 on the back side of each protrusion 24 on the inner peripheral surface. The protrusions 24 are arranged at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction of the battery 20A, and the protrusions 24 and the recesses 25 are at the same positions in the circumferential direction, so that the battery 20A has the same thickness over the entire circumference. The battery 20B shown in FIG. 2C also has four projections 24 arranged at intervals of 90 degrees on the outer peripheral surface. It is a flat surface with no surface. Contrary to the illustrated form, the protrusions may be formed only on the inner peripheral surface of the battery, and the outer peripheral surface may be made flat.

4A and 4B are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view of battery 20C, and FIG. 4C is a cross-sectional view of battery 20D. The battery 20C is a thin-plate battery in which an electrode 21 is formed at one longitudinal end and an electrode 22 is formed at the other longitudinal end. have As shown in FIG. 4B, the rear side of each projection 24 is a recess, and the space between the projections 24 is a flat surface 27 . Battery 20D is a thin-plate battery having electrodes 21 and 22 and protrusions 24 similar to battery 20C. It is different from the battery 20C in that it has a circular protrusion 24'. A battery having such a shape is produced, for example, by pressing a flexible battery.

The batteries of the electronic timepieces 1 and 1' are not limited to those having linear folds like the battery 20, but may have curved uneven shapes (curves) like the batteries 20A to 20D. Like the batteries 20A to 20C, they may have protrusions on only one side. Batteries 20C and 20D are rolled into a C shape from the state shown in FIGS. When the battery 20 of the electronic timepieces 1 and 1' is replaced with one of the batteries 20A to 20D, for example, the convex portion 24 contacts the inner surface of the side wall of the outer case 30, and the inner peripheral surface 26 and the flat surface 27 Alternatively, the convex portion 24 ′ contacts the side surface of the movement 10 .

Even when the battery 20 of the electronic timepiece 1, 1' is replaced with one of the batteries 20A to 20D, the battery itself has elasticity due to the protrusions 24, 24'. When an impact is applied to the electronic timepiece 1, 1', the protrusions 24, 24' are deformed to absorb the impact. Any number of projections 24, 24' may be provided, and their arrangement may be regular or random. However, in order for the battery to function as a cushioning material, it is preferable that the protrusions are evenly distributed on the battery, and it is preferable that three or more protrusions be arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction of the movement 10. .

5A and 5B are sectional views of the electronic timepiece 1''. An electronic timepiece 1 ″ has hands 5 , a movement 10 , a battery 20E, an exterior case 30 , a dial plate 50 , a dial ring 55 , a bezel 60 and a windshield 70 . The electronic timepiece 1'' has a circular shape when viewed from the windshield 70 side. Each figure shows a cross section when the electronic timepiece 1'' is cut in the thickness direction along a plane including the diameter of the circle. 90 degrees different. The essential differences between the electronic timepiece 1 ″ and the electronic timepieces 1 and 1 ′ described above are the shape and arrangement of the battery, and the form of connection between the battery and the circuit board 11 of the movement 10 .

The battery 20E of the electronic timepiece 1'' has a thin plate shape like the battery 20 of the electronic timepieces 1 and 1'. and the bottom surface (the surface on the side of the back cover 35). If the exterior case 30 and back cover 35 are collectively regarded as an exterior case, the battery 20E is arranged along the bottom of the exterior case 30 on the side opposite to the windshield 70 (time display surface). It covers the entire bottom surface.

FIG. 6A is a perspective view of battery 20E. The shape of the battery 20 of the electronic timepieces 1 and 1' is rectangular (strip-like) when the C shape is unrolled, but the shape of the battery 20E is circular because it is laid on the bottom of the circular outer case 30. be. Except for this difference in overall shape, the battery 20E, like the battery 20, has a plurality of creases 23' (folds) formed by being folded multiple times like a folding screen. The creases 23' are convex portions of the battery 20, and are arranged parallel to each other at regular intervals. Inside the exterior case 30, the battery 20E contacts the inner surface of the back cover 35 at the creases on the back cover 35 side, and contacts the bottom surface of the movement 10 at the creases on the dial 50 side. (the surface of the circuit presser 12). Reference numerals 21 and 22 indicate the electrodes (positive electrode and negative electrode) of the battery 20E. formed respectively.

The circuit board 11 of the electronic timepiece 1 ″ also has a generally disk shape, covers almost the entire bottom surface of the movement 10 , and is mostly covered with the circuit retainer 12 except for the connection with the battery 20E. The circuit on the circuit board 11 and the electrodes 21 and 22 of the battery 20E are electrically connected by terminals 111'' and 112'' shown in FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B). The terminals 111'' and 112'' are elongated plate-like conductive members, each of which has one end fixed on the circuit board 11 with a screw 113 and the other end in contact with the electrodes 21 and 22 to provide a connection between them. The portion extends obliquely toward the electrodes 21, 22 in the thickness direction of the electronic timepiece 1''. After the movement 10 is incorporated in the outer case 30, the positions of the terminals 111'' and 112'' and the electrodes 21 and 22 are aligned, and the battery 20E is housed in the outer case 30 from the back cover 35 side, thereby forming a circuit board. Electrical connection between 11 and battery 20E is ensured.

In this way, the position of the battery inside the exterior case 30 is not limited to the side of the movement 10 , but may be between the circuit board 11 and the back cover 35 on the bottom of the movement 10 . Even in the electronic timepiece 1'', if the thickness of the battery 20E including the crease 23' is made smaller than the thickness of the button battery, the movement 10 can be compared with the movement 2 of FIG. can be made smaller and thinner. The battery 20</b>E of the electronic timepiece 1 ″ also has elasticity when folded like a folding screen, and functions as a cushioning material for the movement 10 between the movement 10 and the back cover 35 . Both of the above batteries 20 and 20E may be arranged in one exterior case 30, and in this case as well, effects of miniaturization and thinning of the movement 10 and improvement of impact resistance can be obtained.

If the convex portion of the battery of the electronic timepiece 1 ″ is, for example, spiral-shaped, even one convex portion of the battery is evenly provided with unevenness over the entire surface of the battery. Therefore, depending on the shape of the battery, even one projection can improve the impact resistance of the electronic timepiece.

FIG. 6B is a perspective view of another battery 20F. A battery 20F is a circular thin plate battery having electrodes 21 and 22 similar to the battery 20E of FIG. It has a circular protrusion 24 similar to the battery 20C of No. 4(A). A portion of the battery 20F other than the convex portion 24 is a flat surface.

The electronic timepiece 1'' may have a battery 20F instead of the battery 20E described above. The surface on which the convex portion 24 is formed may be one surface or both surfaces of the battery 20F. When the battery 20E of the electronic timepiece 1'' is replaced with a battery 20F, for example, the protrusion 24 on one surface of the battery 20F contacts the inner surface of the back cover 35, and the other surface of the battery 20F (or its Another protrusion formed on the surface) contacts the bottom surface of the movement 10 (the surface of the circuit retainer 12). Since the battery 20F also has elasticity due to the presence of the protrusions 24, the impact resistance can be similarly improved even when the battery 20F is used.

1, 1', 1'' electronic clock 10 movement 11 circuit board 111, 111', 111'', 112, 112', 112'' terminal 12 circuit holder 13 base plate 18 operation button 19 winding stem 20, 20A, 20B, 20C, 20D, 20E, 20F battery 21, 22 electrode 30 exterior case 35 back cover

Claims (7)

an outer case;
a movement disposed within the exterior case;
a battery that drives the movement,
The battery has a plurality of equally spaced projections on the surface thereof, and is arranged between the exterior case and the movement so as to cover the movement, and each of the plurality of projections is positioned between the exterior case and the movement. and at least one of the movement. the battery has a thin plate shape extending along the sidewall of the exterior case and is arranged to cover the side surface of the movement;
2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of protrusions are in contact with at least one of the inner surface of the side wall of said outer case and the side surface of said movement. The movement has a winding stem protruding sideways,
3. The electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the battery is arranged in a C-shape when viewed in the thickness direction of the electronic timepiece, avoiding the position of the stem in the circumferential direction of the movement. clock. 4. The electronic timepiece according to claim 2, wherein said plurality of projections are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction of said movement. the battery has a thin plate shape extending along the bottom of the exterior case on the side opposite to the time display surface, and is arranged to cover the bottom of the movement;
2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of projections are in contact with at least one of the inner surface of the bottom of said exterior case and the bottom of said movement. The electronic timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of protrusions are formed on both sides of the battery and are in contact with both the exterior case and the movement. The battery has a plurality of folds formed by being folded multiple times like a folding screen,
7. The electronic timepiece according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of projections are mountain portions of said folds.

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