JPH0980177A - Alarm clock - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an alarm clock which makes it possible to suitably move the center of gravity in an arbitrary direction by simplifying by using a driving mechanism by the movement of the center of gravity without necessity of a rail, and reducing the cost in the clock for moving at the time of informing an alarm. SOLUTION: The alarm clock 1 has a motor installed in a rotatable clock body 2 and a clock body 2 rotating by a motor at the time of ringing an alarm, and comprises a weight driving mechanism 14 installed in the body 2 and assembled with a motor, a controller 11 for driving the motor according to an aim signal from an aim mechanism 5, and an unbalance weight 13 mounted at the output shaft 23 of the mechanism 14. At the time of turning ON of the alarm, the aim signal is generated to rotatably drive the motor, the weight 13 is rotated thereby and the body 2 is rotated and moved by the movement of the position of the center of gravity of the weight 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an alarm timepiece that operates an alarm, in which a traveling motor is arranged, and the timepiece body rotates and moves at a standard set time, for example.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an alarm clock is usually placed on a desk or a shelf and does not move and is stationary. However, an alarm sounds and a main body of the watch runs at a standard set time. It has been known.

As an alarm timepiece that runs in this way, for example, as in the timepiece described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 1-182786, a timepiece body is arranged on a predetermined rail and a motor for traveling is provided in the timepiece body. Is configured to transmit the motor rotation from the motor shaft of this motor to the drive wheel via the reduction gear train.When the standard time is reached, an alarm sounds and the motor rotates, and the drive wheel The watch body runs on the rail.

Although the timepiece itself does not move, a motor is installed inside the timepiece and the weight is oscillated by the motor. At the set time, the motor rotates with an alarm sounding. In addition, there has been proposed a device in which the weight swings, and the timepiece body swings accordingly (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-46228).

[0005]

The one in which the timepiece oscillates operates at that position, whereas the one in which the timepiece moves moves from the initial position, and therefore alarms. A user who wants to turn off the alarm during operation must chase the alarm clock.
Therefore, from the viewpoint of the awakening function, the awakening can be performed more reliably.

However, in the above-mentioned conventional traveling type alarm clock, rails are laid for traveling and driving wheels such as tires for traveling the rails are installed on the timepiece side, so that the mechanism becomes complicated. Leading to higher costs,
In addition, there is a disadvantage that it is not possible to give an unexpected effect such as traveling in an arbitrary direction only by moving on a certain rail.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and is an alarm timepiece that moves during alarm notification.
The present invention proposes an alarm clock that can run without using rails, thus simplifying the running mechanism and reducing costs.

[0008]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a motor is installed in a rollable watch body, and
In an alarm clock in which the timepiece is rotated by the motor when an alarm is sounded, a weight drive mechanism installed in the timepiece body, incorporating the motor, and installed in the timepiece body, the motor is driven by a reference signal from the reference mechanism. It is equipped with a control circuit for driving and an unbalance weight attached to the output shaft of the weight drive mechanism.
An alarm clock having a configuration in which a reference signal is generated when the motor is turned on, the motor is rotationally driven, and the unbalance weight is rotated accordingly, and the timepiece body is rotated and moved by the movement of the center of gravity of the unbalance weight. Is.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a motor is installed in a rollable watch body, and in an alarm clock in which the motor rotates the watch body when an alarm sounds, the motor is installed in the watch body. A weight drive mechanism, a control circuit installed in the watch body for driving the motor according to a reference signal from the reference mechanism, an unbalance weight attached to the output shaft of the weight drive mechanism, and the unbalance weight. And a weight position detector that outputs a weight position signal when the unbalance weight is at a lower position, and a reference signal is issued when the alarm is turned on to drive the motor to rotate. As the unbalanced weight rotates, the timepiece body rotates due to the movement of the center of gravity of the unbalanced weight. With the move, alarm
When turned off, the motor is controlled to stop at the time when the signal from the weight position detection unit is issued, and the alarm clock is configured to restore the posture of the timepiece body to the normal state.

As described above, the outer shape of the alarm clock is formed to be rotatable and movable, and during the alarm operation, the position of the center of gravity of the timepiece main body is changed by the drive mechanism housed inside to rotate and move. Thereby, the mechanism can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

Further, by combining the outer shape of the timepiece main body with the changing direction of the position of the center of gravity, the timepiece main body can be rotationally moved in any direction as appropriate, and the user can be given sufficient surprise.

Further, since the timepiece main body rotates and operates as an alarm, the alarm can be surely notified to the hearing impaired and the hearing impaired, and the alarm operating state can be discriminated even in the normal person. You can secure enough.

Further, since the drive mechanism for rotating and moving the timepiece main body is housed in the timepiece without using the drive wheels and the like, and the drive method cannot be discriminated from the external appearance, it is possible to arouse the user.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
A description will be given based on the specific example shown in FIG.

1 and 2, the alarm clock 1 of this example is shown.
Includes a cylindrical watch body case 2, a dial 3 arranged on the front surface of the case 2, a watch shaft 4 provided on the back of the dial 3 and protruding from the center of the dial 3. It is composed of a timepiece movement 5 to be driven, and a timepiece hand 6 which is mounted on the timepiece shaft 4 and displays the time by rotating the timepiece shaft 4.

The timepiece movement 5 accommodates a timekeeping mechanism based on crystal oscillation, and the timepiece shaft 4 is connected to a motor controlled by the timekeeping mechanism. At the tip of the timepiece shaft 4, there are a second hand 6a and a minute hand 6 which are long hands.
b, a clock hand including an hour hand 6c of a short hand, a reference hand 6d, and the like is attached. Then, the timepiece shaft 4 is rotationally driven by the motor of the timekeeping mechanism, and the minute hand 6b and the hour hand 6c of the timepiece hands mounted on the timepiece shaft 4 are rotated to indicate the index 3a on the dial 3 and display the current time. it's shown. The alarm time set by the user is clearly indicated by the reference hand 6d, and the alarm clock 1 performs a predetermined alarm operation at this alarm time.

The alarm mechanism of the alarm clock of the present example which performs such an alarm operation is connected to the movement 5 in the timepiece main body case 2 formed in a cylindrical shape, and is a standard to be output from the movement 5 at the alarm set time. A control circuit 11 (not shown in the figure) for starting an alarm operation by a signal, a sounding body 12 connected to the control circuit 11, and an unbalance weight 13 for rotating the entire timepiece 1 by moving the center of gravity. A weight drive mechanism 14 having a weight, a weight position detector 15 for detecting the initial position of the weight, and an alarm switch 16 provided adjacent to the dial on the front side of the watch for stopping the alarm operation are housed. Is configured.

As will be described later in detail, at the time of alarm operation, an alarm sound is generated from the sounding body 12, the weight drive mechanism 14 is operated, and the center of gravity of the unbalance weight 13 is moved, so that the entire timepiece is operated. It is provided so as to rotate. When the user operates the alarm switch 16 to stop the alarm operation, the weight position detection unit 15 restores the moving position of the weight to the initial state so that the watch body returns to the normal posture. I have to.

The control circuit 11 includes an I / O port, a CP
The microcomputer is composed mainly of a U, a memory, etc., and is provided with a signal generating circuit for operating the sounding body 12 and the weight driving mechanism 14, and its input terminals are connected to the movement 5, the alarm switch 16 and the position detecting section 15. ,
The output terminal is connected to the sounding body 12 and the weight driving mechanism 14.

A speaker or the like is used as the sounding body 12, and a predetermined alarm sound using a melody or the like is generated from the sounding body 12 at the alarm setting time.

The alarm switch 16 is provided on the front surface of the watch case 2 and outside the dial 3, and is slidably fitted in the watch. The alarm function is set to be ON when the alarm switch 16 is in the outer peripheral position, and OFF when it is in the inner position. That is, although not shown, a contact switch mechanism that interlocks with the inside and outside position of the alarm switch 16 is provided, and the output terminal of this contact switch mechanism is electrically connected to the control circuit 11 -The alarm function is designed to be turned on / off by the on / off signal.

The weight drive mechanism 16 includes a weight drive unit main body 21 fixed to the watch case side, a motor (not shown) housed in the weight drive unit main body 21 and connected to the control circuit 11, and the motor. Drive shaft 23 connected via a reduction gear train in which a predetermined reduction ratio is set, an arm member 24 having a proximal end connected to the drive shaft 23, and an arm connected to the tip of the arm member 24. It is composed of a balance weight 13.

The weight drive unit main body 21 is formed in a long box shape, and its base end is fixed to the watch case side. Also,
The tip end of the weight drive unit main body 21 extends beyond the center of the timepiece, and a motor for rotating the weight is housed inside the weight drive unit main body 21.

This motor is connected to the control circuit 11,
The operation signal from the control circuit 11 is used to start and stop the motor operation.

The drive shaft 23 connected to this motor via the reduction gear train is provided at the center position of the timepiece main body and rotationally drives the arm member 24 connected to this drive shaft 23.

The arm member 24 is formed in the shape of a wide plate having a predetermined length and ensures sufficient rigidity in the circumferential direction of rotation. Therefore, the base end of the arm member 24 is provided at the center of the timepiece main body and fixed to the drive shaft 23, and the unbalance weight 13 is fixed to the tip end thereof. An unbalanced weight 13 at the end of 24 is provided so as to circulate around the outermost circumference in the watch case.

The unbalanced weight 13 is formed of a material such as lead or iron into a cylindrical shape, and has a weight sufficient to change the position of the center of gravity with respect to the entire timepiece.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the weight drive unit is activated during an alarm operation, the unbalance weight 13 goes around the outermost circumference of the timepiece case 2. The center of gravity position of the entire timepiece changes with the orbit of, and the timepiece body rotates in the direction opposite to the orbiting direction, and the timepiece body moves in the orbiting direction.

The position detecting portion 15 is fixedly provided on the case 2 side in a vicinity position corresponding to a weight initial position for maintaining the watch body in a normal posture. The position detecting unit 15 is a proximity sensor using magnetism or light and is connected to the control circuit 11. Therefore, the operation position of the weight can be detected without contact during the alarm operation. Therefore, when the user operates the alarm switch 16 to stop the alarm operation, the weight position detection unit 15 detects that the moving position of the weight is the initial position, and the weight is moved to this initial position. The watch itself returns to its normal position after being stopped.

Next, the alarm operation and alarm stop operation of the alarm clock of this example will be described.

First, when the alarm set time set by the user comes, the reference signal from the movement 5 is sent from the movement circuit 5 to the control circuit 11.
Is output to and the alarm action is started. That is, based on this reference signal, an operation signal is output from the control circuit 11 to the sounding body 12 and the weight driving mechanism 14, and the sounding body 12 and the weight driving mechanism 14 perform the sounding operation and the weight driving operation, respectively. Then, the alarm operation is continued until the user turns off the alarm switch 16, and the sounding operation and the rotational movement of the timepiece main body by the weight driving operation are continued.

Next, when the user catches the rotating main body of the watch and operates the alarm switch 16, the alarm operation is stopped. That is, the alarm off signal from the alarm switch 16 is input to the control circuit 11, the operation signal output from the control circuit 11 to the sounding body 12 is stopped, and the sounding operation of the sounding body 12 is stopped.

When the moving position of the weight by the weight driving mechanism 14 reaches the initial position, a detection signal is output from the weight position detecting section 15 to the control circuit 11, and the control circuit 11 causes the weight driving mechanism 14 to output based on this detection signal. The output operation signal is stopped. Therefore, the moving position of the weight is returned to the initial position, and the timepiece main body can be stopped in the normal posture.

In this example, the watch case is formed in a cylindrical shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the watch case can be formed in any shape that allows rotational movement. That is, for example, a ball-shaped spherical shape, a polyhedron composed of a number of flat surfaces, a spheroidal shape such as a rugby ball or an egg, or an arbitrary combination of these, to the extent that rotation movement is not hindered Alternatively, the weight drive mechanism may be formed to be deformed in an irregular shape, or a bulge portion that does not hinder the rotational movement may be provided, and accordingly, the weight of the weight drive mechanism may be configured to be movable in a three-dimensional direction. Therefore, in the case of such a configuration, when the alarm is issued, the timepiece main body can roll around in a more irregular direction and speed, and sufficient surprise can be secured.

The weight drive mechanism is also controlled by changing the rotational movement speed of the weight, and the cam link mechanism is used to determine the locus of movement of the weight inside the case during an alarm operation. The irregularity described above may be promoted by making it more complicated, such as locating not only on the outer periphery but on the inner side, or by changing the speed at which this locus is moved.

Further, in such a case where the entire outer circumference of the timepiece body rolls around, the alarm switch for stopping the alarm notification operation has a structure in which the tip of the switch is depressed in the switch mounting opening provided in the case, The alarm switch may be prevented from being turned on by the rotating operation of the timepiece body. Even when the tip of the alarm switch is projected to the outside of the case, by not stopping the alarm notification operation unless the switch operation is continued for a predetermined time, the alarm operation can be performed by the rotation operation of the watch body. It can be prevented from stopping.

As described above, according to this example, the outer shape of the alarm clock is formed to be rotatable, and at the time of alarm operation, the position of the center of gravity of the timepiece main body is changed by the drive mechanism housed inside. By rotating and moving, the mechanism can be simplified and the cost can be reduced.

Further, by combining the outer shape of the timepiece main body and the changing direction of the position of the center of gravity, the timepiece main body can be rotationally moved in any direction as appropriate, and the user can be given a sufficient surprise.

Furthermore, since the timepiece main body rotates to perform the alarm operation, the alarm can be surely notified to the hearing impaired and the hearing impaired, and the alarm operation state can be discriminated even in the normal person. You can secure enough.

Furthermore, since the drive mechanism for rotating and moving the timepiece main body is housed in the timepiece without using the drive wheels and the like, and the drive method cannot be discriminated from the external appearance, it is possible to arouse the interest of the user.

[0041]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the alarm clock in which the motor is installed in the rollable timepiece body, and the timepiece body is rotated by the motor when the alarm sounds. It is installed inside the watch body,
A weight drive mechanism incorporating the motor, a control circuit installed in the watch body for driving the motor according to a reference signal from the reference mechanism, and an unbalance weight attached to the output shaft of the weight drive mechanism. , When the alarm is turned on, a reference signal is issued and the motor is driven to rotate, and the unbalance weight rotates accordingly.
The alarm timepiece is configured so that the timepiece body rotates and moves according to the movement of the center of gravity of the unbalanced weight. Further, the invention of the second aspect of the present application is to install a motor in a rollable timepiece body, In an alarm clock in which the timepiece is rotated by the motor when an alarm is sounded, a weight drive mechanism installed in the timepiece body, incorporating the motor, and installed in the timepiece body, the motor is driven by a reference signal from the reference mechanism. A control circuit for driving, an unbalance weight attached to the output shaft of the weight drive mechanism, and a weight that is installed at an appropriate position of the unbalance weight and that outputs a weight position signal when the unbalance weight is in the lower position. A position detector is provided, and when the alarm is turned on, a reference signal is issued to drive the motor to rotate. When the unbalanced weight rotates and the timepiece body rotates and moves due to the movement of the center of gravity of the unbalanced weight, when the alarm is turned off, at the time when the signal from the weight position detector is issued. The alarm clock is configured so that the motor is controlled to stop and the posture of the timepiece body is returned to a normal state.

Therefore, the outer shape of the alarm clock is formed in a rotatable shape, and at the time of alarm operation, the center of gravity of the timepiece main body is changed by the drive mechanism housed inside,
By rotating and moving, the mechanism is simplified and the cost can be reduced.

Further, by combining the outer shape of the timepiece main body and the changing direction of the center of gravity position, the timepiece main body can be rotationally moved in any direction as appropriate, and the user can be given a sufficient surprise.

Further, since the timepiece main body rotates and operates the alarm, the alarm can be surely notified to the hearing impaired and the hearing impaired, and the alarm operating state can be discriminated even in the normal person. You can secure enough.

Furthermore, since the drive mechanism for rotating and moving the timepiece main body is housed in the timepiece without using the drive wheels and the like, and the drive method cannot be discriminated from the external appearance, it is possible to bring interest to the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an alarm clock embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway rear view of the alarm clock embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of an alarm clock embodying the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a drive control block of the present example.

FIG. 5 is an operation diagram showing an operation state of this example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Alarm Clock 2 Watch Body Case 3 Dial 3a Index 4 Clock Axis 5 Clock Movement 6 Clock Hand 6a Second Hand 6b Minute Hand 6c Hour Hand 6d Reference Hand 11 Control Circuit 12 Sounder 13 Unbalance Weight 14 Weight Drive Mechanism 15 Weight Position Detecting Section 16 Alarm switch 21 Weight drive unit body 22 Motor (not shown) 23 Drive shaft 24 Arm member

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An alarm clock in which a motor is installed in a rollable watch body and the watch body is rotated by the motor when an alarm is sounded, and a weight drive mechanism installed in the watch body and incorporating the motor. The control circuit is installed in the watch body and drives the motor according to a reference signal from the reference mechanism, and an unbalance weight attached to the output shaft of the weight drive mechanism. The alarm clock is characterized in that the motor is rotationally driven, and the unbalance weight is rotated accordingly, and the timepiece body is rotated and moved by the movement of the center of gravity of the unbalance weight. 2. An alarm clock in which a motor is installed in a rollable watch body, and the watch body is rotated by the motor when an alarm is sounded, and a weight drive mechanism installed in the watch body and incorporating the motor. A control circuit that is installed in the watch body and drives the motor according to a reference signal from a reference mechanism; an unbalanced weight attached to the output shaft of the weight drive mechanism; and an unbalanced weight installed in an appropriate position of the unbalanced weight. , A weight position detection unit that outputs a weight position signal when the unbalance weight is in the lower position,
At the time of turning on, the reference signal is issued and the motor is driven to rotate, the unbalance weight is rotated accordingly, and the watch body is rotated and moved by the movement of the center of gravity of the unbalance weight. When turned off,
An alarm clock characterized in that the motor is controlled to stop at the time when the signal from the weight position detector is issued, and the posture of the timepiece is returned to a normal state.