JPS5833179A - Time piece - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent misreading of time or hour even if a time piece is put upside down by arranging a state discriminator for determining the placement state of a time piece and a display switching section for indication according to the output thereof. CONSTITUTION:This time piece is composed of a clock section 11 for electrically measuring and outputting time as digital signal, a state discriminator 12 adapted to determine whether the time piece stands normally or upside down and outputs the results converted into electrical signals, a display panel 13 in which bar segments are arranged in a rotational symmetry of 180 deg. and a display switching section 14 which shifts the displaying segment to the position of 180 deg. rotational symmetry on the axis of the rotational symmetry and outputs a drive signal. With such an arrangement, a set of numerals for indicating time are turned automatically by 180 deg. to indicate time thereby enabling the reading of correct time accurately even if the time piece is put upside down.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a timepiece, and more particularly to a timepiece that electrically measures time.

There are many types of clocks that are commonly used, but in recent years, digital clocks have become more popular as semiconductor electronic components have become integrated circuits and LSIs.

Many digital watches have symmetrical or nearly symmetrical external shapes in the vertical direction, and when placed on a desk or the like without paying attention to 1%, they may be turned upside down and placed upside down.

The conventionally used digital clock is defeated! 1.Depending on the time being displayed, the numerals that display the time may not be in the normal shape, so you can recognize that they are upside down, but if you are If used, each digit is 0.1, 2, 5
, 6. When displaying 8 or 9, each digit has a normal shape even if it is turned upside down. When the is turned upside down, the display is "12.19J"
rotated 180 degrees [61.21J and Nashi, 61:21
Displays a non-existent time of the minute. ), the time will be completely wrong. (For example, if the clock is turned upside down at 10:21 and the 9 o'clock display is ``1o.21J rotates 180 degrees and becomes r12-01J, then 12:01 is real.'') ).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide a timepiece that does not have the risk of reading the time incorrectly if it is turned upside down.

A timepiece according to the present invention includes a timekeeping section that electrically measures time or time, and a display panel that displays time or time in response to the output of the timekeeping section.

A state discriminator for discriminating the installation state of the nuclear clock, and a display switching section for switching the time or time display state displayed on the display panel to make it easy to read, according to the output of the mosquito state discriminator. It is characterized by containing.

Next, the present invention will be explained in detail using the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the clock of this embodiment includes a timekeeping section 11 that electrically measures the time and outputs it as a digital signal;
Output status determination 1) 12.

A display panel 13 in which time display characters are assembled in par segments and skeleton bar segments are arranged 180' rotationally symmetrically, receives the digital signal as a comment input, receives the electrical signal as a control input, and generates a cough electrical signal. is clock O
When the clock is in the upright position, a ninth drive signal is output to display the normal time on the display panel 13, and when the electrical signal indicates the clock is in the upside down position, the display panel 13 rotates the display segment in rotationally symmetrical fashion. The display switching section 14 outputs a drive signal by changing the position to a position 180' rotationally symmetrical about the axis.

Next, each part of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be explained in more detail.

The timekeeping section 1~ counts the number of clock pulses using a conventionally well-known clock pulse generator using a crystal oscillator, a tuning fork oscillator, etc., and a conventionally well-known electronically operated counter, thereby serving as a reference. It consists of a counter that generates and outputs a digital signal corresponding to the passage of time from a point in time, that is, the time.

The digital signal is sent to the display switching section 14.

FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway side view of an example of the state discriminator.

As shown in FIG. 2, a support body 22 is attached to a watch case 21, one end of a lever 24 is rotatably supported on nine supporting points 23 provided on this support body 22, and the other end of the lever 24 is rotatably supported. Weights 25 are scattered around the case 21, and supports 26 are scattered around the case 21 to support electrical contacts 27m and 27b.
9i to 290 are connected to the display switching section 14.

Now, assuming that Figure 1 shows the normal position, the lever 24 is pulled downward by the gravity of the weight 25 and comes into contact with the electric contact 27m, so the output of the power source 28 is transmitted to the electric wire 29C, the fulcrum 23. Lever 24. Pass through electrical contact 27m, wire 29M and wire 2
Generates an electrical signal output between 9d and turns off the display υ
The data is sent to the changing section 14.

When the clock is placed upside down, the weight 25 is pulled by gravity in the opposite direction to that when the watch is placed upright, and the lever 24 is connected to the electrical contact 27bK.
Since they are in contact with each other, the electrical contacts are in a switched state compared to the case of normal placement, and an electrical signal output is generated between the electric wire 29b and the electric wire 29d, and the output is sent to the display switching section 14.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of another example of the state discriminator.

As shown in FIG. 3, a support 31 is attached to a case 30 of a watch, and a lever 33 is rotatably supported by a fulcrum 82 provided on the support 31.

A spring/gage 34 is attached to the other end of the lever 33 between it and the case 30, and when the lever 33 is pulled downward,
The lever pushing rod 35 is attached to the case 30 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction, and the support body 36 is attached to the case 30 and supports the electrical contacts 37a, lb), the lever 33. Electrical contacts 37m and 37b are electric @29maro~29CK
It is connected to the display switching section 14.

Assuming that Figure 1 shows the normal position, an upward force is applied to the lever push-up rod 35 from the surface 38 of the desk or the like on which the watch is placed due to the weight of the watch, and the spring 8
4, the lever 43 is pushed upward against the force of pulling the lever 33 downward, and the lever 33 is connected to the electrical contact 37.
1, the output of electric wire 5III2B is connected to electric wire 29.
0% fulcrum 32, lever 33. An electrical signal output is generated between the electric wire 29m and the electric wire 29d through the electric contact 37m, and the output is sent to the display switching unit 14.

When the watch is placed upside down, the force due to the weight K of the watch is not applied to the lever push-up rod 35, and only a slight force due to its own weight is applied. 37b, the electrical contact is switched compared to the case of normal installation, and the electrical contact 112
An electric signal output is generated between the electric wire 9b and the electric wire 29d, and the output is sent to the display switching section 14.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an example of a display panel showing the first rlAVc.

As shown in Fig. 4, 180'' rotationally symmetrical characters are used to indicate the time, and each character has a bar segment l [...1N, 21...2JF, 8 turtle...・3
11.4m...Constructed from 4g, each dishiri) 1
, 2, 3.4, and the axis of rotational symmetry 13C.
It is arranged at a position 180' rotationally symmetrical about .

The display panel shown in FIG.
...1g, 2[...2g1 s[...3g, 4 turtles...
4g blinks depending on the presence or absence of a drive signal corresponding to each bar segment, and indicates the time by representing each part (diw)o number with a "day" type character.

The display switching unit 14 receives the digital signal output from the clock unit 11 as a signal input, and converts it into a specific code of 28 bits for displaying numbers on the display panel 13, and outputs the code. A conventionally well-known drive circuit that receives a decoded signal as input and outputs a 2B-bit drive signal for operating 28 bar segments provided on a display panel 13, and state determination 1)
When the electric signal outputted by 2 is used as a control input, the 28-bar drive signal outputted by the drive circuit is sent to the 28 bar segments on the display panel 13 when the electric signal indicates the correct position. K is connected to display the time normally, and when the Mukuro electric signal indicates inversion, the above drive signal is displayed on the display panel 13. It consists of a switching circuit including 14 pairs of switching elements for switching to the position.

The display switching section 14 receives the digital signal from the clock section 11 as a signal input, receives the electrical signal from the status discriminator 12 as a control input, and switches the display panel 13 when the clock is in the correct position.
The display panel 1 sends a drive signal that causes a normal display to be displayed on the display panel 1.
3, and when the 1 clock is upside down, the par segment being displayed on the 1 display panel 13 is output to the rotational symmetry axis 13.
The switched drive signal is outputted to the display panel 13 for converting to a position 1000 rotations symmetrical about c.

The timepiece composed of the various parts described above displays the time exactly the same as a conventionally known timepiece when placed upright, but when placed upside down, the timepiece displays rotationally symmetrical positions with respect to the axis of rotational symmetry 13c on the display panel 13. There are 14 pairs of par 1 segments/g IIi and 4d.

The drive signals from the display switching section 14 for 1f, 4b, . .

Since the left and right sides are reversed, even if a clock is placed upside down, the final time displayed will be the same as when the clock is placed upright, and as a result, the time will be displayed correctly regardless of whether it is placed upright or upside down. become.

Although the above embodiment has been described in the case of a digital clock whose time display consists of four digits, various modifications other than those described above are possible. For example, 1 o'clock.

Use two letters for each number representing minutes and seconds.

Even if the time display is made up of 6 digits, the entire watch can be configured using exactly the same concept, and the state determination INK
However, it is also possible to reduce the size of the device by using mercury fluid in the element that determines the vertical direction.

As described above, when the clock of the present invention is turned upside down, the entire set of numbers that display the time is automatically rotated 180 degrees, and the time is displayed upside down and horizontally, so that it can be placed upright or The correct time can be displayed regardless of whether the clock is turned upside down, and even if the clock is turned upside down, the correct time can be read without error.

I mentioned above how to display the time.

It is obvious that the present invention can be similarly applied to watches that can display time, such as a stopwatch function.

Also, one display panel has a "day" with 7 bar segments.
Although an example using shaped display characters has been shown, the present invention can also be applied to analog display functions in which a plurality of bar segments are arranged in series or in parallel to control the time or the number of bar segments that are lit at different times. . In this case, arrange the par segments on the circumference, the top corresponds to Z0", the bottom corresponds to @61, and when the clock is turned upside down, the position of 161 is @Q@,
The display can be switched by setting the w Even if I hit K to reverse it, I pulled it.

In this way, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments;
It is widely applicable to electric watches in general.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a proof diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a proof diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway side view of another example of the state discriminator of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of an example of the display panel of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. 11~I I, l 21-2#, sa~3y, 48~4
g...Per segment/g, 11...Time measuring unit, 12...State discriminator, 13...
Display panel, 13C...Axis of rotational symmetry %14...
... Display switching section, 21 ... Case, 2
2... Support body, 23... Fulcrum, 24...
...Lever, 2 parts ... Weight, 26 ...
・Support 6278゜27b...Electric contact, 2B
...Power supply, 26a-2932...Fully point, 33...Lever h B 4.Old...Spring, 3 To...Lever push-up rod, 36・・Mark・Support % 371, 37b・・・・Electric contact, 38・
...The surface of a desk, etc.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A state discriminator that determines the installation state of the clock in a clock that has a clock unit that electrically measures the time or time and a display panel that displays the time or time according to the output of the clock unit; A timepiece comprising: a display switching section that switches the time or the display state of the time displayed on the display panel in accordance with the output of the state discriminator so as to make it easier to read.