JPS59176691A - Solar cell timepiece - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To collect light efficiently without spoiling the beauty of a timepiece by arraying plural solar cells at the circumference of a dial so that a photodetection surface is held vertical to the dial, and leading a photoconductor to near the solar cell. CONSTITUTION:The solar cells 17 are arrayed at the outer circumference of the dial 14 so that the photodetection surfaces are held vertical to the dial 14. Further, a prism part 22 as the photoconductor is formed at the outer circumferential edge of the internal surface of a front cover 30, and the outer circumferential end surface of the front cover 30 faces the solar cells 17. Thus, the solar cells 17 are held vertical and the prism part 22 is formed at the outer circumferential edge of the front cover 30, so light entering the prism part 22 from in front of the front cover 30 strikes the photodetection surfaces of the the solar cells 17. None of the solar cells 17 is seen from the outside and the light is collected efficiently without spoiling the beauty.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] 〔Technical field〕 This invention relates to a solar cell watch.

[Background technology]

Conventionally, when installing solar cells in a solar cell watch, a plurality of solar cells have been arranged in a part of the outer case. Therefore, the entire surface of the solar cell is clearly visible from the outside, which is unfavorable in terms of appearance.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a conventional example. In the figure, ■ is a solar cell, 2 is an annular printed circuit board, 3 is a lead wire, 4 is a clock movement, 5 is a minute hand, and 6 is an hour hand.

A wiring pattern is provided on the printed circuit board 2, and 12
Two sets of six solar cells 1 are connected in parallel in series. In this example, the lead wire 3, the pattern of the printed circuit board 2, the soldered portion, etc. are visible, which is unfavorable in terms of appearance. If this is covered so that it cannot be seen, it is difficult to obtain positioning accuracy of the solar cell 1, and the effective area of the solar cell 1 is also reduced, which is not preferable.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show other conventional examples. In this example, the minute hand 5 and the hour hand 6 are formed longer than the array diameter of the solar battery cells 1. 7 is a dial. Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned problems occurring, there is also the problem that the solar cell 1 is covered by the minute hand 5 and the hour hand 6, making it impossible to extract the necessary energy.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell watch that can efficiently collect light without impairing its aesthetic appearance, and in which the solar cell also serves as a time display scale.

[Disclosure of the invention]

This solar cell watch has a plurality of solar cells arranged around the dial with the light-receiving surface perpendicular to the dial, and a light guide that guides light from the front of the dial to the solar cells. A one-time display scale is provided near the solar cells and is formed by the speed between the solar cells.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 to 9. In the figure, 10 is the front case, and itT of the rear case ll
attached to the surface. Movement 12 is rear case 1
It fits into an annular movement fitting wall 13 provided at the center of the movement fitting wall 13. 14 is the dial, 15 is the minute hand, and 6 is the hour hand. The dial panel 4 is covered with a transparent front cover 30 that fits into the inner peripheral hole of the front case 10. A solar cell 17 surrounds the outer periphery of the dial 14, and its light-receiving surface is the dial 1.
They are arranged perpendicular to 4. The solar cell 17 is fixed to a strip-shaped flexible printed circuit board 18, and the flexible printed circuit board 18 is attached to the rear case 11.
It is pressed down from above by the front case 10 by a neck whose lower part is inserted into an annular groove 20 provided on the inner periphery of an annular support wall 19 .

The inner circumference of the front cover 30 has an inner circumferential surface 22R 45.
A prism part 22 is formed with an inclined surface of ", and the outer peripheral end face of the front cover 30 faces the solar cell 17. The prism part 22 serves as a light guide. The prism part 22 is a part of the front cover A V-shaped annular groove 23 that protrudes from the inner surface of the front cover 30 and widens the inclined inner peripheral surface 22B of the prism portion 22 is provided on the inner surface of the front cover 30.

FIG. 8 shows the pattern 71 of the flexible printed circuit board 18.
811 f, and FIG. 9 shows the state in which the thick cell J7 is attached. This example is a case where 24 solar cells 17 are used.
Three sets are connected in parallel by the lead wire 21 and the pattern 18N, and eight sets are connected in series, with this as a negative set. The gaps between every other solar cell 17 are wide.
The widened gap 31 serves as a time display scale. Note that the solar cell 17 is directly connected to a drive motor within the movement 12, or connected to a secondary battery that drives this motor.

In this way, since the solar cell 17 is vertical and the outer periphery of the front cover 30 is formed in the prism section 22, the light that enters the prism section 22 from the front of the front cover 30 enters the light receiving surface of the solar cell 17. .

Since the solar cell 17 is not directly visible from the outside, but is visible through the prism section 22f, the aesthetic appearance is improved. Also,
Since the 12 wide gaps 31 between the solar cells 17 serve as time display scales, there is no need to provide an additional time display scale, simplifying manufacturing. Moreover, the solar cell 17 is integrated with the time display scale, which further improves the aesthetic appearance.

FIG. 10 shows another embodiment. In this example, 48 solar cells 17 are arranged, and the gap between every three solar cells is widened, and the wide gap 31 is used as a scale.5Others are the same as the first embodiment. The same is true.

FIGS. 11 and 12 roughly show other embodiments. In this example, 24 solar cells 17 are arranged at equal intervals, and the 12 gaps 32 between the solar cells 17, which serve as time display scales, are colored in a different color from the solar cells 17. . In FIGS. 11 and 12, hatched portions indicate colored portions. The remaining 12 gaps 33 are colored in the same color as the solar cells 17. These colors may be applied directly to the flexible printed circuit board 18 by painting or printing, or by adhering colored tape. The pattern of the flexible printed circuit board 18 is similar to the example shown in FIG.

When configured in this way, the gap 32 between the time display scale and the solar cell 17 is of a different color.
Easy to see. The rest is the same as the first embodiment.

FIGS. 13 to 15 show still other embodiments. In this example, a notch 3 is formed in the flexible printed circuit board 18 at a gap 34 between the solar cells 17 that serves as a time display scale.
5, and the annular support wall 19 of the rear case 11 is made of a different color from the solar cell 17. Solar cell 17
24 are provided, and the gap between them is 1 as in the first embodiment.
Every other piece is wide. The notch 35 is provided in the wide gap 34.

When configured in this way, the annular support wall 19 is visible from the outside of the front cover 30 through the notch 35, and this serves as a time display scale. However, since the annular support wall 19 has a different color from the solar cells 17, it is difficult to visually recognize the annular support wall 19. Easy to do. In addition, solar cell 17
Since the gap between every other one is wide, it can be seen even more clearly. Roughly, flexible printed circuit board 1
Since the notch 35 is provided in 8, it becomes easy to arrange the solar cells 17 in an arbitrary shape, and no extra force is applied to the solar cells 17, which prevents them from being damaged. The rest is the same as the first embodiment.

Note that instead of coloring the annular support wall 19 in the example of FIG. 13, a colored ring 36 may be inserted between the flexible printed circuit board 18 and the annular support wall 19 as shown in FIG. 16.

〔Effect of the invention〕

The solar cell watch of the present invention has the advantage that it can efficiently collect light without impairing its aesthetic appearance, and that the solar cell also serves as a time display scale, improving the aesthetic appearance and simplifying manufacturing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a plan view of a conventional example, 2nd IgJ is a sectional view thereof, 3 is a partial plan view of another conventional example, and 4 is a sectional view thereof,
5 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 6 is a sectional view thereof, FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged sectional view thereof, FIG. 8 is a developed view of the printed circuit board, and FIG. 9 is a sectional view thereof. Similarly, a developed view of the printed circuit board with the solar cell attached, No. 10
The figure is a plan view of another embodiment, FIG. 11 is a plan view of still another embodiment, FIG. 12 is a developed view of the printed circuit board, and
3 is a partial sectional view of still another embodiment, FIG. 14 is a developed view of the printed circuit board, FIG. 15 is a developed view of the printed circuit board with solar cells attached, and FIG. 16 is a partially sectional view of another embodiment. FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment. 10...Front case, 11...-Rear case, 12...Movement, 14...Dial plate, 17...Solar battery cell, 18...Flexible printed circuit board, 22...Prism part, 31. 32.34...Gap for time display scale, 35...Notch

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of solar cells are arranged around the dial with the light-receiving surface perpendicular to the dial, and a light guide guides light from in front of the dial to the solar cells. A solar battery clock provided near the solar battery cells, and having a time display scale formed in a gap between the solar battery cells. (2) The solar cell watch according to claim 1, wherein the gap between the thick lS battery cells that form the time display scale is wider than the gap between the solar cells that do not form the time display scale. (3) The solar cell watch according to claim (1), wherein the gaps between the solar cells forming the time display scale are colored. (4) The solar cell is attached to a band-shaped flexible printed circuit board rolled into a ring shape, and a cutout is formed in the flexible printed circuit board in the gap between the solar cells that becomes the time display scale. 1) The solar cell watch described in item 1).