JP2012211895A - Timepiece with solar cell - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a timepiece with solar cell which is easy to manufacture and is capable of improving aesthetic appearance.SOLUTION: A timepiece with solar cell is provided with: a translucent dial plate 2; a solar cell 11 partially disposed on the back side of the dial plate 2; and a shielding sheet 12 which is disposed on the back side of the dial plate 2 so as to overlap the solar cell 11 and covers at least a part of an arranging region where the solar cell 11 is arranged and at least a part of a non-arranging region where the solar cell 11 is not arranged, with at least the non-arranging region being at least partially opaque.

Description

  The present invention relates to a timepiece with a solar battery, and more particularly to a wristwatch or other timepiece in which a solar battery is disposed on the back side of a dial.

  A solar cell timepiece is known in which a solar cell is arranged on the back side of the dial and the solar cell receives light transmitted through the dial to generate operating power. Here, in general, the cells of the solar battery are dark purple, and if the dial has high translucency, the color difference between the area where the cell exists and the area where the cell does not exist can be seen through the dial. there is a possibility. In particular, in order to obtain more electric power with a solar cell, it is necessary to make the dial thin to improve translucency, and there is a problem that this possibility increases.

  In this regard, in Patent Document 1 below, a plate-like member having the same color tone as that of the solar cell is arranged on the back side of the dial plate, and the solar cell is fitted into an opening provided in the plate-like member. A technique is disclosed in which the boundary between the region where the sword is present and the region where it is not present is not conspicuous from the front side of the dial.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-221581

  However, according to the above prior art, in order to improve the appearance appearance so that the periphery of the solar cell cannot be seen through the front side of the dial, it is necessary to fit the solar cell into the opening of the plate-like member without any gap. For this reason, there exists a problem that the opening of a plate-shaped member and the outer shape of a solar cell must be formed correctly.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a solar cell timepiece that is easy to manufacture and that can improve the appearance.

  In order to solve the above problems, a timepiece with a solar cell according to the present invention includes a dial having translucency, a solar cell partially disposed on the back side of the dial, and the solar cell so as to overlap the solar cell. It is arranged on the back side of the dial, and extends to at least a part of the arrangement area where the solar cell is arranged and at least a part of the non-arrangement area where the solar cell is not arranged, and at least the non-arrangement area And a shielding sheet that is at least partially opaque.

  According to the present invention, since the non-arranged area is shielded by the shielding sheet, the appearance appearance can be improved. Moreover, since the shielding sheet and the solar cell are arranged so as to overlap each other, it is possible to prevent the member on the back side of the solar cell from being seen through the front side of the dial plate without forming the shielding sheet or the solar cell with high accuracy. effective.

1 is a plan view of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view of a solar cell. It is a top view of a shielding sheet. It is a figure which shows the state which accumulated the shielding sheet and the solar cell. It is a fragmentary sectional view of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Modification 1. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Modification 2. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a shielding sheet of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Modification 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state which accumulated the solar cell and the shielding sheet which concerns on the modification 3. FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Modification 3. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Modification 4. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a shielding sheet for a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Modification 4. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a solar cell of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Modification Example 5. FIG. 10 is a plan view of a shielding sheet of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch according to Modification Example 5. FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The figure shows a case 1 that is the exterior (watch case) of a satellite radio-controlled wristwatch, a dial 2 that is arranged in the case 1, and an hour hand 3, a minute hand 4, and a second hand 5 that are hands indicating time. Further, a crown 6 and buttons 7 are arranged on the side surface of the trunk 1 on the 3 o'clock side for the user to perform various operations. A band fixing portion 8 for fixing the band extends from the side surface of the trunk 1 on the 12 o'clock side and the 6 o'clock side.

  In addition, the design of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 shown in the figure is an example. In addition to those shown here, for example, the barrel 1 may be square instead of round, and the presence / absence, number, and arrangement of the crown 6 and the button 7 are arbitrary. Further, in the present embodiment, the hands are three hands of the hour hand 3, the minute hand 4, and the second hand 5, but the present invention is not limited to this, and even if the second hand 5 is omitted, the day of the week, the time zone or the presence / absence of summer time, the radio wave The reception status, remaining battery level, pointers for various displays, date display, and the like may be added.

  In this specification, the term satellite radio wave wristwatch refers to a wristwatch that receives a satellite signal from a satellite that transmits information about the date and time, such as a GPS satellite, and the date included in the satellite signal. It is used to indicate a wristwatch having a function of correcting the internal time, which is information on the time held in the wristwatch, based on information related to the time, that is, reference information. However, the present invention is not limited to a satellite radio wave wristwatch, but may be applied to a radio wave wristwatch that receives a general standard radio wave and corrects the internal time, or may be applied to a wristwatch that does not have such a time correction function. . Furthermore, it may be applied not only to a wristwatch but also to a table clock or a wall clock.

  In the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100, a windshield made of a transparent material such as glass is attached to the trunk 1 so as to cover the dial 2. A back cover is attached to the body 1 on the opposite side of the windshield. In the present specification, hereinafter, the direction in which the windshield of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 is arranged (front side in FIG. 1) is referred to as the front side, and the direction in which the back cover is arranged (back direction in FIG. 1) is referred to as the back side.

  A solar cell 11 is disposed on the back side of the dial 2 and power is generated by light incident from the front side. Therefore, the dial 2 is made of a material that transmits light to some extent. As shown in FIG. 1, the solar cell 11 has a substantially circular shape, and the 6 o'clock position is cut into a rectangular shape. On the back side of the dial 2, a patch antenna 14 for receiving a satellite signal is disposed in the cut portion. The patch antenna 14 is provided with a feed pin 14b so as to penetrate the thickness direction thereof, and the surface on the front side serves as a receiving surface 14a for receiving radio waves from the satellite. The receiving surface 14a of the patch antenna 14, the light receiving surface of the solar cell 11, and the dial 2 are provided in parallel to each other, and all face the front side.

  By the way, in general, in a radio timepiece that performs time adjustment using a standard radio wave transmitted from a ground station using a long wave band, a so-called bar antenna in which a coil is wound around a magnetic core such as a ferrite or an amorphous alloy is used. Many. In contrast, the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the present embodiment receives a signal transmitted from a satellite using a UHF band having a much higher frequency. For this reason, the patch antenna 14 is used as a small antenna suitable for receiving a UHF band signal. And since a satellite signal is a high frequency, if the electrode of the solar cell 11 is arrange | positioned at the front side of the patch antenna 14, the receiving sensitivity will fall remarkably. Therefore, a notch is formed in a part of the solar cell 11 as described above, and the patch antenna 14 is disposed there so that the electrode of the solar cell 11 is not disposed above the reception surface 14a, that is, on the front side. Yes. In place of the patch antenna 14, a chip antenna or an inverted F antenna may be employed.

  In addition, in the body 1 of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100, a mechanism for driving a pointer, a storage battery for accumulating the power generated by the solar cell 11, a controller for controlling the operation of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100, a received satellite A receiving circuit for processing the signal is accommodated.

  The dial 2 is wider than the opening on the front side of the cylinder 1, and the cylinder 1 covers the periphery. For this reason, the dial 2 is configured such that only the region (exposed region) inside the outline (parting line) X of the opening of the trunk 1 is visible from the outside through the windshield, and is outside the contour X. This region (non-exposed region) is hidden by the barrel 1 and cannot be seen from the outside.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the solar cell 11 housed inside the trunk 1 of the satellite radio wave wristwatch 100, and FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the shielding sheet 12 housed inside the trunk 1 of the satellite radio wave wristwatch 100. FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a state in which the shielding sheet 12 is stacked on the front side of the solar cell 11. The solar cell 11 and the shielding sheet 12 are accommodated in the trunk 1 in the state shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 centering on a region where the solar cell 11 and the patch antenna 14 are adjacent to each other.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the solar cell 11 includes a substrate 11 b having a shape obtained by cutting out a position of 6 o'clock from a substantially circular shape to a rectangle. As described above, the patch antenna 14 is disposed in the inner region (non-arrangement region) of the notch 11c at the 6 o'clock position so that the reception surface 14a faces the windshield side.

  A plurality of engaging portions (concave and convex shapes) are provided at positions spaced apart from each other on the periphery of the substrate 11b, and these engaging portions are ground plates that are not shown and are accommodated in the body 1 itself or inside the body 1. Is engaged. Thereby, the board | substrate 11b is supported in the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 so that rotation is impossible. As shown in FIG. 4, these engaging portions are formed on the outer side of the contour line X so that they cannot be seen through from the front side of the dial 2. Further, an opening 11d for inserting the pointer shaft is formed in the center of the solar cell 11, and a plurality of cells 11a, which are power generation units including a semiconductor thin film and electrodes, are formed on the surface.

  The shielding sheet 12 is disposed on the front side of the solar cell 11 and shields the cutout portion 11 c of the solar cell 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the shielding sheet 12 has a sheet body 12a made of a transparent resin having a substantially circular shape. At the 6 o'clock position on the surface of the sheet main body 12a, a color 12b is applied in a substantially rectangular shape. The color tone is adjusted to the color tone (dark purple) of the cell 11a of the solar battery 11. In this way, it can be seen that the cells 11a are also present in the colored region 12b when viewed from the front side of the dial 2. Further, the color tone of the coloring 12b may be matched to the color tone of the substrate 11b of the solar cell 11. If it does so, it can be shown whether the board | substrate 11b of the solar cell 11 exists also in the area | region of the coloring 12b seeing from the front side of the dial 2. FIG. Further, the color tone of the coloring 12b may be an intermediate color tone between the color tone of the substrate 11b of the solar battery 11 and the color tone of the cell 11a. Even in this case, the presence of the notch 11c can be made inconspicuous when viewed from the front side of the dial 2. Further, the region to be colored 12b completely covers the cutout portion 11c of the solar cell 11, and is thereby arranged from the front side of the dial 2 to the back of the cutout portion 11c, such as the patch antenna 14. The transparent member is not visible.

  The colored 12b may be a coating film made of an arbitrary opaque paint, or may be a semiconductor layer obtained by removing the conductive layer functioning as an electrode from the layer constituting the cell 11a of the solar battery 11, and both of them may be used. You may make it laminate | stack. When the colored 12b is used as a coating film, the production of the shielding sheet 12 is inexpensive and easy. On the other hand, when the colored 12b is used as a semiconductor layer, the color tone and texture of the colored 12b and the cell 11a can be easily adjusted. is there. You may add a coating film further to the coloring 12b which is a semiconductor layer for fine adjustment. Note that the reason why the conductive layer is removed when the coloring 12b is a semiconductor layer is that the patch antenna 14 does not interfere with reception of radio waves from the satellite. When the colored layer 12b is a semiconductor layer, a PIN layer used as a semiconductor layer of the cell 11a (a PIN diode layer of a type in which an I layer which is a genuine semiconductor layer is interposed between a P layer and an N layer) May be used as the semiconductor layer. Alternatively, only the I layer, the P layer, or the N layer may be used as the semiconductor layer. This is because the color 12b does not function as the solar cell 11, and only the color tone and texture of the color 12b need only approximate to the cell 11a, and the function as the solar cell 11 is not necessary.

  A plurality of engaging portions (concave and convex shapes) are also provided at positions separated from each other on the periphery of the shielding sheet 12, and these engaging portions engage with the trunk 1 itself or a ground plate (not shown) accommodated in the trunk 1. is doing. Thereby, the shielding sheet 12 is also supported in the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 so as not to rotate. As shown in FIG. 4, these engaging portions are also formed outside the contour line X.

  In addition, since the area | regions other than coloring 12b of the shielding sheet 12 are transparent, as shown in FIG. 4, the area | region of the solar cell 11 arrange | positioned on the back side can be seen from the dial 2 side. For this reason, each cell 11a can generate enough power by receiving the light transmitted through the dial 2.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the colored 12b and the cell 11a are provided so as to overlap in a plane (see symbol W), and even if the relative position of the colored 12b with respect to the cell 11a slightly changes, It is possible to ensure that the colored region 12b is positioned next to the cell 11a. In this way, it is possible to prevent the substrate 11b from being exposed to the front side between the cells 11a and the colored 12b, and it is possible to reliably shield all the notches 11c with the colored 12b.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the shielding sheet 12 and the solar cell 11 may be arranged apart from each other, but as shown in FIG. 6, the shielding sheet 12 and the solar cell 11 are arranged in contact with each other. Also good. In this case, the shielding sheet 12 may be bonded to the solar cell 11. If it carries out like this, the solar cell 11 and the shielding sheet 12 can be united, and handling will become easy.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, coloring 12b may be applied to the surface of the sheet body 12a, but as shown in FIG. 7, coloring 12b may be applied to the back surface of the sheet body 12a. However, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the coloring 12b is directly exposed on the dial 2 side, so that it becomes easier to match the coloring 12b and the cell 11a seen from the front side of the dial 2.

  That is, in the form shown in FIG. 5, since the free surface of the colored 12b is exposed on the dial 2 side, the surface texture such as gloss can be adjusted by the composition of the paint used for the colored 12b. In the form shown in FIG. 7, since the surface of the colored 12b on the dial plate 2 side is an interface with the sheet main body 12a, the surface roughness depends on the state of the back surface of the sheet main body 12a, and free adjustment is difficult. Since the surface of the sheet main body 12a, which is a transparent sheet, is generally smooth, in the form shown in FIG. 7, the surface of the colored 12b on the dial plate 2 side is glossy and glossy, which may differ from the appearance of the cells 11a. is there.

  Therefore, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, it is preferable to provide a matte structure between the dial 2 and the sheet main body 12a. The matte structure means a matte layer made of a transparent paint or a matte processed surface by an appropriate surface treatment. Such a matte structure may be provided on the back surface of the dial 2, the surface of the sheet body 12a, or both. .

  Further, in the above description, the shielding sheet 12 is arranged on the front side of the solar cell 11, but it may be arranged on the back side. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a shielding sheet 13 according to a modification. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a state in which the shielding sheet 13 is stacked on the back side of the solar cell 11. In the modification, the solar cell 11 and the shielding sheet 13 are accommodated in the trunk 1 in the state shown in FIG. Further, FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 centering on a region where the solar cell 11 and the patch antenna 14 are adjacent to each other.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the shielding sheet 13 has a substantially circular shape, and the whole has a single color tone that matches the color tone of at least one of the cells 11 a and the substrate 11 b of the solar battery 11. The color tone of the shielding sheet 13 may be the color tone of the material (for example, resin) itself, or the surface of a sheet of another color tone may be colored. As described above, the coloring may be a coating film made of an arbitrary opaque paint, or a semiconductor layer obtained by removing a conductive layer functioning as an electrode from a layer constituting the cell 11a of the solar battery 11. Also good. The semiconductor layer is not necessarily a PIN layer as well. Since the shielding sheet 13 may have a single color tone, the shielding sheet 13 can be easily created and the cost can be reduced. In the case of coloring, the entire surface of the shielding sheet 13 may be colored, but it is sufficient to color only the above-described non-arranged region (position at 6 o'clock) on the surface of the shielding sheet 13. A plurality of engaging portions (concave and convex shapes) are also provided at positions separated from each other on the periphery of the shielding sheet 13, and these engaging portions engage with the trunk 1 itself or a ground plate (not shown) accommodated in the trunk 1. is doing. Thereby, the shielding sheet 13 is also supported in the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 so as not to rotate.

  As shown in FIG. 10, in this modified example, the shielding sheet 13 is provided in contact with the back side of the solar cell 11. The solar cell 11 and the shielding sheet 13 may be bonded to each other. If it carries out like this, the solar cell 11 and the shielding sheet 13 can be united, and handling will become easy. According to this modification, a part (6 o'clock position) of the shielding sheet 13 is exposed from the cutout portion 11 c of the solar cell 11. Since the patch antenna 14 is provided on the back side of the opaque shielding sheet 13, the patch antenna 14 is not seen through the front side of the dial 2. Moreover, since the color tone of the shielding sheet 13 has a color tone that matches at least one of the color tone of the cell 11a or the substrate 11b of the solar battery 11, when viewed from the front side of the dial 2, the notch 11c of the solar battery 11 You can make the presence inconspicuous.

  The satellite radio wave wristwatch 100 illustrated above has been described as having a format that only displays the time according to the hands, but may be configured to display other information other than this, for example, a date or day of the week. The modification shown in FIG. 11 is an example in which a date display is further added to the satellite radio wave wrist watch shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, a date window 2 a is opened in the dial 2 immediately above the patch antenna 14, and a date display printed on the surface of the date plate 15 can be seen.

  The date plate 15 is arranged on the back side of the dial plate 2, the solar cell 11, and the shielding sheet 12. Here, since the date window 2a is located in the cutout portion 11c at the 6 o'clock position of the solar cell 11, the date window 2a is not blocked by the solar cell 11, but the date window 2a is blocked by the shielding sheet 12. It is necessary not to.

  FIG. 12 is a plan view of the shielding sheet 12 according to this modification. An opening 12d is provided at a position corresponding to the date window 2a of the dial 2 so that the date plate 15 can be visually recognized through the opening 12d. Since the shielding sheet 12 is formed of a transparent resin sheet body 12a, a non-colored portion that does not provide the colored 12b may be provided at a position corresponding to the date window 2a instead of the opening 12d.

  In the satellite radio wave wristwatch 100 exemplified above, the shape of the notch 11c provided at the 6 o'clock position of the solar cell 11 is shown as being along the shape of the receiving surface 14a of the patch antenna 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the solar cell 11 of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the modification. As shown in the figure, the outer shape of the plurality of cells 11a of the solar battery 11 is defined by a straight line extending radially from the center of the pointer shaft of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 (coincident with the center of the opening 11d) and the center. You may make it comprise with a circular arc. In general, the design of the wristwatch and the pattern or pattern provided on the dial 2 are often provided radially or concentrically with respect to the center of the pointer shaft. This is because, by forming them radially or concentrically, even if the boundary of the cell 11a is visually recognized, the boundary melts into the design pattern or pattern so as not to stand out.

  FIG. 14 is a plan view of the shielding sheet 12 of the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 according to the modification. In this example, as shown in the figure, the color 12b has a fan shape corresponding to the shape of the notch 11c.

  According to the satellite radio-controlled wristwatch 100 described above, the area where the solar cell 11 is not arranged on the back side of the dial 2, that is, the non-arranged area is shielded by the shielding sheet 12 or 13, so that the appearance appearance can be improved. it can. Moreover, since the shielding sheets 12 and 13 and the solar cell 11 are arranged so as to overlap with each other, the member on the back side of the solar cell 11 is the dial 2 without forming the shielding sheets 12 and 13 and the solar cell 11 with high accuracy. There is an effect that it can be hidden from the front side.

1 trunk, 2 dial, 2a date window, 3 hour hand, 4 minute hand, 5 second hand, 6 crown, 7 button, 8 band fixing part, 9 windshield, 10 back cover, 11 solar cell, 12, 13 shielding sheet, 14 patch Antenna, 14a receiving surface, 14b Feeding pin, 15 day plate, 100 satellite radio wave watch.

Claims (11)

A dial having translucency;
A solar cell partially disposed on the back side of the dial,
The solar cell is arranged on the back side of the dial so as to overlap with the solar cell, and extends to at least a part of an arrangement region where the solar cell is arranged and at least a part of a non-arrangement region where the solar cell is not arranged. A shielding sheet in which at least the non-arranged region is at least partially opaque;
A watch with a solar cell, comprising: The solar cell timepiece according to claim 1,
The part of the non-arranged region in the shielding sheet has a color tone according to the color tone of the solar cell,
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. In the timepiece with solar cell according to claim 1 or 2,
The shielding sheet is formed by partially coloring a transparent sheet, and is provided on the front side of the solar cell.
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. The timepiece with solar battery according to claim 3,
The shielding sheet is formed by coloring the front side of the transparent sheet.
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. The timepiece with solar battery according to claim 3,
The shielding sheet is formed by coloring the front side of the transparent sheet,
A matte structure is provided between the dial and the transparent sheet,
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. In the timepiece with solar cell according to claim 1 or 2,
The shielding sheet has a single color tone and is provided on the back side of the solar cell.
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. The timepiece with solar battery according to claim 6,
The single color tone is the color tone of the material of the shielding sheet,
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. In the timepiece with solar cell according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The shielding sheet is affixed to the solar cell.
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. The timepiece with solar battery according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The antenna further includes an antenna that is provided in the non-arrangement region and receives a signal for time correction.
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. The timepiece with solar battery according to claim 9,
The antenna is a high frequency radio wave receiving antenna.
A solar cell watch characterized by the above. In the timepiece with solar cell according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The shielding sheet includes a plurality of engaging portions that are separated from each other and engage with other members outside the exposed region of the dial.
A solar cell watch characterized by the above.

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