Electronic timepiece and electronic apparatus

• US 20040004909A1
• Filed: 03/26/2003
• Published: 01/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fujimori, Shigeyuki
• Granted Patent: US 6,934,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/204
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 10/00 Arrangements of electric power supplies in time pieces circuits G04G19/00; mounting, assembling of components of electromechanical watches G04C3/008, of electronic watches G04G17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G04R 60/10 inside cases

Abstract

There are provided a power-generation mechanism (2) having a rotary weight (21) and a generator for converting the mechanical energy by the rotation of the rotary weight (21) into electrical energy, a time-measuring mechanism for measuring time, and a receiving mechanism having an antenna (6) for receiving wireless information, and the antenna (6) is placed further towards the outside in the radial direction of the rotary weight (21) than the rotation path of the outer circumferential edge of the rotary weight (21).

Claims

1. An electronic timepiece comprising a power-generation mechanism having a rotary weight made of a conductive material, and a generator for converting the mechanical energy generated by the rotation of the rotary weight into electrical energy;

a time-measuring mechanism for measuring time; and

a receiving mechanism having an antenna for receiving wireless information,

wherein the antenna is placed further towards the outside in the radial direction of the rotary weight than the rotation path of the outer circumferential edge of the rotary weight.

2. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the antenna and a power-generation coil of the generator are placed opposite each other in the radial direction of the rotary weight with the center of rotation of the rotary weight therebetween.

3. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the wireless information is standard radio waves including time information, and

wherein the electronic timepiece is a radio wave correction clock which receives the standard radio waves and corrects the time of the time-measuring mechanism.

4. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the antenna is curved in a shape along the peripheral part of a movement for clock, and is placed along the peripheral part of the movement for clock.

5. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the electronic timepiece further comprises a case body, composed of a non-conductive member, for receiving the power-generation mechanism and the time-measuring mechanism therein, and at least a part of the antenna is buried in the case body.

6. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis of the rotary weight and the central axis of the movement are eccentrically placed with respect to each other.

7. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the rotary weight and the antenna are away from each other by a predetermined distance in the direction along the rotation axis of the rotary weight.

8. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the electronic timepiece further comprises:

a power storage mechanism for storing the energy generated by the power-generation mechanism;

a driving mechanism driven by the power stored in the power storage mechanism; and

clock hands for time display, which are rotated by the driving force of the driving mechanism.

9. The electronic timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the electronic timepiece further comprises:

a mechanical energy storage mechanism for storing the rotation energy generated by the rotation of the rotary weight as mechanical energy;

an energy transmission mechanism for transmitting the mechanical energy stored in the mechanical energy storage mechanism to the generator, and having the clock hands for time display coupled on the way; and

a rotation control mechanism for controlling the rotation period of the generator.

10. An electronic apparatus comprising:

a power-generation mechanism having a rotary weight made of a conductive material and a generator for converting the mechanical energy generated by the rotation of the rotary weight into electrical energy; and

a receiving mechanism having an antenna for receiving wireless information,

wherein the antenna is provided further towards the outside in the radial direction of the rotary weight than the rotation path of the outer circumferential edge of the rotary weight.