Multifunctional watch

• US 20040264304A1
• Filed: 01/27/2004
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Fukui, Koji, Nagasaka, Eiichi, Furukawa, Tsuneaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,170,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 368/223
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/146 incorporating two or more stepping motors or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 7/0814 with double hammer, i.e. one hammer acts on two counters
• CPC Class Codes: G04F 8/08 Means used apart from the time-piece for starting or stopping same
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/02 Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature

Abstract

There is provided a multifunction timepiece wherein the visibility of pointers can be improved, and increases in the thickness of the timepiece can be reduced. This timepiece includes a dial, an hour hand, a minute hand, a pointer, and a movement. The dial has a dial cover and a time display section on the inner periphery thereof. The hour hand is mounted on the time display section and has an hour hand rotating shaft disposed at a different position from the center position of the time display section. The minute hand is mounted on the time display section and has a minute hand rotating shaft disposed at a different position from the center position of the time display section. The pointer is mounted on the time display section and has a pointer rotating shaft. The dimension A from the pointer rotating shaft to the tip of the pointer is greater than the dimension B from the minute hand rotating shaft to the tip of the minute hand. The pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position away from the hour hand rotating shaft by a distance less than dimension A and greater than dimension B. The movement drives the hour hand, the minute hand, and the pointer.

Claims

1. A timepiece comprising:

a dial having a dial cover and a time display section on an inner peripheral side thereof;

an hour hand being mounted on the time display section and having an hour hand rotating shaft disposed at a position different from the center position of the time display section;

a minute hand being mounted on the time display section and having a minute hand rotating shaft disposed at a position different from the center position of the time display section;

a pointer being mounted on the time display section and having a pointer rotating shaft, a dimension A from the pointer rotating shaft to a tip of the pointer being greater than a dimension B from the minute hand rotating shaft to the tip of the minute hand, and the pointer rotating shaft being disposed at a position away from the hour hand rotating shaft by a distance less than the dimension A and greater than the dimension B; and

a movement to drive the hour hand, the minute, and the pointer.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein

the pointer rotating shaft is disposed on the opposite side of the center position of the time display section from the hour hand and minute hand rotating shafts.

3. The timepiece according to claim 2, wherein

the pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position eccentric from the center position of the time display section in a 12:

00 direction, and

the hour hand rotating shaft and the minute hand rotating shaft are disposed at a position eccentric from the enter position of the time display section in a 6;

00 direction.

4. The timepiece according to claim 3, further comprising,

a case to accommodate the dial, the hour hand, the minute hand, the pointer, and the movement;

and

a wrist mounting strap connected to the case.

5. The timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising,

a seconds hand that is mounted on the time display section and has a seconds hand rotating shaft at a position different from said rotating shaft, wherein a dimension C from the seconds hand rotating shaft to the tip of the seconds hand is less than the dimension A, and the seconds hand rotating shaft is disposed at a position away from the pointer rotating shaft by a distance greater than the dimension C and less than the dimension A.

6. The timepiece according to claim 5, wherein

the pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position eccentric from the center of the time display section in a 12:

00 direction,

the hour hand rotating shaft and the minute hand rotating shaft are disposed at a position eccentric from the center of the time display section in a 6;

00 direction, and

the seconds hand rotating shaft is disposed at a position eccentric from the center of the time display section in a 10;

00 direction.

7. The timepiece according to claim 6, further comprising,

a second pointer that is disposed on the time display section and has a second pointer rotating shaft at a position different from said rotating shaft, wherein a dimension D from the second pointer rotating shaft to the tip of the second pointer is less than the dimension A, and the second pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position away from the pointer rotating shaft by a distance less than the dimension A, wherein

the second pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position eccentric from the center of the time display section about in a 2:

00 direction.

8. The timepiece according to claim 7, wherein

the second pointer is configured to be capable of rotating only within a specific angular range, and

the second pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position away from the pointer rotating shaft by a distance less than the dimension D.

9. The timepiece according to claim 8, further comprising,

a case to accommodate the dial, the hour hand, the minute hand, the pointer, and the movement, and

a wrist mounting strap connected to the case.

10. The timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising,

a second pointer that is mounted on the time display section and has a second pointer rotating shaft at a position different from said rotating shaft, wherein a dimension D from the second pointer rotating shaft to the tip of the second pointer is less than the dimension A, and the second pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position away from the pointer rotating shaft by a distance less than the dimension A.

11. The timepiece according to claim 10, wherein

the second pointer is configured to be capable of rotating only within a specific angular range, and

the second pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position away from the pointer rotating shaft by a distance less than the dimension D.

12. The timepiece according to claim 10, wherein

the second pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position eccentric from the center of the time display section about in a 2:

00 direction,

the pointer rotating shaft is disposed at a position eccentric from the center of the time display section in a 12;

00 direction, and

the hour hand rotating shaft and the minute hand rotating shaft are disposed at a position eccentric from the center of the time display section in a 6;

00 direction.

13. The timepiece according to claim 12, further comprising,

a case to accommodate the dial, the hour hand, the minute hand, the pointer, and the movement, and

a wrist mounting strap connected to the case.

14. The timepiece according to claim 10, wherein

the pointer is a second chronograph hand, and the second pointer is a minute chronograph hand.

15. The timepiece according to claim 14, further comprising,

a date display section to display the date on the dial.

16. The timepiece according to claim 15, further comprising,

a case to accommodate the dial, the hour hand, the minute hand, the pointer, and the movement, and

a wrist mounting strap connected to the case.

17. The timepiece according to claim 16, wherein

the dial has second chronograph graduations and minute chronograph graduations.

18. The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein

the movement has a first layer near the dial and a second layer overlapping the first layer and separated from the dial,

the second layer has an electric power generating device and a secondary power source to store electric power generated by the electric power generating device, and

the first layer has an electric motor driven by the electric power and a gear train to transmit the rotation of the electric motor to the pointer.

19. The timepiece according to claim 18, further comprising a back cover, wherein

the movement is disposed between the dial and the back cover at a position wherein the first layer is near the dial and the second layer is near the back cover.

20. The timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising,

a gear that has a heart-cam and is designed to hold the pointer,

a gear train to transmit the driving force from the movement to the gear,

a return-to-zero hammer capable of moving between a return-to-zero position in contact with the heart-cam and a position away from the heart-cam,

a first external operating member,

an operating lever that moves the return-to-zero hammer to a position away from the heart-cam in conjunction with the operation of the first external operating member when the return-to-zero hammer is in contact with the heart-cam, and that is positioned at a set position except during the operation of the first external operating member,

a second external operating member, and

a return-to-zero transmission hammer to control the return-to-zero hammer at a position in which pressure is applied to the heart-cam in conjunction with the operation of the second external operating member.