Electroluminescent dial for an analog watch and process for making it

• US 4,775,964 A
• Filed: 01/11/1988
• Issued: 10/04/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Timex Corporation (Tanager Group BV)
• Original Assignee: Timex Corporation (Tanager Group BV)
• Inventors: Olsen, Fredrik, Alessio, Ralph D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US07/142,596
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 368/67, 368/223, 368/226-228, 368/233, 368/234, 368/239, 362/23, 362/26, 362/27, 362/29, 362/34, 362/62, 362/84
• US Class Current: 368/67
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/30 Illumination of dials or hands dials in general G04B19/06; moving indicating means with numbers or hands, in general G04B19/20; arrangements for indicating different local apparent times by means of a globe illuminated from inside G04B19/22; continuous indication of the time by non-electric light sources G04B25/00, e.g. by electric lamps G04C17/02; illumination by electric lamps which function at fixed times or periodically G04C19/02; illuminated panels G09F13/00

Abstract

An electroluminescent device adapted to serve as the dial of a conventional analog timepiece, with a central aperture for the stem carrying the timepiece hand and inscribed on the upper surface thereof with conventional time-indicating indicia, so that it can be read as a normal watch dial.

Claims

1. An electroluminescent dial for a wristwatch of the type having at least one rotatable stem carrying a time indicating hand, said electroluminescent dial comprising:

a single sheet of transparent insulating substrate formed in the shape of a watch dial and having timekeeping indicia printed on one surface thereof toward said hand and having a first layer comprising electrically conductive material adhered to the opposite surface thereof,

a second layer comprising an electroluminescent mixture adhered to said first layer, said mixture comprising phosphor particles, uniformly dispersed within an epoxy resin binder,

a third layer comprising a thin insulating moisture resistant barrier material adhered to said second layer,

a fourth layer comprising electrically conductive material adhered to said third layer,

said substrate and said first, second, third and fourth layers together comprising a single laminated assembly,

means for making electrical connections to said first and fourth layers, and

said electroluminescent dial further defining a center hole through said substrate and through said layers for accommodating said rotatable stem.

2. The electroluminescent dial according to claim 1 wherein:

said second layer comprises an electroluminescent mixture of phosphor particles having a size between 10-25 microns and dispersed in a epoxy binder, said second layer having a thickness on the order of 1.5 mils and not exceeding 2.5 mils.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said substrate and said first layer comprise glass coated with indium tin oxide on one side thereof.

4. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said substrate and said first layer comprise Mylar coated with indium tin oxide on one side thereof.

5. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said third layer is vacuum deposited barium titanate.

6. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said third layer is sprayed on clear acrylic resin.

7. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said fourth layer is a mixture of silver particles in epoxy resin.

8. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said fourth layer is a thin film of vacuum deposited aluminum.

9. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said epoxy binder of said second layer is bisphenol-A.