Electronic timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11287780-B2
Application number	US-201916355939-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2019
Priority date	Mar 19, 2018
Publication date	Mar 29, 2022
Grant date	Mar 29, 2022

Abstract

An inverted-F antenna is included in an electronic timepiece without increasing the thickness of the electronic timepiece. In an electronic timepiece having a dial, a plastic calendar plate disposed on the back cover side of the dial, and a main plate disposed on the back cover side of the calendar plate, a first conductor element, second conductor element, and a shorting element shorting the first conductor element and second conductor element are formed in unison with the calendar plate, enabling the calendar plate to function as an inverted-F antenna. The first conductor element is disposed on the dial side surface of the calendar plate, and superimposed with the dial in a plan view. The second conductor element is disposed on the main plate side of the calendar plate, and superimposed in the plan view with the first conductor element. The shorting element is disposed to the side of the calendar plate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a dial; and
a calendar plate holding a calendar wheel disposed on a back side of the dial, the calendar plate having:
a first surface facing the back side of the dial; and
a second surface facing oppositely away from the first surface,

wherein a first conductor of an antenna is disposed on the first surface and a second conductor of the antenna is disposed on the second surface at a position superimposed with the first conductor in a plan view.

2. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the calendar plate has a side surface located between the first surface and the second surface, and
a shorting conductor disposed on the side surface and electrically connecting the first conductor to the second conductor.

3. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a main plate disposed on the second surface side of the calendar plate; and
a first fastener disposed non-conductively to the first conductor and second conductor, and fastening the calendar plate to the main plate.

4. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a solar panel disposed between the dial and the calendar plate.

5. The electronic timepiece described in claim 4 , wherein:
the first conductor is connected to one of a positive terminal and a negative terminal of the solar panel, the one of the positive and negative terminal having a ground potential applied thereto.

6. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a conductive case housing the calendar plate, an inside diameter of the case being greater than an outside diameter of the calendar plate in the plan view.

7. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a dial;
a calendar plate holding a calendar wheel disposed on a back side of the dial, the calendar plate having:
a first surface facing the back side of the dial; and
a second surface facing oppositely away from the first surface,

wherein a first conductor of an antenna is disposed on the first surface and a second conductor of the antenna is disposed on the second surface at a position superimposed with the first conductor in a plan view;
a main plate disposed on the second surface side of the calendar plate; and
a conductor plate disposed between the calendar plate and the main plate, and electrically connected as an element of the antenna to the second conductor.

8. The electronic timepiece described in claim 7 , wherein:
the calendar plate has a side surface located between the first surface and the second surface, and
a shorting conductor disposed on the side surface and electrically connecting the first conductor and second conductor.

9. The electronic timepiece described in claim 7 , wherein:
the conductor plate is a magnetic shield.

10. The electronic timepiece described in claim 9 , wherein:
the magnetic shield is a pure iron plate with a nickel coating, and a thickness of the nickel coating is greater than or equal to 2 micrometers and less than or equal to 10 micrometers.

11. The electronic timepiece described in claim 7 , wherein:
an area obtained by subtracting an area where the second conductor is superimposed with the conductor plate from a sum of an area of the second conductor and an area of the conductor plate is greater than the area of the first conductor in the plan view.

12. The electronic timepiece described in claim 7 , further comprising:
a second fastener disposed superimposed in the plan view with the second conductor and the conductor plate, and fastening the second conductor element in contact with the conductor plate.

13. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
in the plan view, an outside diameter of the first conductor is greater than an inside diameter of the calendar wheel.

14. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the calendar plate covers the calendar wheel, and has an opening through which part of the calendar wheel is visible.

15. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a dial;
a disk shaped calendar plate disposed on a back side of the dial, the calendar plate having:
a first surface facing the back side of the dial;
a second surface facing oppositely away from the first surface; and
a side surface extending from the first surface to the second surface; and

an antenna integrated with the calendar plate, the antenna including:
a planar radiating electrode laminated onto the first surface and diametrically extending beyond a periphery of the calendar plate;
a planar ground electrode laminated onto the second surface and diametrically extending beyond the periphery of the calendar plate, the ground electrode being superimposed with the planar radiating electrode in a plan view; and
a shorting conductor laminated onto the side surface and electrically connecting the radiating electrode to the ground electrode.

16. The electronic timepiece described in claim 15 , further comprising:
a main plate disposed on the second surface side of the calendar plate; and
a fastener disposed non-conductively to the radiating electrode and ground electrode, and fastening the calendar plate to the main plate.

17. The electronic timepiece described in claim 15 , further comprising:
a main plate disposed on the second surface side of the calendar plate; and
a conductor plate disposed between the calendar plate and the main plate, and electrically connected as an element of the antenna to the ground electrode.

18. The electronic timepiece described in claim 17 , wherein:
the conductor plate is a magnetic shield.

19. The electronic timepiece described in claim 15 , further comprising:
a solar panel disposed between the dial and the calendar plate.

20. The electronic timepiece described in claim 15 , further comprising:
a conductive case housing the calendar plate, an inside diameter of the case being greater than an outside diameter of the calendar plate in the plan view.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Yamamoto Hironobu
• Aizawa Tadashi

Classifications

• G04R60/02

  Antennas also serving as components of clocks or watches, e.g. motor coils · CPC title

• G04R20/04

  Tuning or receiving; Circuits therefor · CPC title

• G04C3/008 Primary

  Mounting, assembling of components · CPC title

• G04C10/02

  the power supply being a radioactive {or photovoltaic} source · CPC title

• G04G21/04

  using radio waves (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title