Solar panel, display device, and timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12204286-B2
Application number	US-201916980008-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2019
Priority date	Mar 14, 2018
Publication date	Jan 21, 2025
Grant date	Jan 21, 2025

Abstract

A solar panel includes a plurality of solar cells. Each of the solar cells includes a plurality of power generation regions, and connection regions that connect the plurality of power generation regions and have a lower power generation capacity than the plurality of power generation regions. A plurality of power generation functional units are formed in which the connection regions are disposed adjacent to each other.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A timepiece comprising:
a solar panel comprising:
power generation areas including power generators; and
a connection area which connects the power generation areas, which generates a smaller amount of power than the power generation areas generate, and which is a linear narrow area narrower than the power generation areas; and

a hand rotated above the solar panel,
wherein, in a sleep mode, the hand stops at a position where the hand does not overlap the power generation areas.

2. The timepiece according to claim 1 , wherein the connection area electrically connects adjacent ones of the power generators.

3. A timepiece comprising:
a solar panel comprising:
power generators; and
a connection area which connects the power generators, which generates a smaller amount of power than the power generators generate, and which is a linear narrow area narrower than the power generators; and

a hand rotated above the solar panel,
wherein each of the power generators includes solar cells,
wherein the connection area connects each of the solar cells of the power generators disposed side by side, and
wherein, in a sleep mode, the hand stops at a position where the hand does not overlap the power generators.

4. The timepiece according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a dial; and
a module disposed under the dial,
wherein the dial includes:
highly transparent areas having high optical transparency; and
a less transparent area having lower optical transparency than the highly transparent areas have,

wherein the highly transparent areas are disposed to correspond to areas where the power generators are disposed, and
wherein the less transparent area is disposed to correspond to an area where the connection area is disposed.

5. The timepiece according to claim 4 , wherein:
the highly transparent area is a cut-out formed by cutting out a portion of the dial, and
the power generator of the solar panel is exposed from the cut out.

6. The timepiece according to claim 5 , wherein the less transparent area of the dial is made of a material that has transmittance of substantially zero.

7. The timepiece according to claim 4 , wherein:
the dial comprises a position-fixing member that positions and fixes the solar panel, and
the position-fixing member positions and fixes the solar panel on the dial.

8. The timepiece according to claim 4 , further comprising:
a date indicator which is disposed between the solar panel and the module and which has a ring shape along a rim of the module,
wherein the solar panel is fixed and supported on at least three points in the rim of the module.

9. A timepiece comprising:
a solar panel comprising:
power generators which are disposed apart from each other; and
a connection area which connects the power generators and which generates a smaller amount of power than the power generators generate; and

a hand rotated above the solar panel,
wherein, in a sleep mode, the hand stops at a position where the hand does not overlap the power generators.

10. The timepiece according to claim 9 , wherein the connection area is narrower than the power generators.

11. The timepiece according to claim 10 , wherein the connection area electrically connects adjacent ones of the power generators disposed apart from each other.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Saito Yuta

Classifications

• G04G19/12

  Arrangements for reducing power consumption during storage · CPC title

• G04G19/10

  Arrangements for supplying back-up power · CPC title

• G04G19/02

  Conversion or regulation of current or voltage · CPC title

• G04B19/247

  disc-shaped {(G04B19/24306 takes precedence; for electrically driven timepieces G04C17/0058)} · CPC title

• G04B19/065

  with several parts · CPC title