Electronic timepiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9766597-B2
Application number	US-201615350401-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Dec 4, 2014
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

An electronic timepiece has a time display unit including a dial made from a non-conductive material, and hands; and a movement that drives the hands. The movement includes a circuit board, a planar antenna attached to the circuit board, a stepper motor that drives the hands, and a battery. The planar antenna, the stepper motor, and the battery are disposed to positions overlapping the time display unit in plan view, and not overlapping each other in plan view.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a time display unit including:
a dial made from a non-conductive material, the dial having a planar center, and hands;

a movement that drives the hands, the movement including:
a circuit board;
a planar antenna attached to the circuit board;
a motor that drives the hands; and
a battery;

a case having an opening; and
a cover member covering the opening of the case such that the cover member and case enclose the movement and the time display within the case, the cover member having a planar center that is the same as the planar center of the dial,
wherein the planar antenna, the motor, and the battery are disposed overlapping the time display unit in a plan view, and not overlapping each other in the plan view,
the hands include an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand, and each of the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand has a pivot,
a hole through which the pivots of the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand pass is formed in the planar center of the dial,
the movement further includes a wheel train that transfers drive power from the motor to the hands,
the battery is disposed at a position not overlapping the wheel train in the plan view, and
the planar antenna is disposed at a position not overlapping the wheel train in the plan view.

2. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the movement has a plurality of motors; and
at least one of the plurality of motors is disposed between the battery and the hole.

3. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
a notch is formed in the circuit board; and
the battery is disposed in the notch at a position not overlapping the circuit board in the plan view.

4. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the movement has a plurality of pivots disposed at different positions in the plan view; and
the pivots are disposed at positions not overlapping the planar antenna and the battery in the plan view.

5. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
the movement is housed in an outside case, at least a part of the outside case is metal; and
a ring member made from a non-conductive material is disposed entirely around an outside circumference of the dial.

6. The electronic timepiece described in claim 1 , wherein:
a subdial is disposed on the dial at a position not overlapping the planar antenna in the plan view.

7. An electronic timepiece comprising:
a time display unit including a dial made from a non-conductive material, and hands;
a movement that drives the hands, the movement including:
a circuit board having a back;
a planar antenna attached to the circuit board, the planar antenna having a first planar center;
a motor that drives the hands; and
a battery, the battery having a second planar center;

a case having an opening; and
a cover member covering the opening of the case such that the cover member and case enclose the movement and the time display within the case, the cover member having a planar center that is the same as the planar center of the dial,
wherein the planar antenna, the motor, and the battery are disposed overlapping the time display unit in a plan view, and not overlapping each other in the plan view,
the planar antenna is attached to a surface of the circuit board; a hole through which pivots of the hand pass is formed in a planar center of the dial; and
a control chip of the electronic timepiece is attached to the back of the circuit board in a first of two areas delineated by a line passing through the first planar center of the planar antenna and the second planar center of the battery, and a power supply chip is attached to the back of the circuit board in a second of the two areas.

8. The electronic timepiece described in claim 7 , wherein:
a notch is formed in the circuit board; and
the battery is disposed in the notch at a position not overlapping the circuit board in the plan view.

9. The electronic timepiece described in claim 7 , wherein:
the movement has a plurality of pivots disposed at different positions in the plan view; and
the pivots are disposed at positions not overlapping the planar antenna and the battery in the plan view.

10. The electronic timepiece described in claim 7 , wherein:
the movement is housed in an outside case, at least a part of the outside case is metal; and
a ring member made from a non-conductive material is disposed entirely around an outside circumference of the dial.

11. The electronic timepiece described in claim 7 , wherein:
a subdial is disposed to the dial at a position not overlapping the planar antenna in the plan view.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Fujisawa Teruhiko
• Tamura Shuichi

Classifications

• G04R60/12 Primary

  inside metal cases · CPC title

• G04G17/04 Primary

  Mounting of electronic components · CPC title

• G04R20/02

  the radio signal being sent by a satellite, e.g. GPS · CPC title

• G04C10/02

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