IP Library Granted Patent US 9,971,310
Granted Patent B2
US 9,971,310 · App. 15/237,868 · Granted May 15, 2018

Movement and electronic timepiece

Inventors: Satoshi Sakai (Chiba, JP); Katsuya Mugishima (Chiba, JP); Tomohiro Ihashi (Chiba, JP); Kenji Ogasawara (Chiba, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
G04C3/146G04B27/001G04C3/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,971,310
App. No.
15/237,868
Granted
May 15, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A timepiece movement includes a center wheel & pinion that drives a minute hand, a second wheel & pinion arranged coaxially with a center axle of the center wheel & pinion, a first light emitting element arranged on one side in an axial direction of the center axle with respect to the center wheel & pinion and the second wheel & pinion, and a first light receiving element arranged on the other side in the axial direction of the center axle across the second wheel & pinion, and that detects light emitted from the first light emitting element. The center wheel & pinion has a first center wheel transmittable portion through which the light emitted from the first light emitting element is transmittable, and a second center wheel transmittable portion which is disposed on a rotation trajectory of the first center wheel transmittable portion and through which the light emitted from the first light emitting element is transmittable. The second wheel & pinion has a first second wheel transmittable portion which is disposed on the rotation trajectory of the first center wheel transmittable portion and the second center wheel transmittable portion when viewed in the axial direction of the center axle and through which the light emitted from the first light emitting element is transmittable.

Claims (61)

1. A movement comprising:

a first gear that is rotated by power of a first drive source so as to drive a first indicating hand;

a second gear that is arranged coaxially with a center axle of the first gear, and that is rotated by power of a second drive source so as to drive a second indicating hand;

a light emitting element that is arranged on one side in an axial direction of the center axle of the first gear, with respect to the first gear and the second gear; and

a first light receiving element that is arranged on the other side in the axial direction across the first gear and the second gear, and that detects light emitted from the light emitting element,

wherein the first gear has a first transmittable portion through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable, and a second transmittable portion which is disposed on a rotation trajectory of the first transmittable portion and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the second gear has a third transmittable portion which is disposed on the rotation trajectory of the first transmittable portion and the second transmittable portion when viewed in the axial direction, and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable, and

wherein the first transmittable portion, the second transmittable portion and the third transmittable portion are configured and arranged to enable detection, in one detecting sequence by rotationally driving the first gear in only one direction, of a position of the first gear and the second gear.

2. The movement according to claim 1 ,

wherein the third transmittable portion comprises a pair of third transmittable portions each comprising a long hole along a circumferential direction of the second gear, and a dimension along the circumferential direction of each third transmittable portion is equal to or greater than the separated distance along the circumferential direction between end portions of the pair of third transmittable portions.

3. The movement according to claim 1 ,

wherein the second gear has a fourth transmittable portion which is disposed on the rotation trajectory of the third transmittable portion, and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable.

4. The movement according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a control unit that controls driving of the first drive source and the second drive source, and that detects the light received by the first light receiving element,

wherein a central angle formed between the first transmittable portion and the second transmittable portion in the first year is set to θ,

wherein the control unit is configured to perform:

a transmitted state determination step of determining whether or not the first light receiving element receives the light emitted from the light emitting element,

a rotation angle determination step of determining whether or not a rotation angle of the first gear is equal to or larger than 360°−θ, in a case where the first light receiving element does not receive the light emitted from the light emitting element in the transmitted state determination step,

a first drive step of performing the transmitted state determination step again by driving the first drive source and rotating the first gear, in a case where the control unit determines that the rotation angle of the first gear is not equal to or larger than 360°−θ, in the rotation angle determination step, and

a second drive step of performing the transmitted state determination step again by driving the second drive source and rotating the second gear as much as a predetermined angle, in a case where the control unit determines that the rotation angle of the first gear is equal to or larger than 360°−θ, in the rotation angle determination step.

5. An electronic timepiece comprising:

the movement according to claim 1 ; and

a power source that supplies power to the first drive source and the second drive source.

6. The electronic timepiece according to claim 5 , further comprising:

a solar panel that supplies power to the first drive source and the second drive source.

7. The movement according to claim 1 ; wherein a central angle between the first transmittable portion and the second transmittable portion is θ, and the first gear is rotationally driven not more than 360°−θ in performing one detecting sequence.

8. The movement according to claim 1 , wherein the first gear is a minute wheel.

9. A movement comprising:

a first gear that is rotated by power of a first drive source so as to drive a first indicating hand;

a second gear that is arranged coaxially with a center axle of the first gear, and that is rotated by power of a second drive source so as to drive a second indicating hand;

a light emitting element that is arranged on one side in an axial direction of the center axle of the first gear, with respect to the first gear and the second gear;

a first light receiving element that is arranged on the other side in the axial direction across the first gear and the second gear, and that detects light emitted from the light emitting element;

a second light receiving element that is disposed on the other side in the axial direction across the first gear and the second gear; and

a first position detecting gear that is arranged between the light emitting element and the second light receiving element in the axial direction, and that is rotated by the power of the second drive source,

wherein the first gear has a first transmittable portion through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable, and a second transmittable portion which is disposed on a rotation trajectory of the first transmittable portion and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the second gear has a third transmittable portion which is disposed on the rotation trajectory of the first transmittable portion and the second transmittable portion when viewed in the axial direction, and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the first position detecting gear has a fifth transmittable portion through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the second light receiving element is disposed so that the light emitted from the light emitting element and transmitted through the second transmittable portion can be detected, in a predetermined state where the first gear can transmit the light emitted from the light emitting element to the first light receiving element in the first transmittable portion, and

wherein when viewed in the axial direction, the fifth transmittable portion is disposed so as to be located at a position corresponding to the fourth transmittable portion, when the fourth transmittable portion is located at a position corresponding to the second transmittable portion of the first gear in the predetermined state.

10. A movement comprising:

a first gear that is rotated by power of a first drive source so as to drive a first indicating hand;

a second gear that is arranged coaxially with a center axle of the first gear, and that is rotated by power of a second drive source so as to drive a second indicating hand;

a light emitting element that is arranged on one side in an axial direction of the center axle of the first gear, with respect to the first gear and the second gear;

a first light receiving element that is arranged on the other side in the axial direction across the first gear and the second gear, and that detects light emitted from the light emitting element; and

a second position detecting gear that is arranged between the light emitting element and the first light receiving element in the axial direction, and that is rotated by the power of the first drive source,

wherein the first gear has a first transmittable portion through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable, and a second transmittable portion which is disposed on a rotation trajectory of the first transmittable portion and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the second gear has a third transmittable portion which is disposed on the rotation trajectory of the first transmittable portion and the second transmittable portion when viewed in the axial direction, and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the second position detecting gear has a sixth transmittable portion through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein when viewed in the axial direction, the sixth transmittable portion is disposed so as to be located at a position corresponding to the first transmittable portion, in a state where the first gear can transmit the light emitted from the light emitting element to the first light receiving element in the first transmittable portion, and

wherein when viewed in the axial direction, the sixth transmittable portion is disposed so as to be located at a position corresponding to the second transmittable portion, in a state where the first gear can transmit the light emitted from the light emitting element to the first light receiving element in the second transmittable portion.

11. A movement comprising:

a first gear that is rotated by power of a first drive source so as to drive a first indicating hand;

a second gear that is arranged coaxially with a center axle of the first gear, and that is rotated by power of a second drive source so as to drive a second indicating hand;

a light emitting element that is arranged on one side in an axial direction of the center axle of the first gear, with respect to the first gear and the second gear;

a first light receiving element that is arranged on the other side in the axial direction across the first gear and the second gear, and that detects light emitted from the light emitting element; and

a second position detecting gear that is arranged between the light emitting element and the first light receiving element in the axial direction, and that is rotated by the power of the first drive source,

wherein the first gear has a first transmittable portion through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable, and a second transmittable portion which is disposed on a rotation trajectory of the first transmittable portion and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the second gear has a third transmittable portion which is disposed on the rotation trajectory of the first transmittable portion and the second transmittable portion when viewed in the axial direction, and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the second position detecting gear has a sixth transmittable portion through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein when viewed in the axial direction, the sixth transmittable portion is disposed so as to be located at a position corresponding to the first transmittable portion, in a state where the first gear can transmit the light emitted from the light emitting element to the first light receiving element in the first transmittable portion, and

wherein when viewed in the axial direction, the sixth transmittable portion is disposed so as to be located at a position corresponding to the second transmittable portion, in a state where the first gear can transmit the light emitted from the light emitting element to the first light receiving element in the second transmittable portion.

Assignments (2)
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Oct 17, 2024
From: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
To: SEIKO WATCH CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 069183/0051 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 16, 2016
From: SAKAI, SATOSHI; MUGISHIMA, KATSUYA; IHASHI, TOMOHIRO; OGASAWARA, KENJI
To: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
Reel/Frame 039453/0824 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2015-163992 · Aug 21, 2015 · national
JP 2016-106237 · May 27, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170052511A1 · Feb 23, 2017