IP Library Granted Patent US 10,037,009
Granted Patent B2
US 10,037,009 · App. 15/237,881 · Granted Jul 31, 2018

Movement and electronic timepiece

Inventors: Katsuya Mugishima (Chiba, JP); Satoshi Sakai (Chiba, JP); Kenji Ogasawara (Chiba, JP); Tomohiro Ihashi (Chiba, JP)
Assignee: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
G04C3/146G04C3/14
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,037,009
App. No.
15/237,881
Granted
Jul 31, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power saving movement includes a center wheel and pinion driving a minute hand and minute detection wheel. A gear ratio of the center wheel/pinion with respect to the minute detection wheel is 1/M. The minute detection wheel has N minute detection portions which are disposed on the same rotation trajectory as the center wheel & pinion. N and M are integers. The minute detection wheel transmittable portions are disposed at an interval of 360°/N. A pair of the center wheel transmittable portions are disposed in parallel at an unequal angular interval of a center axle of the center wheel & pinion. An angular interval of the center wheel transmittable portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the center axle of the center wheel & pinion is set to magnification of 360°/(M×N).

Claims (30)

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 position detecting gear that is rotated by the power of the first drive source, and in which a gear ratio of the first gear with respect to the position detecting gear is set to 1/M by using M as an integer;

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

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

wherein the first gear has multiple first transmittable portions which are disposed on the same rotation trajectory, and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the position detecting gear has the N-number of second transmittable portions which are disposed on the same rotation trajectory, and through which the light emitted from the light emitting element is transmittable,

wherein the second transmittable portions are disposed at an interval of 360°/N in a circumferential direction of the position detecting gear,

wherein the multiple first transmittable portions are disposed in parallel at an unequal angular interval in the circumferential direction of the center axle, and

wherein an angular interval of the first transmittable portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction of the center axle is set to magnification of 360°/(M×N).

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

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

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

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

wherein the third transmittable portion is a long hole extending in a circumferential direction of the center axle,

wherein a first central angle formed by both end portions of the third transmittable portion is set to be equal to or larger than a second central angle corresponding to a portion between the end portions of the third transmittable portion corresponding to a region other than the third transmittable portion of the second gear,

wherein in a central angle formed by the first transmittable portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, the maximum central angle is set to θ,

wherein the control unit performs:

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

a rotation angle determination step of determining whether or not the rotation angle of the first gear is equal to or larger than θ, in a case where the 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 smaller than 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 θ, in the rotation angle determination step, and

wherein the predetermined angle is equal to or larger than the second central angle, and is equal to or smaller than the first central angle.

3. The movement according to claim 2 ,

wherein the first indicating hand is a minute hand.

4. The movement according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first indicating hand is a minute hand.

5. An electronic timepiece comprising:

the movement according to claim 1 ; and

a solar panel that generates power to be supplied to the first drive source.

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: MUGISHIMA, KATSUYA; SAKAI, SATOSHI; OGASAWARA, KENJI; IHASHI, TOMOHIRO
To: SEIKO INSTRUMENTS INC.
Reel/Frame 039453/0902 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2015-163993 · Aug 21, 2015 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20170052510A1 · Feb 23, 2017