JPS6120818B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a switch mechanism for detecting the position of a wheel train in a battery watch using a pulse motor or the like as a converter.

In a battery watch that uses a pulse motor as a converter to drive a timekeeping mechanism, the converter portion may be unstable under normal conditions or due to mechanical disturbances, such as translational acceleration or rotational acceleration. That is, the position or speed of the rotor while it is stationary or in motion changes due to disturbances, and as a result, the instructions may deviate by several steps before and after the disturbances. Therefore, one malfunction will continue as a time error thereafter.

In order to prevent this, the pulse motor and the electric counter are operated in parallel, and if a time error occurs due to a malfunction of the pulse motor, the position of the wheel train is detected by the switch mechanism, and the time indicated by the timing mechanism is changed. A battery clock has been proposed that can be corrected to match the time stored in a more reliable electric counter.

However, the conventional switch mechanism is composed of a circular cam that has an irregular shape on a part of its circumference and is provided on the gear train shaft, a contact spring that comes into contact with the side surface of the circular cam, and a contact point. The contact spring is displaced at the fixed position of the wheel train and contacts the contacts to obtain an electric signal and detect the position of the wheel train. During the drop, the load fluctuates and adversely affects the timing mechanism. Furthermore, the durability of the switch mechanism is also poor due to wear of the sliding parts of the circular cam and the contact spring. Further, the gap between the contact spring and the contact point cannot be made sufficiently large due to the shape of the circular cam and the arrangement of the contact point and the contact spring, so it has to be made small. Therefore, there are problems in terms of reliability, such as the contact springs being bent by vibrations and shocks, and the switch being turned on when not in use. In order to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, the present invention provides a non-contact switch mechanism using a magnetic reed switch photo transistor or the like in the switch mechanism. Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings. 1, 2 and 3 all show conventional switch mechanisms. Figures 4 and 5 show the first embodiment of the present invention.
A magnetic reed switch is fixed using a switch and a permanent magnet, and the permanent magnet is rotated to perform the switch action.

In Figures 4 and 5, 1 is the main plate, 2 is the gear train bridge, and 3 is the main plate.
is a circuit board made of a non-conductive material, with a recess 3 in which a magnetic reed switch 8 is housed.
A is provided. Reference numeral 4 denotes a second hand shaft, which is supported by the main plate 1 and the gear train bridge 2, to which a permanent magnet mounting plate 5 made of plastic or the like and a second hand gear 6 are fixed, and a second hand 13 is attached to the tip. ing.
Further, the permanent magnet mounting plate 5 has a permanent magnet 7 fixed to a part of its outer periphery by press-fitting, adhesive, etc., and
An irregularly shaped hole 5b is provided in a part to correct rotational imbalance. Magnetic reed switch 8
Inside, there are a pair of lead pieces 9 made of magnetic material,
9' is enclosed in the glass tube 10 with an inert gas with a small gap and overlap.

One lead piece 9 of the magnetic reed switch 8 is connected to the lead plate 1 attached to the circuit board 3.
1. Through the circuit board tube (not shown), the main plate 1
It is grounded to. The other lead piece 9' is connected to an indicated time check terminal (not shown) of a circuit mounted on the circuit board 3 through a lead plate 12 mounted on the circuit board 3.

Next, to explain the operation, the second hand gear 6 meshes with a pinion (not shown) provided on the rotor of the pulse motor and continues to advance one step at a time, and the permanent magnet 7 fixed to the permanent magnet mounting plate 5 As the magnetic reed switch 8 approaches, the peak position of the magnetic field created by the permanent magnet 7 reaches the magnetic reed switch 8.
When it coincides with the most sensitive part of the switch 8, the reed piece 9 of the magnetic reed switch 8,
9' are magnetized and attract each other so as to reduce the reluctance of the magnetic circuit, and when this magnetic attraction force overcomes the elastic force of the lead pieces 9, 9', the tips of the lead pieces 9, 9' approach and come into contact. . At this point, a switch signal is input.

At this time, the second hand 13 provided on the second hand shaft 4 is pointing at the exact minute (12
time position). Therefore, based on the switch signal generated by turning on the magnetic reed switch, the time error between the time indicated by the second hand 13 and the time indicated by the electric counter installed in the circuit is detected, and the necessary time is determined by the control circuit. The second hand 13 can be corrected to match the time held by the electric counter by stopping or fast forwarding the second hand 13 by the amount of time.

After the above action, if the action of the magnetic field created by the permanent magnet 7 moves away from the magnetic reed switch 8, the magnetic reed switch 8 will turn OFF.
becomes the state of

Furthermore, magnetic reed switch 8 is ON.
, the second hand 13 is exactly on the minute (12 o'clock position)
It is necessary to set the needle as instructed, but this method involves attaching the second hand 13 in an almost exact position in advance, and then slightly shifting the magnetic reed switch 8 in the longitudinal direction. According to
It is possible to adjust the positional relationship between the time when the switch signal is input and the second hand 13. Figures 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which both a magnetic reed switch and a permanent magnet are fixed, a shield plate is inserted between them, and the shield plate is rotated to operate the switch. This is what we do. Figure 6,
In FIG. 7, a second hand gear 20 is made of anti-magnetic material and has a slit 20a in a portion thereof, and is fixed to the second hand shaft 4. Reference numeral 21 denotes a mounting plate to which the magnetic reed switch 8 is fixed by adhesive or the like, and is fixed to the gear train bridge 2 with screws 23. 22 is a permanent magnet mounting plate to which the permanent magnet 7 is fixed by press-fitting, adhesive, etc., and is fixed to the base plate 1. 24, 24' are connection terminals implanted so as to penetrate through the gear train bridge 2;
The tips of the lead pieces 9, 9' of the magnetic reed switch 8 are soldered to the lower portions of the connection terminals 24, 24'. 25, 25' are lead plates attached to the circuit board 3, one end of the lead plate 25 is soldered to the connection terminal 24, and the other end is connected to the main board 1 through a circuit board tube (not shown). It is grounded. One end of the lead plate 25' is soldered to the connection terminal 24', and the other end is soldered to the circuit board 3.
It is connected to a terminal for checking the indicated time (not shown) of a circuit installed in the terminal.

Next, the operation will be explained. Normally, the magnetic field generated by the permanent magnet 7 is blocked by the second hand gear 20 made of anti-magnetic material.
It has no effect on reed switch 8 and is in the OFF state. As the second hand gear 20 continues to advance, the slit 20a of the second hand gear 20 is connected to the most sensitive part of the magnetic reed switch 8 and the permanent magnet 7.
When reaching the plane containing the peak position of the magnetic field strength, the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 7 passes through the slit 20a of the second hand gear 20 and reaches the magnetic reed switch 8, where it acts.

That is, the reed pieces 9, 9' are magnetized, the magnetic reed switch 8 is turned on, and a switch signal is input. Therefore, based on this switch signal, the time difference between the time indicated by the second hand 13 and the time indicated by an electric counter installed in the circuit is detected, and the second hand 13 is stopped for the necessary time by the control circuit. Alternatively, the second hand 13 can be adjusted to match the time held by the electric counter by fast forwarding.

8, 9, and 10 all show a third embodiment of the present invention, in which an LED is used as a light emitting element and a phototransistor is used as a light receiving and detecting element.

In Figures 8, 9, and 10, 30 is a disk fixed to the second hand shaft 4, and a reflective plate 31 is attached to a part of the side surface of the disk 30 by adhesive etc., and the other part of the side surface is blank. It has been treated with anti-reflective treatment such as applying reflective paint. 32 is an LED attached to the circuit board 3;
33 is a condenser lens placed in front of the light emitting part of the LED 32 in the circuit board 3, and 34 is a photo transistor attached to the circuit board 3. Moreover, the positional relationship of the reflection plate 31, LED 32, condensing lens 33, and photo transistor 34 is such that the reflection plate 31, LED 32, condensing lens 33, and photo transistor 34 are in the same plane.
It is arranged as shown in Figure 9. That is, LED32
The axis of the light emitted by the LED 32 and the center of the light receiving surface of the photo transistor 34 are perpendicular to the perpendicular bisector of the angle formed by the axis of the light emitted by the LED 32 and the center line of the light receiving surface of the photo transistor 34. The reflective plate 31 is arranged so that its reflective surface is located at the intersection point A with the line. Therefore, the light emitted by the LED 32 is converged by the condenser lens 33 to a point A on the reflective surface of the reflective plate 31, reflected by the reflective plate 31, and enters the light receiving surface of the photo transistor 34. The circuit is configured so that the LED 32 emits light only for a few seconds before and after the reflector 31 reaches point A.

Next, to explain the operation, the second hand gear 6 is 1
Since it continues to advance step by step, the disk 30 also advances in the same way. Normally, the LED 32 does not emit light, and when the reflector 31 reaches around point A, the LED 32 does not emit light.
32 starts to emit light, and when it matches point A, the LED
The light emitted from 32 passes through a condensing lens 33 and converges on point A. Further, the light is reflected by the reflection plate 31 and enters the light receiving surface of the photo transistor 34. Therefore, a current flows between the collector and emitter of the phototransistor 34, and this signal is input to a designated time check terminal (not shown) of the circuit. Therefore, based on this signal, the time difference between the time indicated by the second hand 13 and the time indicated by an electric counter installed in the circuit is detected, and the second hand 13 is stopped for a necessary time by the control circuit, or Alternatively, the second hand 13 can be corrected by fast forwarding so that it matches the time held by the electric counter.

Also, it is necessary to set the hand at the correct position so that the second hand 13 indicates the minute (12 o'clock position) at the same time as the signal is input. It is only necessary to align the position with the matching mark 3b provided on the circuit board 3, and attach the second hand 13 at this position. In addition, the matching marks 30a and 3b are LED
The axis of light emitted by 32 and the photo transistor 34
It is located on the perpendicular bisector of the angle formed by the center line of the light-receiving surface.

FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 both show the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
This is an example using an LED and a photo transistor. 40 is a second hand gear fixed to the second hand shaft 4, and has a small hole 40a in a part thereof. 41
is a board on which a photo transistor 34 is attached, and a board 41 is fixed to the circuit board 3. 4
Reference numerals 2 and 42' designate connection terminals that are implanted so as to penetrate through the circuit board 3, and the terminals of the photo transistor 34 are connected to the connection terminals 42 and 42'. 4
3 is an LED board to which an LED 32 is attached, and is fixed to the circuit board 3. Further, the LED 32 and the photo transistor 34 are arranged so that the axis of the light emitted by the LED 32 and the center line of the light receiving surface of the photo transistor 34 are the same straight line B.

Furthermore, when the second hand gear 40 rotates, the second hand gear 4
The small hole 40a is provided so that the center of the small hole 40a of 0 coincides with the straight line B. In addition, similar to the third embodiment
The LED 32 is designed to emit light only for a few seconds before and after the small hole 40a reaches the straight line B. Next, to explain the operation, normally the LED 32 does not emit light, but when the small hole 40a of the second hand gear 40 approaches the straight line B, the LED 32 starts emitting light and the small hole 40a
When the center of a matches the straight line B, the light emitted from the LED 32 passes through the small hole 40a and forms a photo.
The light reaches the light-receiving surface of the transistor 34, and a current flows between the collector and emitter of the photo transistor 34. This signal is input to a designated time check terminal (not shown) of the circuit. Therefore, based on this signal, the time difference between the time indicated by the second hand 13 and the time indicated by an electric counter installed in the circuit is detected, and the second hand 13 is stopped for a necessary time by the control circuit, or Alternatively, the second hand 13 can be adjusted to match the time held by the electric counter by fast forwarding. 13 and 14 show a fifth embodiment of the present invention, in which a permanent magnet and a coil are used. In FIGS. 13 and 14, 50 is a second hand gear made of magnetic material, and a permanent magnet 52 is fixed to a part thereof by adhesive or the like. A yoke 51 is made of a magnetic material, and a permanent magnet 52' is fixed to a part thereof by adhesive or the like. Second hand gear 50 and yoke 5
1 is caulked and fixed to both the upper and lower ends of the seat 55,
Further, the seat 55 is fixed to the second hand shaft 4 by press fitting or the like. 53 is a detection coil, which is fixed to the coil support plate 54 by adhesive or the like;
4 is fixed to the circuit board 3 by tubes 57 and screws 58 implanted in the circuit board 3. 56,5
Reference numerals 6' denote weights fixed to the second hand gear 50 and the yoke 51 by adhesive or the like, and are used to correct rotational imbalance of the second hand shaft 4. Further, the positional relationship between the permanent magnets 52 and 52' and the detection coil 53 is such that the centers of the permanent magnets 52 and 52' coincide in a plane, and in cross section, the permanent magnets 52 and 52' are aligned with the detection coil. They are arranged symmetrically with respect to 53.

Next, to explain the operation, the second hand gear 50 continues to advance one step at a time, and the permanent magnet 5
When magnets 2 and 52' approach the detection coil 53 and overlap in a plane, the lines of magnetic force between the permanent magnets 52 and 52' are cut by the detection coil 53, and an electromotive force is generated by electromagnetic induction, causing the detection coil 53 to generate an electromotive force. An induced current flows. Since this induced current is proportional to the number of magnetic field lines cut (assuming the speed of each step is the same), the permanent magnets 52, 52' and the detection coil 53
When the centers begin to overlap, when the centers completely overlap,
Each state is different when the overlap is canceled after passing through the center.

In other words, the induced current is small when they begin to overlap, is maximum when they completely overlap at the center, and when the overlap is removed, a back electromotive force is generated, so the direction is opposite and it is small. . Therefore, by processing the induced current generated in the detection coil 53 with an appropriate circuit, for example, the switching level can be set appropriately, the small part of the induced current can be cut off, and the largest part can be shaped into a rectangular shape using a Schmitt circuit. It can be converted into a wave to create a pulse signal and used as a switch signal.

This switch signal is input to a designated time check terminal (not shown) of a circuit mounted on the circuit board 3.

Based on this signal, the time difference between the time indicated by the second hand 13 and the time indicated by an electric counter installed in the circuit is detected, and the control circuit stops the second hand 13 for the necessary time or causes it to advance rapidly. The second hand 13 is adjusted to match the time held by the electric counter.
can be corrected.

As described above, the present invention uses a magnetic reed switch, a light emitting element, a light reception detecting element, a coil, etc. as a switch mechanism for detecting the position of the gear train, so that the switch mechanism is a non-contact switch mechanism.
A switch mechanism with excellent durability, high reliability, and high speed can be obtained.

In addition, since it can be configured without the use of complicated mechanisms as in the past, the number of parts can be greatly reduced.
This not only improves the workability of assembly and adjustment, but also increases the degree of freedom in design in the arrangement of watch parts.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1, 2, and 3 show conventional switch mechanisms. Figure 1 is a plan view, Figure 2 is a part of Figure 1, showing the switch in the turned-on state, and Figure 3 shows the various parts. The sectional view, FIGS. 4 and 5, are the first embodiment of the present invention,
This is an example of using a permanent magnet and a magnetic reed switch, in which the permanent magnet is rotated and the magnetic reed switch is fixed. Figure 4 is a plan view, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view, and Figures 6 and 7 are examples of the present invention. This is the second embodiment of the present invention, in which a permanent magnet and a magnetic reed switch are used and both are fixed. Fig. 6 is a plan view, Fig. 7 is a sectional view, and Figs. Embodiment 3 This is an example in which LEDs and phototransistors are used and arranged on a plane. Fig. 8 is a plan view, Fig. 9 is a layout diagram showing the positional relationship of each element, and Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view. 11 and 12 show a fourth embodiment of the invention, which uses an LED and a phototransistor and is arranged in a cross-sectional manner. FIG. 11 is a plan view, FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view, FIG. 14 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention, in which a permanent magnet and a coil are used, FIG. 13 is a plan view, and FIG. 14 is a sectional view. 1... Main plate, 2... Gear train bridge, 3... Circuit board, 4
...Second hand shaft, 7...Permanent magnet, 8...Magnetic reed switch, 20...Second hand gear made of magnetic material, 32...LED, 34...Photo transistor, 40...Made of magnetic material, Second hand gear having a slit, 50... Second hand gear made of magnetic material, 52, 52'... Permanent magnet, 53... Coil.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1 It has an electrical counter and a mechanical counter, and a switch mechanism is switched by the rotation of the mechanical counter, and a control circuit converts the counting contents of the mechanical counter into the electrical counter. 1. A switch mechanism for a battery-powered timepiece, characterized in that the switch mechanism is a contactless switch mechanism that operates without contacting the mechanical counter. 2. The switch mechanism for a battery-powered timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the switch mechanism is composed of a permanent magnet and a magnetic reed switch. 3. The switch mechanism for a battery-powered timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the switch mechanism is comprised of a light emitting element and a light receiving detection element. 4. Claim 1, characterized in that the switch mechanism is composed of a permanent magnet and a coil.
The switch mechanism of the battery clock described in section.