JP2009085772A - Clock dial and clock - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a timepiece dial that ensures a light transmission amount and has a superior esthetic appearance as well as to provide a watch that comprises the timepiece dial, ensures a sufficient electric-generating capacity by solar battery, and has a superior esthetic appearance. <P>SOLUTION: The timepiece dial 20 includes an electrophoresis dispersion-containing layer 40 and a reflective film 8 with an aperture 82 at the light-entering side of the electrophoresis dispersion-containing layer 40 (upper side in Fig. 1). The electrophoresis dispersion-containing layer 40 includes an electrophoresis dispersion 10 where electrophoresis particles 5 are dispersed into a liquid medium 6 and is constructed so that the light amount transmitting through the timepiece dial 20 can be adjusted by electrophoresing the electrophoresis particles 5 in the electrophoresis dispersion-containing layer 40. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a timepiece dial and a timepiece.

  A dial for a solar timepiece (a timepiece equipped with a solar cell) is required to have a function (light transmittance) that transmits a sufficient amount of light (light) for the solar cell to generate a sufficient electromotive force. For this reason, conventionally, a highly transparent plastic member has been used as a dial for a solar timepiece. However, plastics generally lack a sense of quality and are inferior in aesthetic appearance compared to metal materials such as Au and Ag. For this reason, a dial plate obtained by sticking a metal film made of a metal material and provided with an opening through an adhesive on a plastic substrate has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). ).

  However, in such a timepiece, light is taken into the solar cell through the opening, and the opening is viewed, for example, outdoors in the daytime or in a room with relatively bright illumination when the timepiece (dial) is viewed. It was conspicuous, and the aesthetic appearance of the watch was lowered. Further, if the area of the opening is reduced in order to maintain the aesthetic appearance of the watch, it is difficult to irradiate the solar cell with a sufficient amount of light.

JP 11-326549 A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a timepiece dial having an excellent aesthetic appearance while ensuring a light transmission amount, and also to ensure a sufficient amount of power generation by a solar cell and an excellent aesthetic appearance. To provide a watch.

Such an object is achieved by the present invention described below.
The timepiece dial of the present invention is characterized in that the amount of transmitted light can be adjusted.
Thereby, it is possible to provide a timepiece dial having an excellent aesthetic appearance while ensuring a light transmission amount.

The timepiece dial of the present invention comprises an electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer containing an electrophoretic dispersion containing electrophoretic particles,
It is preferable that the electrophoretic particles in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer are configured to be able to adjust the amount of light transmitted through electrophoresis by the action of an electric field.
Thereby, it is possible to obtain a timepiece dial that can quickly and easily adjust the light transmission amount according to the external light quantity.

The timepiece dial of the present invention is preferably configured so that the density of the electrophoretic particles in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer when viewed in plan is changed by the action of an electric field.
As a result, the amount of light transmission can be adjusted faster and more easily in accordance with the amount of external light, and a timepiece dial having an excellent aesthetic appearance can be obtained while ensuring a sufficient amount of light transmission. be able to.

In the timepiece dial of the present invention, it is preferable that the area of the region covered with the electrophoretic particles of the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer when viewed in plan is changed by the action of an electric field. .
As a result, the amount of light transmission can be adjusted faster and more easily in accordance with the amount of external light, and a timepiece dial having an excellent aesthetic appearance can be obtained while ensuring a sufficient amount of light transmission. be able to.

In the timepiece dial of the present invention, in addition to the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer, the timepiece dial plate includes a light-shielding film having an opening provided on at least one surface of the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer,
When viewed in a plan view, the electrophoretic particles in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer are arranged so as to overlap with the real part of the light shielding film and so as to overlap with the opening of the light shielding film. It is preferable to have a configuration capable of taking a state.
As a result, the amount of light transmission can be adjusted faster and more easily in accordance with the amount of external light, and a timepiece dial having an excellent aesthetic appearance can be obtained while ensuring a sufficient amount of light transmission. be able to.

In the timepiece dial according to the aspect of the invention, it is preferable that the light shielding film is a reflective film having a function of reflecting light.
Thereby, the aesthetic appearance of the timepiece dial can be further improved.
The timepiece dial of the present invention preferably includes a transparent electrode made of a light-transmitting conductive material.
As a result, it is possible to obtain a timepiece dial that can transmit external light more efficiently when the amount of external light is small.

The watch of the present invention includes a solar cell that receives light and generates power;
The timepiece dial of the present invention provided on the side on which the light of the solar cell is incident so as to face the solar cell;
Detecting means for detecting at least one of the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage means based on the amount of power generated by the solar cell and the electromotive force of the solar cell;
Control means for adjusting the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial based on the detection result of the detection means.
Thereby, while being able to ensure sufficient electric power generation by a solar cell, the timepiece excellent in the aesthetic appearance can be provided.

The watch of the present invention includes a solar cell that receives light and generates power;
A timepiece dial provided on the side on which the light of the solar cell is incident so as to face the solar cell;
Detecting means for detecting at least one of the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage means based on the amount of power generated by the solar cell and the electromotive force of the solar cell;
Control means for adjusting the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial based on the detection result of the detection means.
Thereby, while being able to ensure sufficient electric power generation by a solar cell, the timepiece excellent in the aesthetic appearance can be provided.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a timepiece dial having an excellent aesthetic appearance while ensuring a light transmission amount. Moreover, the timepiece dial can be provided, and a sufficient amount of power generated by the solar cell can be secured, and a timepiece having an excellent aesthetic appearance can be provided.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<First Embodiment>
First, a first embodiment of the timepiece dial of the present invention will be described.
1 and 2 are diagrams showing a first embodiment of a timepiece dial according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a schematic cross section showing a state in which the light transmission efficiency of the timepiece dial according to the present embodiment is high. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the light transmission efficiency of the timepiece dial of this embodiment is suppressed. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the upper side in FIGS. 1 and 2 is described as “upper” and the lower side is described as “lower”.

  The timepiece dial 20 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 has an electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 and a reflective film (on the upper side in FIGS. 1 and 2) on which the light enters the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40. Light shielding film) 8. Further, on the side of the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 that emits light (the lower side in FIGS. 1 and 2), a first substrate 1 including a first electrode 3 is provided. Oppositely, the second substrate 2 including the second electrode 4 is provided between the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 and the reflective film 8. Further, a spacer that defines the distance between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 in the vicinity of the side portion of the timepiece dial 20. 7 is provided. Such a timepiece dial plate 20 is used such that the surface side on which the reflective film 8 is provided becomes the observer side when applied to a timepiece as will be described later.

The reflective film 8 includes a real part 81 having a function of reflecting light incident on the timepiece dial 20 and an opening 82 that transmits the incident light to the first substrate 1 side.
The electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 includes an electrophoretic dispersion 10 in which electrophoretic particles 5 are dispersed in a liquid-phase dispersion medium 6, and includes the first substrate 1, the second substrate 2, and the spacer 7. It is provided in the enclosed area. Such electrophoretic particles 5 have a positive or negative charge, and move in the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 when a voltage is applied between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4. (Electrophoresis) and has a property of gathering in the vicinity of either the first electrode 3 or the second electrode 4.

The first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are each made of a light transmissive material.
The first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 are respectively provided on the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 so as not to overlap each other when the timepiece dial 20 is viewed in plan. . In other words, when the timepiece dial 20 is viewed in plan, the first electrode 3 is provided so as to overlap the real part 81 of the reflective film 8, and the second electrode 4 is an opening of the reflective film 8. It is provided so as to overlap the portion 82.

  In the timepiece dial 20 having such a configuration, the arrangement of the electrophoretic particles 5 can be adjusted by applying a voltage between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4. The light transmission amount of the timepiece dial 20 can be adjusted. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, in a state where the electrophoretic particles 5 in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 are attracted to the vicinity of the first electrode 3, the timepiece dial 20 has the opening of the reflective film 8. The external light is efficiently transmitted to the first substrate 1 side (lower side in FIG. 1) via the first terminal 82 (first state). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, when the electrophoretic particles 5 in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 are attracted to the vicinity of the second electrode 4, the timepiece dial 20 is incident through the opening 82. The transmitted external light is prevented from passing to the first substrate 1 side (second state).

Therefore, for example, when the timepiece dial 20 is used as a solar timepiece dial having a solar cell on the light emitting side, as described below, the timepiece dial is used depending on the situation. By setting 20 to a 1st state or a 2nd state, it can be set as the dial for solar timepieces which was excellent in the aesthetic appearance, fully ensuring the light transmittance to a solar cell.
Specifically, when the amount of light around the timepiece dial 20 is small, the opening 82 of the reflective film 8 is not easily noticeable when the timepiece dial 20 is viewed from the observer side. Thus, the aesthetics (aesthetic appearance) of the timepiece dial 20 is not impaired, but since the amount of light incident on the timepiece dial 20 is small, it is necessary to efficiently transmit external light. Therefore, in such a case, by setting the timepiece dial 20 to the first state, external light incident on the timepiece dial 20 is efficiently transmitted to the first substrate 1 side (solar cell side). And the aesthetic appearance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made excellent. On the other hand, when the amount of light around the timepiece dial 20 is large, the opening 82 of the reflective film 8 is easily noticeable when the timepiece dial 20 is observed from the observer side, so that the opening 82 does not stand out. It is necessary to. In such a case, by setting the timepiece dial 20 to the second state, it is possible to suppress the external light incident through the opening 82 from being transmitted to the first substrate 1 side, and to open the opening 82. Can be prevented from standing out. When the storage means such as the secondary battery is sufficiently stored by the electromotive force of the solar battery, the timepiece dial 20 is set to the second state, so that the timepiece can be controlled regardless of the surrounding light quantity. The aesthetic appearance of the dial 20 can be made excellent.

  As described above, the timepiece dial 20 can adjust the light transmission amount. As a result, it is possible to prevent the opening 82 of the reflective film 8 from being noticeable regardless of the amount of light (brightness) in the surroundings, and the aesthetic appearance is excellent. Moreover, since the timepiece dial plate 20 has sufficient light transparency, it can be suitably used as a solar timepiece dial as described above.

Hereinafter, the structure of each part is demonstrated sequentially.
The 1st board | substrate 1 and the 2nd board | substrate 2 are comprised by the member on a flat plate, and have a function which supports and protects each member distribute | arranged among these. Moreover, in this invention, the 1st board | substrate 1 and the 2nd board | substrate 2 are comprised with the material which has a light transmittance. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a timepiece dial that can suitably transmit light incident from the outer surface side by using the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 having light transmittance. .

  The material constituting the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 is not particularly limited as long as it has the above-described characteristics. For example, polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer ( ABS resin), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), etc., or various plastic materials such as copolymers, blends, polymer alloys, etc., soda glass, crystalline glass, etc. Examples thereof include various glass materials such as quartz glass, lead glass, potassium glass, borosilicate glass, and alkali-free glass, and one or more of these can be used in combination.

  The average thicknesses of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are appropriately set depending on the constituent materials, applications, etc., and are not particularly limited, but are preferably about 20 to 500 μm, and preferably 25 to 250 μm. More preferably, it is about 50 to 150 μm. Thereby, size reduction (especially thickness reduction) of the timepiece dial 20 can be achieved, aiming at harmony with the light transmittance of the timepiece dial 20 and intensity | strength.

  The reflective film 8 is provided on the surface of the second substrate 2 opposite to the surface on the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 side. Such a reflective film 8 has a real part 81 having a function of reflecting external light and an opening 82. Such an opening 82 is patterned so as to overlap a second electrode 4 described later when the timepiece dial 20 is viewed in plan. The timepiece dial 20 transmits external light incident from the upper side of FIG. 1 through the opening 82.

  Examples of the material constituting the reflective film 8 include various metal materials, metal compound materials such as various metal oxides and sulfides, plastic materials, and composites of these materials. Among these materials, The material constituting the reflective film 8 is preferably a metal material. The metal material generally has a metallic luster and has a function of reflecting light (visible light). Therefore, when the reflective film 8 is made of a metal material, it functions as a reflective film that reflects light (visible light).

  As the metal material constituting the reflective film 8, for example, various metals (including alloys) can be used, and preferably Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Mg, Cr, Mn, Mo, Nb, Al, V Zr, Sn, Au, Pd, Pt, Ag, Co, In, W, Ti, Rh, and alloys containing at least one of these. The reflective film 8 is made of a material (including an alloy) containing at least one selected from Ag, Cr, Au, Al, Ti, Sn, and In, among the materials described above. Is preferred. Thereby, the aesthetic appearance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made particularly excellent. In addition, when the reflective film 8 is comprised with the said metal material, the reflective film 8 may contain components other than a metal material.

  The ratio of the area occupied by the opening 82 when the reflective film 8 is viewed in plan (ratio of the area occupied by the opening 82) is preferably 15 to 45%, and more preferably 20 to 42%. More preferably, it is 25 to 38%. As a result, the light transmission of the timepiece dial 20 can be sufficiently secured, and the opening 82 can be more reliably prevented from being noticeable.

  The average thickness of the reflective film 8 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.005 to 2.5 μm, more preferably 0.01 to 2.0 μm, and 0.05 to 1.0 μm. Is more preferable. When the average thickness of the reflective film 8 is within the above range, internal stress is applied to the reflective film 8 when the reflective film 8 and the second substrate 2 are bonded (adhered) using an adhesive or the like. Is prevented from being excessively accumulated, and the durability and aesthetic appearance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made particularly excellent.

  Further, the shape of the opening 82 of the reflective film 8 is not particularly limited. For example, the shape when viewed in plan is any shape such as a substantially circular shape, a substantially elliptical shape, a substantially polygonal shape, a slit shape, or a lattice shape. May be. Especially, as a shape of the opening part 82, when it planarly views, it is preferable to show a substantially circular shape. Thereby, in the external appearance of the timepiece dial 20, the presence of the opening 82 can be made less noticeable. Further, the opening 82 having such a shape can be easily formed, and the size thereof can be controlled more reliably.

Further, the surfaces of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 on the side of the electrophoretic dispersion containing layer 40, that is, the upper surface (front surface) of the first substrate 1 and the lower surface (back surface) of the second substrate 2 are provided. The first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 each having a layer shape (film shape) are provided.
When a voltage is applied between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4, an electric field is generated between them, and this electric field acts on the electrophoretic particles 5.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first substrate 3 and the second electrode 4 are arranged so that they do not overlap each other when the timepiece dial 20 is viewed in plan view. 1, provided on the second substrate 2.
The constituent materials of the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 are not particularly limited as long as they are substantially conductive. For example, copper, aluminum, nickel, cobalt, platinum, gold, silver Metal materials such as molybdenum, tantalum or alloys containing these, carbon-based materials such as carbon black, carbon nanotubes, fullerene, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polythiophene, polyaniline, poly (p-phenylene), poly (p-phenylene vinylene), polyfluorene, polycarbazole, polysilane or electronic conductive polymer material such as derivatives thereof, polyvinyl alcohol, polycarbonate, polyethylene oxide, polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl carbazole, in a matrix resin such as vinyl acetate, NaCl, LiClO _4, K _{l, H 2 O, LiCl,} LiBr, LiI, LiNO 3, LiSCN, LiCF 3 SO 3, NaBr, NaI, NaSCN, NaClO 4, NaCF 3 SO 3, KI, KSCN, KClO 4, KCF 3 SO 3, NH 4 I, NH ₄ SCN, NH ₄ ClO ₄ , NH ₄ CF ₃ SO ₃ , MgCl ₂ , MgBr ₂ , MgI ₂ , Mg (NO ₃ ) ₂ , MgSCN ₂ , Mg (CF ₃ SO ₃ ) ₂ , ZnCl ₂ , ZnI ₂ , ionic substances such as ZnSCN ₂ , Zn (ClO ₄ ) ₂ , Zn (CF ₃ SO ₃ ) ₂ , CuCl ₂ , CuI ₂ , CuSCN ₂ , Cu (ClO ₄ ) ₂ , Cu (CF ₃ SO ₃ ) ₂ Ion-conductive polymer material in which benzene is dispersed, indium tin oxide (ITO), fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) , Tin oxide (SnO _2), various conductive materials include such as a conductive oxide material such as indium oxide (IO), it can be used singly or in combination of two or more of these .

  Among the materials described above, the constituent material of the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 is preferably a material having conductivity and light transmittance. Thereby, even when the amount of external light is small, the timepiece dial 20 can transmit the external light more efficiently from the opening 82 of the reflective film 8. As such a material, for example, ITO can be suitably used.

In addition, as a constituent material of the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4, for example, in a non-conductive material such as a glass material, a rubber material, and a polymer material, gold, silver, nickel, Various composite materials in which conductive materials such as carbon (conductive particles) are mixed to add conductivity can also be used.
Specific examples of such a composite material include, for example, a conductive rubber in which a conductive material is mixed in a rubber material, a conductive rubber in which an electrically conductive material is mixed in an adhesive composition such as epoxy, urethane, and acrylic. In matrix resins such as conductive adhesive or conductive paste, polyolefin, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, ABS resin, nylon (polyamide), ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyester, acrylic resin, epoxy resin, urethane resin Examples thereof include a conductive resin mixed with a conductive material.

The thickness (average) of the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 is appropriately set depending on the constituent material, application, etc., and is not particularly limited, but is preferably about 0.05 to 10 μm. More preferably, it is about 0.05 to 5 μm.
The first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 have a single layer structure composed of a single material as described above, for example, a multilayer stack structure in which a plurality of materials are sequentially stacked. Also good. That is, each of the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 may have a single layer structure made of, for example, ITO, or may have a two-layer structure of an ITO layer and a polyaniline layer.

Further, the function of defining the distance between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 in the vicinity of the side portion of the timepiece dial 20. A spacer 7 is provided.
In the present embodiment, the spacer 7 is provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the timepiece dial 20, and the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 described later is interposed between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2. It also has a function as a seal member that defines (forms).

Examples of the constituent material of the spacer 7 include various resin materials such as epoxy resin, acrylic resin, urethane resin, melamine resin, and phenol resin, and various ceramic materials such as silica, alumina, and titania. One or more of these can be used in combination.
The spacer 7 is not limited to the configuration provided so as to surround the outer periphery of the timepiece dial 20. For example, a plurality of spacers 7 are arranged near the side of the timepiece dial at predetermined intervals. The interval may be sealed with another sealing material (sealing material).

  The space defined by the spacer 7, the first substrate 1, and the second substrate 2 contains (fills) the electrophoretic dispersion 10, thereby forming the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40. Has been. That is, the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 is provided on the opposite side of the first electrode 3 from the first substrate 1, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 is configured to have a portion interposed between the two.

The electrophoretic dispersion 10 is obtained by dispersing (suspending) at least one type of electrophoretic particles 5 in a liquid phase dispersion medium 6.
Such electrophoretic particles 5 have a function of absorbing and / or reflecting light.
Various materials can be used as the constituent material of the electrophoretic particles 5, and are not particularly limited. However, at least one of pigments, resins, ceramics, metals, metal oxides, and mixtures containing these is mainly used. Are preferably used. The electrophoretic particles 5 mainly composed of these materials are easy to manufacture.
Moreover, as the electrophoretic particles 5, composite particles constituted by using any two or more of the materials can be used.

  Examples of the pigment include black pigments such as aniline black, carbon black, and titanium black, white pigments such as titanium dioxide, antimony trioxide, barium sulfate, zinc sulfide, zinc white, and silicon dioxide, and azo such as monoazo, disazo, and polyazo. Pigments, yellow pigments such as isoindolinone, yellow lead, yellow iron oxide, cadmium yellow, titanium yellow and antimony, azo pigments such as monoazo, disazo and polyazo, red pigments such as quinacridone red and chrome vermilion, phthalocyanine blue And blue pigments such as indanthrene blue, bitumen, ultramarine blue and cobalt blue, green pigments such as phthalocyanine green, and the like, and one or more of these can be used in combination.

Examples of the resin include acrylic resins, urethane resins, urea resins, epoxy resins, polystyrene, polyester, and the like, and one or more of these can be used in combination.
Examples of composite particles include those in which the surface of pigment particles is coated with a resin, and those in which the surface of resin particles is coated with a pigment.

The average particle diameter of the electrophoretic particles 5 is preferably about 0.1 to 10 μm, and more preferably about 0.1 to 7.5 μm. If the average particle size of the particles is too small, aggregation is likely to occur between the electrophoretic particles 5, while if the average particle size of the particles is too large, it becomes difficult to perform electrophoresis depending on the type of the particles. There is a fear.
Such dispersion of the electrophoretic particles 5 in the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 may be performed by, for example, one or more of a paint shaker method, a ball mill method, a media mill method, an ultrasonic dispersion method, a stirring dispersion method, and the like. Can be combined.

  As the liquid phase dispersion medium 6, a liquid having a relatively high insulating property is preferably used. Examples of the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 include alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, octanol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, and glycerin, cellosolves such as methyl cellosolve, ethyl cellosolve, and phenyl cellosolve, methyl acetate, and ethyl acetate. , Esters such as butyl acetate and ethyl formate, ketones such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, diethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, methyl isopropyl ketone and cyclohexanone, aliphatic hydrocarbons such as pentane, hexane and octane, paraffin, isoparaffin, Petroleum hydrocarbons such as cycloparaffin, alicyclic hydrocarbons such as cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane, benzene, toluene, xylene, hexylbenzene, heptylbenzene Aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzenes having a long-chain alkyl group (alkylbenzene derivatives) such as zen, octylbenzene, nonylbenzene, decylbenzene, undecylbenzene, dodecylbenzene, tridecylbenzene, and tetradecylbenzene, methylene chloride , Halogenated hydrocarbons such as chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, 1,2-dichloroethane, aromatic heterocycles such as pyridine, pyrazine, furan, pyrrole, thiophene, methylpyrrolidone, nitriles such as acetonitrile, propionitrile, acrylonitrile, etc. Amides such as N, N-dimethylformamide and N, N-dimethylacetamide, carboxylates or other various oils, and the like can be used alone or as a mixture.

  Further, in the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 (electrophoretic dispersion liquid 10), for example, particles such as an electrolyte, a surfactant, a metal soap, a resin material, a rubber material, oils, a varnish, and a compound are used as necessary. Various additives such as dispersants such as charge control agents, titanium coupling agents, aluminum coupling agents, and silane coupling agents, lubricants, and stabilizers may be added.

  Further, the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 includes an anthraquinone dye, azo dye, indigoid dye, triphenylmethane dye, pyrazolone dye, stilbene dye, diphenylmethane dye, xanthene dye, alizarin as required. Various dyes such as a dye, an acridine dye, a quinoneimine dye, a thiazole dye, a methine dye, a nitro dye, and a nitroso dye may be dissolved. By dissolving such a dye in the liquid phase dispersion medium 6, it is possible to finely adjust the color tone of the appearance of the timepiece dial 20 while ensuring light transmission. In particular, when the electrophoretic particle 5 is a colored particle (for example, composed of a pigment as a main material), a combination of the color of the electrophoretic particle 5 and the color of the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 can be used for a clock character. The appearance of the plate 20 can have various variations of color tone.

  Further, the viscosity and viscosity of the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 (viscosity measured in accordance with JIS Z8809 using a vibration viscometer at 25 ° C.) are the same as those of the electrophoretic particles 5 and the liquid phase dispersion medium described above. It is preferably 0.8 mPa · s or more, although it varies depending on the specific gravity difference from 6. Thereby, even if the voltage applied between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 is removed, the electrophoretic particles 5 remain stably in a state (position) where the voltage is applied. The light transmission amount of the timepiece dial 20 can be maintained for a longer period in a desired state.

Here, the principle of electrophoresis of the electrophoretic particles 5 in each electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 will be described in detail.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram for explaining the principle of electrophoresis of the electrophoretic particles 5. For convenience of explanation, the upper side in FIG. 3 is described as “upper” and the lower side is described as “lower”.
The electrophoretic particles 5 are particles that have a charge and can be electrophoresed in the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 when an electric field is applied.

In such a timepiece dial plate 20, when a voltage is applied between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4, the electrophoretic particles 5 are applied to one of the electrodes according to the electric field generated between them. Electrophoresis towards.
For example, when the electrophoretic particle 5 has a negative charge, if the first electrode 3 is set to a positive potential, the electrophoretic particle 5 moves to the first electrode 3 side as shown in FIG. , Gathered on the first electrode 3. On the other hand, when the second electrode 4 is set to a positive potential, the electrophoretic particles 5 move to the second electrode 4 side as shown in FIG. get together.

Therefore, the physical properties of the electrophoretic particles 5 (for example, positive / negative, charge amount (charge amount), etc.), the polarity of the first electrode 3 or the second electrode 4, the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 By appropriately setting the potential difference between them, the timepiece dial 20 can adjust the amount of transmitted external light according to the amount of ambient light.
Based on the principle described above, the timepiece dial 20 can adjust the arrangement of the electrophoretic particles 5, thereby adjusting the light transmission amount of the timepiece dial 20. More specifically, in order to increase the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial 20, as shown in FIG. 1, the electrophoretic particles 5 are placed in the vicinity of the first electrode 3 provided on the first substrate 1. By applying a voltage between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 so as to gather, external light entering from the upper side of the timepiece dial plate 20 through the opening 82 of the reflective film 8 is applied. The light can be efficiently transmitted to the first substrate 1 side (first state). On the other hand, in order to reduce the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial 20 and make the opening 82 inconspicuous, the electrophoretic particles 5 are provided in the second substrate 2 provided on the second substrate 2 as shown in FIG. By applying a voltage between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 so as to gather in the vicinity of the electrode 4, the external light incident on the timepiece dial 20 through the opening 82 is reflected by light. The amount of permeation to the first substrate 1 side is suppressed by the electrophoretic particles 5 having the function of absorbing and / or reflecting (second state).

  In addition, when the voltage applied between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 is removed, the electrophoretic particles 5 immediately before the voltage application is removed in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40. Stays stable at the position. Therefore, for example, when the surrounding light amount is small, the timepiece dial plate 20 in the first state does not have to continue to apply a voltage between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4. The migrating particles 5 are stably gathered in the vicinity of the first electrode 3 and can continue to efficiently transmit external light. When the electrophoretic particles 5 are released from the assembled state in the vicinity of the first electrode 3 or the second electrode 4 and the light transmission amount of the timepiece dial plate 20 is changed from a desired state, the first electrode 3 again. A voltage may be applied between the electrode 3 and the second electrode 4.

The absolute value of the difference between the specific gravity of the electrophoretic particles 5 and the specific gravity of the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 is preferably 0.5 g / cm ³ or less, depending on the viscosity of the liquid phase dispersion medium 6. Thereby, even if the voltage applied between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 is removed, the electrophoretic particles 5 remain stably in a state (position) where the voltage is applied. The light transmission amount of the timepiece dial 20 can be maintained for a longer period in a desired state.

  Further, in the present embodiment, it is assumed that the electrophoretic particles 5 are gathered in the vicinity of either the first electrode 3 or the second electrode 4 to adjust the light transmittance of the timepiece dial 20. However, the states that the timepiece dial 20 can take are not limited to the first state and the second state described above. For example, the magnitude of the voltage applied between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 and the application time are adjusted, and the electrophoretic particles 5 are moved to the first electrode in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40. The light transmission of the timepiece dial 20 can be adjusted more finely by arranging more on either the third side or the second electrode 4 side.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the timepiece dial of the present invention will be described.
4 and 5 are diagrams showing a second embodiment of the timepiece dial according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a schematic cross section showing a state in which the light transmission efficiency of the timepiece dial according to the present embodiment is high. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the light transmission efficiency of the timepiece dial of this embodiment is suppressed. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the upper side in FIGS. 4 and 5 is described as “upper” and the lower side is described as “lower”.

Hereinafter, the second embodiment of the timepiece dial will be described. The description will focus on differences from the timepiece dial according to the first embodiment, and the description of the same matters will be omitted.
The timepiece dial 20 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is the same as that of the first embodiment except that the configuration of the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer is different.
That is, the timepiece dial plate 20 of the present embodiment has an electrophoretic particle dispersion 10 in which the electrophoretic particles 5 are dispersed in the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 as the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer in the capsule body (shell) 401. The microcapsules 40 are fixed to a region surrounded by the first substrate 1, the second substrate 2, and the spacer 7 by a binder material 41. In addition, each microcapsule 40 is provided one by one between a pair of first electrode 3 and second electrode 4 provided so as not to overlap each other when the timepiece dial 20 is viewed in plan view. Has been placed.

  With such a configuration, in the timepiece dial plate 20, the movement of the electrophoretic particles 5 is limited within a predetermined region (in each microcapsule 40), and therefore, between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4. When a voltage is applied, the density (density) of the electrophoretic particles 5 gathering in the vicinity of a predetermined electrode is unintentional between the electrodes (between the first electrodes 3 or between the second electrodes 4). It is possible to surely prevent the variation. As a result, the timepiece dial 20 is more reliably in a state in which more external light is transmitted (first state) and, conversely, a state in which the amount of transmitted external light is suppressed (second state). Can be produced. In addition, since the density of the electrophoretic particles 5 gathered in the vicinity of each electrode can be made uniform between the electrodes, for example, in the second state, a part of the opening 82 of the reflective film 8 is conspicuous. It can prevent more reliably.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the timepiece dial 20 of the present embodiment is provided with a pair of first electrode 3 and second electrode 4 corresponding to one microcapsule 40. However, for example, a plurality of first electrodes 3 and second electrodes 4 may be provided corresponding to one microcapsule 40.
As described above, the microcapsule 40 is obtained by encapsulating the electrophoretic particle dispersion 10 in which the electrophoretic particles 5 are dispersed in the liquid phase dispersion medium 6 in a capsule body (shell) 401.
Such a microcapsule 40 is provided in a space defined (formed) by the spacer 7, the first substrate 1, and the second substrate 2, and is fixed (held) by a binder material 41.
The microcapsules 40 are arranged in a single layer (one by one without overlapping in the thickness direction) between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 so as to be parallel in the vertical and horizontal directions.

In the present embodiment, the microcapsules 40 are compressed in the vertical direction by being sandwiched between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4, spread in the horizontal direction, and have a flat shape. In other words, the microcapsule 40 forms a stone wall structure in a plan view.
With such a configuration, the timepiece dial 20 can more reliably create a state in which more external light is transmitted and, conversely, a state in which the amount of transmitted external light is suppressed. Furthermore, since the electrophoretic particles 5 are limited to movement within a predetermined region (in each microcapsule 40), the electrophoretic particles 5 can be moved and assembled in the vicinity of a predetermined electrode in a short time, and the response speed can be increased. Improvements can be made.

The constituent material of the capsule body (shell) 401 is not particularly limited. For example, a composite material of gum arabic and gelatin, a urethane resin, a melamine resin, a urea resin, an epoxy resin, polyamide, and polyether are used. Various resin materials can be used, and one or more of these can be used in combination.
In addition, a method for producing the microcapsule 40 (a method for encapsulating the electrophoretic dispersion 10 in the microcapsule 40) is not particularly limited. For example, an interfacial polymerization method, an in-situ polymerization method, a phase separation method (or a core separation method) Various microencapsulation methods such as a cervation method), an interfacial precipitation method, and a spray drying method can be used. The above microencapsulation method may be appropriately selected according to the constituent material of the microcapsule 40 and the like.

Such microcapsules 40 are preferably substantially uniform in size. Thereby, the dial 20 for timepieces can adjust the amount of light transmission more reliably. In addition, an unintentional decline in aesthetic appearance can be prevented more reliably. More specifically, the conspicuous opening 82 of the reflective film 8 can be more reliably prevented. The microcapsules 40 having a uniform size can be obtained by using, for example, a filtration method, a specific gravity difference class method, or the like.
The size (average particle diameter) of the microcapsules 40 is not particularly limited, but is usually preferably about 10 to 150 μm, and more preferably about 20 to 100 μm.

The binder material 41 is used for bonding the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, for the purpose of fixing the microcapsule 40 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, the first electrode 3, 2 for the purpose of ensuring insulation between the two electrodes 4. Thereby, the durability and reliability of the timepiece dial 20 can be further improved.
The binder material 41 is preferably a resin material that has optical transparency, is excellent in affinity (adhesion) with the first electrode 3, the second electrode 4, and the microcapsule 40 and is excellent in insulation. Used for.

Such a binder material 41 is not particularly limited. For example, polyethylene, chlorinated polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer, ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer, polypropylene, ABS resin, methyl methacrylate resin, Vinyl chloride resin, vinyl chloride-vinyl acetate copolymer, vinyl chloride-vinylidene chloride copolymer, vinyl chloride acrylate copolymer, vinyl chloride-methacrylic acid copolymer, vinyl chloride-acrylonitrile copolymer, ethylene- Vinyl alcohol-vinyl chloride copolymer, propylene-vinyl chloride copolymer, vinylidene chloride resin, vinyl acetate resin, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl formal, cellulose resin, and other thermoplastic resins, polyamide resin, polyacetal, polycarbonate, polyethylene Polymers such as terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyphenylene oxide, polysulfone, polyamideimide, polyaminobismaleimide, polyethersulfone, polyphenylenesulfone, polyarylate, grafted polyphenylene ether, polyetheretherketone, polyetherimide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, poly Fluorine series such as tetrafluoroethylene, polyfluoroethylenepropylene, tetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer, ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride, polytrifluoroethylene chloride, fluororubber, etc. Resin, silicone resin, silicone resin such as silicone rubber, and others, methacrylic acid-styrene copolymer, polybutylene, methyl methacrylate-butadiene They include alkylene copolymers may be used singly or in combination of two or more of them.
The binder material 41 is preferably set so that the dielectric constant thereof is substantially equal to the dielectric constant of the liquid phase dispersion medium 6. For this reason, it is preferable to add a dielectric constant adjusting agent such as alcohols such as 1,2-butanediol and 1,4-butanediol, ketones, and carboxylates to the binder material 41.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the timepiece dial of the present invention will be described.
6 and 7 are views showing a third embodiment of the timepiece dial of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a schematic cross section showing a state in which the light transmission efficiency of the timepiece dial of the present embodiment is high. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the light transmission efficiency of the timepiece dial of this embodiment is suppressed. In the following description, for convenience of explanation, the upper side in FIGS. 6 and 7 is described as “upper” and the lower side is described as “lower”.

Hereinafter, the third embodiment of the timepiece dial will be described. However, the difference from the timepiece dial according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment will be mainly described. Description is omitted.
The timepiece dial plate 20 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 has a function of reflecting light, and includes an electrophoretic dispersion formed by filling each opening 92 with a substrate 9 having an opening 92 and an electrophoretic dispersion liquid 10. A liquid-containing layer 40 is provided. Further, the first film 11 including the first electrode 3 is provided on the light emitting side (the lower side in FIGS. 6 and 7) of the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 (the opening 92 of the substrate 9). The second electrode 4 is provided with the second electrode 4 so as to face the first film 11 on the light incident side (upper side in FIGS. 6 and 7) of the substrate 9 and the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40. The film 12 is provided. In addition, the 1st electrode 3 of this embodiment and the 2nd electrode 4 are the surface on the opposite side (lower side in FIG. 6, 7) of the 1st film 11, and the 2nd film 12, respectively. The substrate 9 is provided so as to cover the entire surface opposite to the substrate 9 (upper side in FIGS. 6 and 7).

  Similarly to the reflection film 8 described above, the substrate 9 has a real part 91 having a function of reflecting light incident on the timepiece dial 20 and an opening 92 that transmits the incident light to the first film 11 side. have. Such an opening 92 is provided so that the cross-sectional area of the opening 92 increases from the first film 11 toward the second film 12 in the thickness direction of the substrate 9. That is, the opening 92 has a cross-sectional area minimum portion 923 that makes contact with the first film 11 and has a minimum cross-sectional area, and a cross-sectional area maximum portion 924 that makes contact with the second film 12 and has a maximum cross-sectional area. is doing.

Each opening 92 of the substrate 9 (a region surrounded by the real part 91 of the substrate 9, the first film 11, and the second film 12) is filled with the electrophoresis dispersion liquid 10 as described above. The electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 is defined (formed).
In the timepiece dial 20 having such a configuration, a voltage is applied between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 as in the case of the timepiece dial 20 and the timepiece dial 20 described above. Thus, the arrangement of the electrophoretic particles 5 can be adjusted, whereby the light transmission amount of the timepiece dial 20 can be adjusted. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the electrophoretic particles 5 in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 are electrophoresed on the second electrode 4 side and attracted to the vicinity of the maximum cross-sectional area 924 of the opening 92 of the substrate 9. In such a state, the density (density) of the electrophoretic particles 5 gathered in the vicinity of the maximum cross-sectional area 924 becomes sufficiently low, and external light is efficiently passed through the opening 92 on the first film 11 side (see FIG. 6 (lower side) (first state). On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the electrophoretic particles 5 in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 are electrophoresed on the first electrode 3 side and are drawn near the minimum cross-sectional area 923 of the opening 92 of the substrate 9. In this state, the density (density) of the electrophoretic particles 5 gathered in the vicinity of the cross-sectional area minimum portion 923 is sufficiently high, and external light incident on the timepiece dial 20 through the opening 92 is the first. Permeation to the film 11 side is suppressed (second state). The timepiece dial 20 is configured to be able to adjust the transmission amount of external light by being able to take the first state and the second state as described above. Such a timepiece dial plate 20 is excellent in aesthetic appearance while sufficiently ensuring light transmission.

  Further, the timepiece dial 20 of the present embodiment is different from the timepiece dial of the first embodiment or the second embodiment described above without patterning the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4. Each of the first film 11 and the second film 12 is coated on the entire surface opposite to the substrate 9. Thus, in the timepiece dial plate 20 of the present embodiment, it is not necessary to pattern the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4, so that the manufacturing process of the timepiece dial plate 20 can be simplified. it can. Further, even when a film formation failure such as thickness unevenness occurs when the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 are formed, the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 are subjected to a film formation process that does not require patterning, so that the first Since the electrode 3 and the second electrode 4 can be formed, the defect rate of the timepiece dial 20 can be reduced and the productivity can be improved. Further, even if the electrophoretic dispersion liquid 10 or the first film 11 and the second film 12 are deteriorated as a result of using such a timepiece dial plate 20 for a long time, the timepiece dial plate 20 is constituted. Since each member to be performed can be easily replaced, the reusability is excellent. In the present embodiment, the cross-sectional area refers to a cross-sectional area in the main surface direction of the substrate 9 (a cross-sectional area when the substrate 9 is viewed in plan).

The 1st film 11 and the 2nd film 12 are each comprised with the material which has a light transmittance.
Further, the first film 11 and the second film 12 may be either flexible or hard, respectively.
Although the material which comprises such 1st film 11 and 2nd film 12 is not specifically limited, For example, the material which comprises the 1st board | substrate 1 mentioned above and the 2nd board | substrate 2 is used suitably. it can.

The board | substrate 9 has the real part 91 which has the function to reflect external light, and the opening part 92 as mentioned above.
As the material constituting the substrate 9, the same material as that of the reflective film 8 described above can be suitably used.
The opening 92 of the substrate 9 is in contact with the first film 11 and has a minimum cross-sectional area 923 where the cross-sectional area is minimum, and an inclined surface 921 inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate 9. The cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 where the cross-sectional area increases toward the upper direction of the substrate 9 (the direction of the second film 12), and the cross-sectional area maximum portion 924 that contacts the second film 12 and has the maximum cross-sectional area. It is formed as having.

  By having such a cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 (inclined surface 921), external light incident on the timepiece dial 20 can be more efficiently transmitted to the first film 11 side. Further, the light incident on the inclined surface 921 can be reflected (irregular reflection) on the light incident side. As a result, the transmittance of external light incident from the outside (external light from the upper side in FIGS. 6 and 7) can be made sufficiently high and the presence of the opening 92 can be made inconspicuous. The aesthetic appearance of the timepiece dial 20 as a whole can be made excellent.

Further, since the opening 9 has the cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 (inclined surface 921), the presence of the opening 9 can be made inconspicuous, so the opening area of the opening 9 is relatively large. Even if it is intended, the appearance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made sufficiently excellent. Therefore, the light transmittance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made particularly excellent while the appearance of the timepiece dial 20 is sufficiently excellent.
The opening 92 having such a cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 is, for example, a hole (opening) at a position corresponding to the center of the opening 92 when the opening 92 formed on the substrate 9 is viewed in plan view. It can be easily obtained by etching through a mask having

In addition, the opening 92 of the substrate 9 (the region surrounded by the real part 91 of the substrate 9, the first film 11, and the second film 12) is filled with the electrophoretic dispersion liquid 10 described above, The electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 is configured.
In such an electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40, the electrophoretic particles 5 contained in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 are applied to the first film 11 or the second film 2 by applying a voltage between the first electrode 3 and the second electrode 4. Electrophoresis toward film 12.

Hereinafter, a mechanism by which the timepiece dial 20 can take the first state (a state in which external light is efficiently transmitted) and the second state (a state in which transmission of external light is suppressed) will be described in detail.
As shown in FIG. 6, the timepiece dial 20 is configured such that the electrophoretic particles 5 in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 are electrophoresed on the second film 12 side, and the second film 12 and the opening 92 are formed. In a state of being drawn near the contact surface (maximum cross-sectional area 924), the density (density) of the electrophoretic particles 5 is low, and a sufficient interval (gap between the electrophoretic particles 5 to allow external light to pass therethrough). )have. As a result, the external light incident on the timepiece dial 20 can be efficiently transmitted to the first film 11 side through the opening 92. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 7, the electrophoretic particles 5 in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 are electrophoresed on the first film 11 side, and a surface (cross-sectional area) where the first film 11 and the opening 92 are in contact with each other. In the state of being attracted to the vicinity of the minimum portion 923), the density (density) of the electrophoretic particles 5 is high, and the gap (interval) between the electrophoretic particles 5 is narrowed. The amount of external light transmitted to the film 11 side is suppressed. Therefore, the timepiece dial 20 can have the above-described configuration as appropriate, and thus has an excellent aesthetic appearance while sufficiently ensuring light transmission.

In the opening 92 (cross-sectional area increasing portion 922), the cross-sectional area of the cross-sectional area smallest unit 923 cross-sectional area is minimized, it is preferably from 40～10000Myuemu ^2, more preferably from 70～8000Myuemu ^2, More preferably, it is 70-6000 micrometers ² . Thereby, while making the external appearance of the timepiece dial 20 sufficiently excellent, the light transmittance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made particularly excellent.

When the substrate 9 is viewed in plan, the area of the substrate 9 where the opening 92 is provided is S [μm ² ], and the total area of the cross-sectional area minimum portion 923 for each opening 92 is Σ (S ₀ ). When [μm ² ], it is preferable to satisfy the relationship of 0.15 ≦ Σ (S ₀ ) /S≦0.45, and the relationship of 0.20 ≦ Σ (S ₀ ) /S≦0.42 is satisfied. It is more preferable that the relationship is satisfied, and it is further preferable that the relationship of 0.25 ≦ Σ (S ₀ ) /S≦0.40 is satisfied. By satisfying such a relationship, the light transmittance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made particularly excellent while sufficiently improving the appearance of the timepiece dial 20.

Further, in the opening 92 (cross-sectional area increasing portion 922), the cross-sectional area at the cross-sectional area minimum portion 923 where the cross-sectional area is minimum is S ₀ [μm ² ], and the cross-sectional area is the maximum at the cross-sectional area maximum portion 924 When the cross-sectional area is S ₁ [μm ² ], it is preferable to satisfy the relationship of 0.15 ≦ S ₀ / S ₁ <1.00, and the relationship of 0.30 ≦ S ₀ / S ₁ <1.00 Is more preferable, and it is more preferable that the relationship of 0.50 ≦ S ₀ / S ₁ <1.00 is satisfied. By satisfying such a relationship, the light transmittance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made particularly excellent while sufficiently improving the appearance of the timepiece dial 20.

  The thickness of the cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.005 to 2.5 μm, more preferably 0.005 to 1.5 μm, and 0.007 to 0.00. It is more preferable that it is 9 micrometers, and it is most preferable that it is 0.01-0.5 micrometer. Thereby, while making the external appearance of the timepiece dial 20 sufficiently excellent, the light transmittance of the timepiece dial 20 can be made particularly excellent.

In the illustrated configuration, the cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 is formed over substantially the entire thickness of the opening 92. That is, the thickness of the substrate 9 as the reflective film is the same as the thickness of the cross-sectional area increasing portion 922. With such a configuration, the aesthetic appearance of the timepiece dial 20 is particularly excellent.
The cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 is formed so that the inclined surface 921 draws a parabola in a cross section in a direction perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate 9. When the cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 (inclined surface 921) has such a shape, the effect of having the cross-sectional area increasing portion 922 (inclined surface 921) as described above is exhibited more significantly. The

The shape of the opening 92 (minimum cross-sectional area 923) is not particularly limited. For example, the shape when viewed in plan is any shape such as a substantially circular shape, a substantially elliptical shape, a substantially polygonal shape, a slit shape, or a lattice shape. There may be. Among them, the shape of the opening 92 is preferably a substantially circular shape when viewed in plan. Thereby, in the external appearance of the timepiece dial plate 20, the presence of the opening 92 can be made inconspicuous. Moreover, the opening 92 having such a shape can be easily formed, and the size thereof can be controlled more reliably.
In addition, although the timepiece dial plate 20 of the present embodiment described above has been described on the assumption that the substrate 9 has a function of reflecting external light, it is not necessary that the entire substrate 9 has a function of reflecting external light. For example, only the material constituting the inclined surface 921 may be made of a material that reflects external light.

Next, a preferred embodiment of the timepiece of the invention will be described.
The timepiece of the present embodiment has the timepiece dial 20 as described above. As described above, the timepiece dial 20 is excellent in light transmission (light transmission) and decorativeness (aesthetic appearance). For this reason, the timepiece of this embodiment provided with such a timepiece dial 20 can sufficiently satisfy the required requirements as a solar timepiece.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a preferred embodiment of the timepiece (watch) of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 8, a wristwatch (portable watch) 100 according to this embodiment includes a case (case) 72, a back cover 73, a bezel (edge) 74, and a glass plate (cover glass) 75. . Further, in the case 72, the dial (clock dial) 20 as the clock dial of the present invention as described above, the solar cell 88, and the movement 71 are housed, and further, not shown. Needles (pointers) are stored.

The glass plate 75 is usually made of transparent glass or sapphire having high transparency. Thereby, while being able to fully exhibit the aesthetics of the dial 20 as a timepiece dial of the present invention, a sufficient amount of light can be incident on the solar cell 88.
The movement 71 uses the electromotive force of the solar cell 88 to drive the pointer.

Although omitted in FIG. 8, in the movement 71, for example, an electric double layer capacitor for storing the electromotive force of the solar battery 88, a lithium ion secondary battery, a crystal oscillator as a time reference source, a crystal vibration A semiconductor integrated circuit that generates a driving pulse that drives the clock based on the oscillation frequency of the child, a step motor that drives the wheel train mechanism every second in response to this driving pulse, and a movement of the step motor A train wheel mechanism for transmitting to the vehicle is provided.
The movement 71 includes a radio wave receiving antenna (not shown). And it has the function to perform time adjustment etc. using the received electromagnetic wave.

The solar cell 88 has a function of converting light energy into electric energy. The electric energy converted by the solar cell 88 is energy for driving the movement and causing the electrophoretic particles 5 in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer 40 included in the timepiece dial 20 to be electrophoresed (first electrode 3). Voltage applied between the first electrode 4 and the second electrode 4).
In the solar cell 88, for example, a p-type impurity and an n-type impurity are selectively introduced into a non-single-crystal silicon thin film, and a p-type non-single-crystal silicon thin film and an n-type non-single-crystal silicon thin film are used. It has a pin structure provided with an i-type non-single-crystal silicon thin film with a low impurity concentration in between.

A winding stem pipe 76 is fitted and fixed to the barrel 72, and a shaft 771 of a crown 77 is rotatably inserted into the winding stem pipe 76.
The body 72 and the bezel 74 are fixed by a plastic packing 78, and the bezel 74 and the glass plate 75 are fixed by a plastic packing 79.
Further, a back cover 73 is fitted (or screwed) to the barrel 72, and a ring-shaped rubber packing (back cover packing) 84 is inserted into the joint portion (seal portion) 85 in a compressed state. Has been. With this configuration, the seal portion 85 is sealed in a liquid-tight manner, and a waterproof function is obtained.

A groove 772 is formed in the outer periphery of the shaft 771 of the crown 77, and a ring-shaped rubber packing (crown packing) 83 is fitted in the groove 772. The rubber packing 83 is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the winding stem pipe 76 and is compressed between the inner peripheral surface and the inner surface of the groove 772. With this configuration, the space between the crown 77 and the winding stem pipe 76 is liquid-tightly sealed, and a waterproof function is obtained. When the crown 77 is rotated, the rubber packing 83 rotates together with the shaft portion 771 and slides in the circumferential direction while being in close contact with the inner peripheral surface of the winding stem pipe 76.
In the above description, a wristwatch (portable clock) is described as an example of a clock, but the present invention is similarly applied to other types of clocks such as a portable clock, a table clock, and a wall clock other than the wristwatch. be able to.

Next, a method for adjusting the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial 20 of the timepiece 100 shown in FIG. 8 will be described.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a main part of the timepiece 100 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, the timepiece 100 receives external light that has passed through the timepiece dial 20, and stores the amount of power generated by the solar cell 88 that generates power and / or the electromotive force of the solar cell 88. Detection means 95 for detecting the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage means 97 such as a lithium ion secondary battery, and control means for adjusting the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial 20 based on the detection result of the detection means 95 96. The timepiece 100 having such a configuration adjusts the light transmission amount of the timepiece dial 20 in accordance with the brightness of the surroundings where the timepiece 100 is placed and the amount of power stored in the power storage means 97. As a result, the timepiece 100 can secure a sufficient amount of power generated by the solar cell and has an excellent aesthetic appearance.

As mentioned above, although preferred embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to these.
In the above-described embodiment, a solar timepiece having a solar cell as a timepiece has been described, but the timepiece of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the timepiece dial of the present invention and a light emitting element having a function of emitting light from the inside of the watch to the outside of the watch may be provided.

Moreover, the timepiece dial of the present invention may be a combination of arbitrary configurations of the respective embodiments.
Moreover, in the timepiece dial of each embodiment described above, the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial is adjusted by electrophoresis of the electrophoretic particles in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer included in the timepiece dial. However, the timepiece dial of the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a timepiece dial has a polarizing plate, an alignment film, a pair of electrodes, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the pair of electrodes instead of the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer. The light transmission amount may be adjustable by applying a voltage to the liquid crystal and changing the alignment state of the liquid crystal. Further, the timepiece dial is not limited to the one that adjusts the light transmission amount by the action of the electric field as described above. For example, the timepiece dial is mechanically displaced by displacing at least a part of the timepiece dial. You may have a structure which adjusts the light quantity which permeate | transmits.

  In each of the embodiments described above, the reflective film 8 and the substrate 9 have been described as having a function of reflecting external light. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the reflective film 8 and the substrate 9 are made of a black light shielding material that absorbs external light. It may be configured. More specifically, carbon black or the like may be the main material. That is, instead of the reflective film 8 and the substrate 9, a light absorbing film made of a light absorbing material may be used.

In the embodiment described above, the timepiece dial is described as being configured to be able to adjust the amount of light transmitted therethrough, but the timepiece dial of the timepiece of the present invention has such a function. It does not have to be. For example, as a timepiece, a solar cell, a timepiece dial provided on the light incident side of the solar cell, and a member that adjusts the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial as a separate member from the timepiece dial It may be such that it has.
Further, each part constituting the timepiece dial and the timepiece can be replaced with any one that exhibits the same function, or other configurations can be added. For example, the timepiece according to the above-described embodiment may use a known timepiece as a part other than the timepiece dial (the timepiece dial of the present invention).

It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating 1st Embodiment of the dial for timepieces of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating 1st Embodiment of the dial for timepieces of this invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the principle of electrophoresis of electrophoretic particles in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating 2nd Embodiment of the timepiece dial of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating 2nd Embodiment of the timepiece dial of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating 3rd Embodiment of the timepiece dial of this invention. It is typical sectional drawing for demonstrating 3rd Embodiment of the timepiece dial of this invention. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows suitable embodiment of the timepiece (portable timepiece) of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the principal part of the timepiece shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... 1st board | substrate 2 ... 2nd board | substrate 3 ... 1st electrode 4 ... 2nd electrode 5 ... Electrophoretic particle 6 ... Liquid phase dispersion medium 7 ... Spacer 8 ... Reflective film 81 ... Real part 82 ... Opening part 9 ... Substrate 91 ... Real part 92 ... Opening part 921 ... Inclined surface 922 ... Cross sectional area increasing part 923 ... Cross sectional area minimum part 924 ... Cross sectional area maximum part 10 ... Electrophoretic dispersion liquid 11 ... First DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Film 12 ... 2nd film 20 ... Dial for clock 40 ... Electrophoretic dispersion liquid containing layer (microcapsule) 401 ... Capsule body (shell) 41 ... Binder material 71 ... Movement 72 ... Body (case) 73 ... Back cover 74 ... Bezel (edge) 75 ... Glass plate (cover glass) 76 ... Winding pipe 77 ... Crown 771 ... Shaft 772 ... Groove 78 ... Plastic packing 79 ... Plastic packing 83 ... rubber gasket (crown gasket) 84 ... rubber gasket (back cover gasket) 85 ... joint (sealing portion) 88 ... solar battery 95 ... detection means 96 ... control means 97 ... storage means 100 ... watch (portable timepiece)

Claims (9)

  A timepiece dial configured to be capable of adjusting the amount of light transmitted therethrough. Comprising an electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer containing an electrophoretic dispersion containing electrophoretic particles;
2. The timepiece dial according to claim 1, wherein the electrophoretic particles in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer are configured to be able to adjust a transmitted light amount by electrophoresis by an action of an electric field.   The timepiece dial according to claim 2, wherein the timepiece dial is configured to change a density of the electrophoretic particles in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer when viewed in plan by an action of an electric field.   4. The timepiece dial according to claim 2, wherein an area of a region covered with the electrophoretic particles of the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer when viewed in plan is changed by the action of an electric field. 5. . In addition to the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer, a light shielding film having an opening provided on at least one surface of the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer,
When viewed in a plan view, the electrophoretic particles in the electrophoretic dispersion-containing layer are arranged so as to overlap with the real part of the light shielding film and so as to overlap with the opening of the light shielding film. The timepiece dial according to claim 2, wherein the timepiece dial has a configuration capable of taking a state.   The timepiece dial according to claim 5, wherein the light shielding film is a reflective film having a function of reflecting light.   The timepiece dial according to any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising a transparent electrode made of a light-transmitting conductive material. A solar cell that receives light and generates electricity;
The timepiece dial according to any one of claims 1 to 7, provided on the side on which light of the solar cell is incident so as to face the solar cell;
Detecting means for detecting at least one of the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage means based on the amount of power generated by the solar cell and the electromotive force of the solar cell;
A timepiece comprising control means for adjusting the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial based on the detection result of the detection means. A solar cell that receives light and generates electricity;
A timepiece dial provided on the side on which the light of the solar cell is incident so as to face the solar cell;
Detecting means for detecting at least one of the amount of electricity stored in the electricity storage means based on the amount of power generated by the solar cell and the electromotive force of the solar cell;
A timepiece comprising control means for adjusting the amount of light transmitted through the timepiece dial based on the detection result of the detection means.

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