JPH0637788U - Zero-reduction mechanism of analog clock - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] The time can be set by a simple operation, the movement does not become thick, the structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced. [Structure] At least a part of three wheels of a second hand wheel, a minute hand wheel, and an hour hand wheel are arranged so as to overlap at one place, and one sensor that emits light and detects reflected light is a portion where the three cars overlap. Of the three cars, which are closest to the sensor and intermediate cars, are provided with passage holes on the optical axes of the sensors and are farthest from the sensor. A reflecting portion is provided on the optical axis, and a reflecting portion having the same radius as the passing hole is provided on a surface of the intermediate car excluding the passing hole, and the motor is rotationally controlled based on a detection signal from the sensor. It is characterized by having a control unit.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a zero-resetting mechanism for an analog timepiece in which an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand independently reset to a predetermined position when setting a predetermined time.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 With the increasing functionality of analog clocks, the motors that can rotate in the forward and reverse directions operate the hour and minute hands independently, so that the time of each city, the current time, and the alarm time are automatically switched by a switch. Clocks with various functions such as displaying are made.

In this type of timepiece, in order to store the positions of the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand in a timepiece control circuit such as a microcomputer, sensors for detecting the positions of the hour hand wheel, the minute hand wheel, and the second hand wheel are individually provided. A zero-return mechanism is provided to stop the hour, minute and second hands at predetermined positions by detecting the position by the sensor.When setting the time, the zero-return mechanism moved the hour, minute and second hands to the predetermined positions. After that, the motor is driven by a signal from the control circuit and the signal is counted, so that the control circuit stores the position of the pointer.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the above-mentioned conventional analog timepiece, the zero-reset mechanism requires three sensors for detecting the positions of the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand at the time of zero-reset. It had the following problem.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an analog timepiece in which the time can be set by a simple operation, the movement does not become thick, and the structure is simplified.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The zeroing mechanism of the analog timepiece of the invention has three wheels, a second hand wheel for driving the second hand, a minute hand wheel for driving the minute hand, and an hour hand wheel for driving the hour hand, which are arranged in parallel with each other. The second hand wheel, the minute hand wheel and the hour hand wheel are operated independently by a rotatable motor to display the time, and the second hand, the minute hand and the hour hand are reset to a predetermined zero position by a predetermined operation. In the zero-return mechanism, at least a part of the three wheels of the second hand wheel, the minute hand wheel, and the hour hand wheel are arranged so as to overlap at one place, and one sensor that emits light to detect reflected light is provided to the three vehicle wheels. Are provided toward the outermost car of the overlapping part, and among the three cars, a car closest to the sensor and a car in the middle have a through hole on the optical axis of the sensor, and the car farthest from the sensor. In addition to providing a reflecting portion on the optical axis of another vehicle, The reflecting portion on the surface except for the apertures in the passage hole of the same radius of the car provided for, there is a configuration in which example Bei control unit for controlling rotation of the motor based on a detection signal from the sensor

[0007]

[Action]

 When the specified zero-reset start operation is performed, the motor control by the control unit first controls the rotation of the car closest to the sensor, and when the reflected light is received, the passage hole is located in front of the sensor and the sensor The car closest to is reset to zero. Next, by controlling the rotation of the intermediate car, when the reflected light is no longer received, the passage hole is located on the optical axis of the sensor, and the intermediate car is zeroed. Furthermore, when the car farthest from the sensor is rotationally controlled and the reflected light is received, the reflector is located on the optical axis of the sensor, and the car farthest from the sensor is zeroed.

Therefore, since one sensor can perform the zero-return operation, the movement does not become thicker than the case where two sensors are used as in the conventional case, the structure is simplified, and the cost is reduced. You can

[0009]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, an analog timepiece drive structure (zero-return mechanism) according to the present embodiment drives a minute hand, an hour hand, and a second hand independently to enable forward and reverse rotation of an hour hand motor 1 and a minute hand motor. 3 and a second hand motor 5 are provided. In the figure, 19 is a stator, 21 is a coil, and 23 is a rotor.

A fifth gear 7 is attached to the drive shaft of the hour hand motor 1, and the fifth gear 7 is sequentially connected to the hour wheel 13 via a fourth gear 9 and a third gear 11. Then, the hour hand wheel 13 drives the hour hand. A fifth gear 7 is mounted on the drive shaft of the minute hand motor 3, and the fifth gear 7 is sequentially connected to a minute hand wheel 15 via a fourth gear 9 and a third gear 11. Then, the minute hand wheel 15 drives the minute hand. Similarly, a fifth gear 7 is attached to the drive shaft of the second hand motor 5, and the fifth gear 7 is sequentially connected to a second hand wheel 17 via a fourth gear 9 and a third gear 11. . Then, the second hand wheel 17 drives the second hand.

As shown in FIG. 2, the hour hand wheel 13, the minute hand wheel 15, and the second hand wheel 17 are sequentially arranged from the bottom to the top so as to be concentric and parallel to each other. A reflective optical sensor 25 is arranged above the second hand wheel. The sensor 25 emits light and detects reflected light from a reflection plate described later.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and (b) to FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b), the sensor is provided on the second hand wheel 17 in a state of being coaxially arranged and overlapped with each other. The minute hand wheel 15 is provided with a passage hole 27 through which the light emitted from the passage is passed, and a passage hole 29 slightly wider in the circumferential direction than the passage hole 27 is provided at the same position as the minute hand wheel 15. At a similar position of the vehicle 13, a reflecting portion 31 having the same size as the passing hole 29 is provided.

Further, the minute hand wheel 15 is provided with a reflecting portion 33 having the same radius as that of the passing hole 29, and the reflecting portion 33 is formed to have the same width as the radial width of the passing hole 29. .

Therefore, when the passing hole 27 of the second hand wheel 17 is located below the sensor 25 and the reflecting portion 33 of the minute hand wheel 15 is located below this passing hole 27, the sensor 25 detects the reflected light. Further, the passage hole 27 of the second hand wheel 17 is located below the sensor 25, the passage hole 29 of the minute hand wheel 15 is located below the passage hole 27, and further below the passage hole 29 of the minute hand wheel 15. When the reflecting portion 31 of the hour wheel 13 is positioned, the sensor 25 detects the reflected light.

The passage holes 27 and 29 and the reflection portion 31 are provided so as to overlap with each other corresponding to the zero return position (for example, 12:00) of the hour hand, the minute hand, and the second hand.

Further, the sensor 25 is composed of a photodiode and a phototransistor and is connected to a microcomputer (control unit). The microcomputer controls the hour hand motor 1, minute hand motor 3 and second hand motor 5. The rotation is controlled.

Next, the zero-return control of the analog timepiece having the above configuration will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, when a predetermined reset switch is operated, it is determined whether the reflected light due to the light emitted from the sensor 25 is received (step S1). If the reflected light is received, it is assumed that there is the passage hole 27 of the second hand wheel 17 in front of the sensor 25, and the second hand wheel 17 is reversely rotated by, for example, 90 ° by driving the motor 5 (S2). If no reflected light is received, the second hand wheel 17 is rotated in the forward rotation direction by one step (for example, 6 °) by driving the motor 5 because, for example, the states shown in FIGS. Then, it is determined whether or not the reflected light is received (S3) (S4), and if the reflected light is not received, it is determined whether or not the second hand wheel 17 has rotated one rotation or more (S5).

When the second hand wheel 17 has not rotated more than one rotation, the process returns to step S3, and steps S3 to S5 are repeated until it rotates one rotation or more. If the reflected light is not received even if the second hand wheel 17 rotates more than once, it is determined that there is the passage hole 29 of the minute hand wheel 15 in front of the sensor 25, the second hand wheel 17 is stopped (S6), and the minute hand The wheel 15 is rotated by, for example, 90 ° to shift the position of the passage hole 29 of the minute hand wheel 15 (S7), and the procedure returns to step S3 and starts again.

When the reflected light is received in step S4, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, it is assumed that there is the passage hole 27 of the second hand wheel 17 in front of the sensor 25. The second hand wheel 17 is stopped (S8), and as shown in FIGS. 9 (a) and 9 (b), the passage hole 27 of the second hand wheel 17 is detected, and the minute hand wheel is provided below the passage hole 27 of the second hand wheel 17. It is detected that fifteen reflecting parts 33 are located. Next, the minute hand wheel 15 is rotated in the forward direction by one step (S9), and it is determined whether the reflected light is still received (S10). If the reflected light is received, the reflected light is not received. Steps S9 to S11 are repeated until the minute hand wheel rotates once. In this case, when the reflected light is still received even if the minute hand wheel 15 makes one rotation, the minute hand wheel 15 is stopped (S12), the hour hand wheel 13 is rotated by 90 ° (S13), and the process returns to step S9 and starts over.

If the reflected light is not received in step S 10, it is assumed that the passage hole 29 of the minute hand wheel 15 is located below the passage hole 27 of the second hand wheel 17 as shown in FIGS. The minute hand wheel 15 is stopped (S14), and the second hand and minute hand are both returned to the zero return position, and the hour hand wheel 13 is in the state shown in FIGS. 11 (a) and 11 (b). Next, the hour wheel 13 is rotated by one step (S15), and it is determined whether or not the reflected light is received (S16). If the reflected light is not received, the step S15, until the reflected light is received, When S16 is repeated and reflected light is received, as shown in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b), the reflecting portion 31 of the hour wheel 13 is positioned below both passage holes 27 and 29. As a result, the hour hand wheel 13 is stopped (S17), and the zero-returning process is terminated assuming that the second hand, the minute hand and the hour hand have zeroed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the second hand, the minute hand and the hour hand are reset to zero by simply pressing the reset button, so that the time can be easily set. In addition, since zero return operation is possible with one sensor, the movement does not become thicker than when three sensors are used as in the past, and the structure can be simplified and cost can be reduced. Becomes Although the second hand wheel and the minute hand wheel are provided with the through holes and the minute hand wheel and the hour hand wheel are provided with the reflecting portions in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. You may make it provide a through hole and a reflection part.

[0023]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, the zero movement of the second hand, the minute hand, and the hour hand can be performed by one sensor, so that the movement does not become thick, the structure is simplified, and the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a driving mechanism for a second hand, a minute hand and an hour hand according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a second hand wheel, a minute hand wheel, and an hour hand wheel.

FIG. 3 is a plan view and a vertical sectional view of the second hand wheel.

FIG. 4 is a plan view and a vertical sectional view of a minute hand wheel.

FIG. 5 is a plan view and a vertical sectional view of an hour wheel.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a zero-restoring control process.

7A and 7B are a vertical sectional view and a plan view of the second hand wheel showing a zero-return operation.

8A and 8B are a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view of the second hand wheel showing a zero-return operation.

9A and 9B are a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view of the minute hand wheel showing a zero-return operation.

FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view and a plan view of the minute hand wheel showing a zero-return operation.

11A and 11B are a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view of an hour wheel showing a zero-return operation.

12A and 12B are a longitudinal sectional view and a plan view of an hour wheel showing a zero-return operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 3 and 5 motors 13 hour hand wheel 15 minute hand wheel 17 second hand wheel 25 sensor 27, 29 passage hole 31, 33 reflector

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A second hand wheel that has three wheels, a second hand wheel for driving a second hand, a minute hand wheel for driving a minute hand, and an hour hand wheel for driving an hour hand, which are arranged in parallel with each other, and can be rotated by a forward and reverse motor. And the minute hand wheel and the hour hand wheel are operated independently to display the time, and the second hand, the minute hand and the hour hand are reset to a predetermined zero position by a predetermined operation. Part of the three wheels, the minute hand wheel and the hour hand wheel, are arranged so as to overlap at one location, and one sensor that emits light and detects reflected light is placed on the outermost vehicle of the area where the three cars overlap. Of the three cars, a car closest to the sensor and a car in the middle of the three cars are provided with passage holes on the optical axes of the sensors, and one car farthest from the sensor is provided on the optical axes of the cars. In addition to providing the reflection part, on the surface excluding the passage hole of the intermediate car A zero-resetting mechanism for an analog timepiece, comprising a reflector having the same radius as that of the passage hole, and a controller for controlling rotation of the motor based on a detection signal from the sensor. 2. The analog timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the second hand wheel, the minute hand wheel, and the hour hand wheel face each other and are sequentially arranged concentrically, and the sensor is provided on the front side of the second hand wheel. Zero-zero mechanism.