JP2004004010A - Radio controlled clock - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a clock which is a radio controlled clock for performing time correction by receiving standard frequency transmission, little affected by radio disturbance, and having a metallic feel. <P>SOLUTION: This radio controlled clock has a case comprising a body 30, a back cover 31, and a windshield 32, these being formed of a non-conductive material, and an antenna 38 housed in the case, the case being partly covered with an exterior part 47 of a conductive material. Because the non-conductive body is employed, the antenna is resistant to radio disturbance. Further, metal can be employed for the exterior part, a metallic feel can be given to the appearance of the radio controlled clock. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a radio-controlled timepiece that corrects time by receiving a predetermined radio wave including time information.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An electronic timepiece that receives a standard radio wave or the like, that is, a radio clock that can obtain an accurate time by receiving a standard radio wave (carrier) including time information and extracting time information from the radio wave is already known. The frequency of the radio wave including the time information differs for each country. For example, in Japan, a standard radio wave of 40 kHz is transmitted under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
FIG. 1 is an example showing the outline of the function of such a radio controlled watch.
This radio timepiece includes an antenna 1, a radio timepiece receiver 2, a CPU 3, and a display drive unit 4. Although not shown, the display unit includes an hour / minute hand or a liquid crystal display.
[0003]
The antenna receives a radio wave including time information. Then, the radio clock receiver amplifies and detects the radio wave received by the antenna, thereby extracting and outputting time information from the radio wave. The CPU outputs the current time data based on the time information output from the receiver. The display drive unit displays the current time on the display unit based on the current time data output from the CPU.
An input device 5 for inputting operation information such as reset to the CPU may be provided.
[0004]
The time information (time code) included in the radio wave is a pulse signal having a cycle of 60 seconds, and one pulse having a width of 200, 500, or 800 (msec) appears every second. . By combining these pulses, time information can be obtained in 60 seconds. The CPU 3 obtains time information (current time) by reading the pulse width of the pulse every one second from the received pulse signal. Then, the CPU corrects the display time on the display unit via the display drive unit 4 based on the acquired time information.
Therefore, the radio timepiece can always display an accurate time by correcting the display time at predetermined intervals based on the received time information.
[0005]
As such a radio clock, a wristwatch in which an antenna, a radio clock receiver, a CPU, a display drive unit, and a display unit are housed in a case serving as an antenna housing has already been provided. As the material of this case, a non-conductive material such as a synthetic resin or ceramic has been mainly used because the antenna receives radio waves.
That is, when the antenna is housed inside a case made of a conductive material such as a metal, an electromotive force is generated in the metal case by a magnetic field from the antenna, and a current is induced in the case. This is because the magnetic field is disturbed by the current, and the receiving function of the antenna is reduced to such an extent that the antenna cannot receive the standard radio wave.
[0006]
However, if a case made of a synthetic resin is used in order to avoid such an interference with the reception of the antenna, not only will the case be reduced in scratch resistance or chemical resistance, but also the luxury feeling required for a wristwatch as an accessory will be required. Aesthetics will also be impaired.
For this reason, a radio-controlled wristwatch using a metal case has been proposed. (For example, see Patent Document 1)
[0007]
FIG. 2 shows an example of the structure of a radio-controlled wristwatch using a metal for a part of the case.
The case 10 of the wristwatch is roughly composed of a body 11, a back cover 12, and a windshield 13. A movement 14 is arranged by a known means inside the body connected to a band (not shown). Above the movement, a dial 15 and a hand 16 serving as a time display unit are similarly arranged by known means. A bar antenna 17, which is a magnetic long-wave antenna, is arranged below the movement and above the back cover. The bar antenna includes a magnetic core member 18 made of a ferrite material and a coil 20 wound around the magnetic core member, and is fixed to an upper surface of a synthetic resin holding member.
[0008]
The movement 14 includes the above-described radio-controlled timepiece receiver, a CPU, and a display drive unit, and is electrically connected to the bar antenna 17 via the conductor 21. Therefore, based on the standard radio wave received by the bar antenna, the CPU of the movement operates a gear mechanism (not shown) of the display drive unit to drive the position of the needle 16 of the display unit so as to always correct it.
Here, the vertical direction is based on the vertical direction in FIG.
[0009]
The body 11 is made of a conductive material and is not hollow, that is, made of solid metal, for example, solid stainless steel. A windshield 13 made of glass, which is a non-conductive material, is fixed to the top of the body by a known means such as bonding. The dial 15 is made of a non-conductive material such as synthetic resin or ceramic. The back cover 12 includes an annular frame 22 made of stainless steel fixed to the body 11 and glass 23 fixed in the frame.
As described above, in this wristwatch, although the non-conductive material is visible on the upper and lower surfaces of the case, since the side portions of the case are made of metal, there is an advantage that the luxury feeling and aesthetic appearance of the accessory are not impaired. .
[0010]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-33571 A
[0011]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the wristwatch shown in FIG. 2 employs metal for the case body, so that the disadvantage of disposing the antenna near the metal member is inevitable. Therefore, the reception performance of the bar antenna of this wristwatch is reduced by nearly 40% as compared with the case where all the cases are made of a non-conductive material. Therefore, in an environment where it is difficult to receive the standard radio wave, such as a place far from the transmitting station of the standard radio wave, the radio wristwatch often cannot receive the standard radio wave.
[0012]
In addition, if the gap between the inner wall of the metal body and the antenna is increased so that the reception performance of the bar antenna is not impaired, there is a problem that the case becomes unbalanced to be mounted on the wrist. .
The present invention has been made based on such technical problems,
A first object is to provide a radio-controlled timepiece device capable of satisfactorily receiving a radio wave including predetermined information such as time information, in spite of a configuration in which a conductive material such as a metal can be visually recognized as an external appearance. It is to provide a device.
[0013]
A second object is to provide a radio-controlled timepiece device and a signal receiving device that are configured so that a conductive material such as a metal can be visually recognized as an external appearance, and that can be reduced in size.
[0014]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A radio controlled timepiece according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an antenna housing that is formed of a non-conductive member and includes an antenna and a clock device, and an exterior portion made of a conductive material fixed outside the antenna housing. It is characterized by the following.
According to this configuration, the antenna housing that houses the antenna is non-conductive, and the exterior covering at least a part of the outside of the antenna housing is conductive such as metal. Therefore, the distance between the antenna and the conductive material can be increased as compared with the case where the antenna housing itself is made of a conductive material, so that reception failure of the antenna hardly occurs. This makes it possible to provide a radio clock in which the antenna can receive radio waves satisfactorily.
[0015]
Further, since the distance between the antenna and the conductive material can be increased without increasing the size of the antenna housing, the size of the antenna housing can be reduced as compared with the related art.
Furthermore, a radio-controlled timepiece is given a metallic appearance by a conductive exterior part made of metal or the like. Thereby, for example, the antenna housing is visually recognized as if it is a solid metal, so that the sense of quality and aesthetic appearance are not impaired even when a non-conductive material such as a synthetic resin is used for the antenna housing.
Here, the exterior part does not mean a coating such as a paint film or a plating film, but means a member separate from the antenna housing.
It is preferable to use a metal material, particularly a non-magnetic metal or a low-magnetic metal, as the conductive material of the exterior part so as not to impair the reception performance of the antenna. For example, a non-magnetic metal such as gold, silver, copper, brass, or aluminum can be used as the metal material of the exterior part. Alternatively, austenitic stainless steel having low magnetism can be used among stainless steels. Alternatively, titanium or a titanium alloy may be used.
As the non-conductive material of the antenna housing, synthetic resin, rubber, ceramic, or the like can be used. For example, PC (polycarbonate) or ABS (acryl-butadiene-styrene) can be used.
[0016]
The radio timepiece according to claim 2 is characterized in that the thickness of the exterior part is smaller than that of the antenna housing.
According to this configuration, since the non-conductive antenna housing is thicker than the external part between the conductive external part and the antenna, the distance between the conductive external part and the antenna can be reliably increased. . Therefore, it is possible to provide a radio clock in which the antenna can receive radio waves more favorably.
The exterior part can be formed of, for example, a metal plate material that covers the antenna housing.
According to claim 5, the exterior part may be composed of a plurality of members.
According to claim 6, the exterior part covers the upper surface and the side surface of the trunk in the antenna housing.
Therefore, since the top and side surfaces of the antenna housing are covered with the exterior, the radio-controlled timepiece can be given an extremely metallic appearance.
[0017]
According to claim 7, it is preferable that the exterior part does not exist on a horizontal plane including the axis of the magnetic core member.
Thus, it is possible to prevent the reception function of the antenna from deteriorating due to the current induced in the conductive exterior part.
According to claim 8, it is preferable that the exterior part does not exist at least on the extension of the axis of the magnetic core member.
[0018]
According to the ninth aspect, a screw for fixing at least two of the plurality of components constituting the antenna housing to each other is not disposed on an extension of the axis of the magnetic core member.
Thereby, when the screw is made of a conductive material such as a metal, it is possible to avoid reception failure of the antenna due to the screw.
In the radio-controlled timepiece according to the tenth aspect, the exterior part covers the upper surface of the body of the antenna housing.
According to this configuration, the upper surface of the antenna housing that is most noticeable to the user is given a metallic appearance. The side and back surfaces of the antenna housing need not be covered by the exterior. Therefore, since the antenna can be arranged away from the exterior part while giving the radio-controlled timepiece a metallic appearance, it is possible to provide a radio-controlled timepiece in which the antenna can receive radio waves favorably.
[0019]
According to the twelfth aspect, when the exterior part covers the upper surface of the trunk in the antenna housing, the distance between the conductive exterior part and the antenna can be increased if the antenna is disposed below the antenna housing. .
According to the thirteenth aspect, this is achieved by providing an opening on an extension of the axis of the magnetic core member in the exterior part.
According to the fourteenth aspect, the band for attaching the radio-controlled timepiece to the body is connected to the exterior.
Thereby, the external force applied from the band portion can be received by the exterior portion that can employ a rigid material such as metal.
[0020]
According to claim 15, the inner edge of the opening preferably does not form a closed figure. This is because, when a figure in which the inner edge of the opening is closed is formed, a current induced around the opening forms a circumferential coil, and this coil significantly hinders reception of the antenna. If a notch is provided from the edge of the exterior part to the opening, the inner edge of the opening becomes an open figure, and the formation of this coil can be avoided.
According to claim 16, the two openings are on the axis and are opposed to each other.
[0021]
According to the seventeenth aspect, it is preferable that at least an exposed surface of the outer surface of the antenna housing that is not covered with the exterior part is covered with a decorative layer. The decorative layer further enhances the appearance of the radio-controlled timepiece. In this case, the decorative layer preferably functions as a protective film for improving the scratch resistance or chemical resistance of the antenna housing.
[0022]
Furthermore, according to claim 18, when the decorative layer is a metallic layer having a metallic appearance, the exposed surface that is not covered by the exterior part also has a metallic appearance. Seen to be. Therefore, a radio watch having a more luxurious and beautiful appearance is realized.
The decorative layer may partially cover only the exposed surface of the antenna housing, or the entire outer surface of the antenna housing may be coated with the decorative layer before attaching the exterior part. Then, the decorative layer is easily and inexpensively formed on the antenna housing.
[0023]
According to the nineteenth aspect, the decorative layer can be coated on the antenna housing by a technique such as painting, wet plating, or dry plating.
When the decorative layer is formed by painting, for example, first, a primer containing a polyurethane lacquer or the like is applied. Next, for example, a colored acrylic lacquer is applied to the outside of the primer layer to form a colored layer that determines the color tone of the decorative layer. Finally, it is preferable to form a protective layer by coating a transparent or translucent hard lacquer, for example, on the outside of the colored layer, because the colored layer can be prevented from peeling off and the abrasion resistance can be improved.
By selecting the color tone of the lacquer to be applied, the color tone of the colored layer can be various desired colors such as a stainless color tone and a gold color tone. Here, if the lacquer forming the colored layer contains, for example, a metallic pigment, the decorative layer is given a metallic appearance. Examples of the metallic pigment include flake-like aluminum powder, mica flake particles coated with a metal oxide such as titanium oxide and iron oxide, graphite particles, and particles obtained by coating the surface of a glass flake with a metal. Can be used.
[0024]
When the decorative layer is formed by a wet plating method, for example, first, an injection-molded synthetic resin antenna housing is removed from its surface with an alkaline solution by a degreasing treatment to remove oil, stains, dirt, and the like. Next, the surface is roughened by etching treatment, the surface is made new water easily wettable with water, and the surface is activated by polarization. Then, the surface is washed, the catalyst metal is adsorbed on the surface by the catalyst treatment, and the surface is washed again. Then, the catalyst metal is precipitated by the accelerator treatment to activate the metal, and the surface is washed. This makes it easier for plating to reach the surface.
Thereafter, the catalyst metal deposited on this surface is subjected to, for example, nickel plating by electroless plating. Thereafter, for example, a copper plating layer is formed on the surface of the nickel plating by electrolytic plating to provide buffering properties and to smooth the surface. As described above, first, the base plating layer is formed on the surface of the antenna housing.
Thereafter, if a palladium plating layer is formed on the outside of the base plating layer by electrolytic plating, for example, a decorative layer having a silver color close to the color tone of stainless steel is coated on the outer surface of the antenna housing.
Alternatively, if a gold plating layer or a gold alloy plating layer such as a gold-nickel alloy is formed on the outside of the base plating layer by electrolytic plating, the decorative layer having a gold color is coated on the outer surface of the antenna housing.
[0025]
When the decorative layer is formed by dry plating, a stainless steel film, for example, an austenitic stainless steel SUS304 having low magnetic properties is used as a target by a dry plating method such as sputtering, and a stainless steel film is formed on the outer surface of the antenna housing as a decorative layer. Can be coated. Then, the decorative layer having a stainless color tone is coated on the antenna housing.
Alternatively, a gold-colored gold film or a gold alloy film can be coated as a decorative layer on the outer surface of the antenna housing. In this case, a gold-iron alloy, a gold-titanium alloy, or the like can be used as the gold alloy film, but a gold-titanium alloy having low magnetism is preferable in order not to reduce the reception performance of the antenna.
Examples of the dry plating method include a sputtering method, an arc method, and an ion plating method.
Further, since the decorative layer formed by such a dry plating method is a thin film in which metal is coated so as to form a columnar structure, the decorative layer has an advantage that a ring current for generating an interference magnetic field is hardly generated. The above-mentioned slit portion can be provided also in this decorative layer.
[0026]
As described above, the decorative layer of the antenna housing can be formed as a coating layer, a wet plating layer, or a dry plating layer, and is formed by combining at least two of these coating layers, the wet plating layer, or the dry plating layer. Is also good.
[0027]
However, according to claim 20, it is preferable that the decorative layer is not formed in a ring shape so that a circular current is not generated in the conductive decorative layer. That is, since the decorative layer formed by such a wet plating method forms a conductive conductive layer, especially when the antenna housing is an annular frame such as a bezel or a body in a watch case, An annular current is easily induced in such a conductive layer. Then, an interference magnetic field is generated by the annular current, and this interference magnetic field tends to disrupt reception of the antenna. Therefore, it is preferable that the decorative layer formed by the wet plating method is formed so as not to be annular. For this reason, it is preferable that a slit portion in which the decorative layer is not formed is provided in a part of the decorative layer. Then, the conductive decorative layer coated on the annular frame such as the bezel and the body becomes substantially C-shaped without being annular, so that no annular current is generated in the decorative layer anymore.
[0028]
In order to form such a slit portion, a mask may be preliminarily formed on a predetermined portion where the slit portion is to be formed before forming the decorative layer by the wet plating method. For this mask, for example, a masking ink that is resistant to acids and alkalis and that can be electrolytically peeled off is used. For the masking process for forming the mask, for example, a hand coating method of applying a masking ink with a brush can be adopted. Then, since the decorative layer is not formed on the masked portion, the masked portion is formed as a slit. Alternatively, when the mask is peeled off and the outer surface of the antenna housing is exposed, a portion of the exposed outer surface on which the decorative layer is not formed becomes a slit portion.
[0029]
Similarly, a decorative layer may be formed on the outer surface of the exterior part over the antenna housing by painting, wet plating, or dry plating.
For example, when the exterior portion is made of stainless steel, the outer surface of the exterior portion can be coated with a gold-colored gold film or a gold alloy film as a decorative layer by a dry plating method such as ion plating or sputtering. Similarly, in this case, a gold-iron alloy or a gold-titanium alloy can be used as the gold alloy coating, but a gold-titanium alloy having low magnetism is preferable in order not to reduce the receiving performance of the antenna.
For example, a decoration layer can be coated on the outer surface of the exterior part by using brass with low magnetism for the exterior part and using austenitic stainless steel SUS304 with low magnetism as a target by a dry plating method such as sputtering. Then, the outer surface of the brass exterior portion is coated with a stainless-colored stainless steel film as a decorative layer.
[0030]
In addition, when the decoration layer is formed on the antenna housing and the exterior part by a wet plating method or a dry plating method, the metal included in the decoration layer is a non-magnetic metal, which deteriorates the receiving function of the antenna. It is preferable to prevent this. For example, the metal contained in the decorative layer is preferably at least one selected from gold, silver, copper, aluminum, magnesium, zinc, or an alloy thereof.
Here, when a decorative layer is formed on each of the antenna housing and the exterior part, various aesthetics are imparted to the radio-controlled timepiece by making the colors of the decorative layers different. For example, a radio timepiece is provided in which the antenna housing has a stainless color tone and the exterior portion has a golden color tone.
[0031]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wristwatch taken along the 12: 6 o'clock line, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the 3-9 o'clock line.
The watch case 10 as an antenna housing includes a body 30, a back cover 31, a windshield 32, and an exterior part 47. A movement 37 for controlling the timepiece device is built in the case 10.
The body 30 and the back cover 31 are made of an electrically non-conductive material such as synthetic resin, rubber, and ceramic. The draft shield 32 is made of glass of a non-conductive material, and is fixed to the step portion 30 a of the body 30 via a packing 39.
[0032]
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the body 30 is a cylindrical frame having a cylindrical shape, and has band connecting legs 33 and a crown 34 protruding from both ends as in a normal wristwatch. The band is connected to each of the band connecting legs by a connecting pin such as a spring bar.
A dial 35, a pointer 36, a movement 37, and a bar antenna 38 serving as a time display unit are housed in the case. The dial 35 is made of a non-conductive material such as a synthetic resin or ceramic. The dial 35 is supported by being sandwiched between an upper surface of a movement 37 and an annular step portion 40 formed on the inner wall of the body 30 and protruding inward.
The upper part of the movement 37 is a large-diameter cylinder, and the lower part has a small-diameter cylindrical small diameter. Therefore, the upper portion of the movement 37 projects outward in the radial direction, and a wide step portion 41 is formed on the lower surface of the projecting upper portion.
The back cover 31 has an annular protrusion 43, and is fixed to the body via a packing 46 with a screw 42, and the annular protrusion 43 pushes up the step portion 41 of the movement 37. Therefore, the movement and the dial are pressed by the step portion 40 of the body 30 and are fixed in the body 30.
The bar antenna 38 includes a magnetic core member 44 and a coil 45 wound around the core member 44, and is disposed along a horizontal plane below a wide step portion 41 in parallel with the crown 34. That is, the bar antenna is housed at a lower position in the lower part of the case.
Here, the upper and lower sides are based on the upper and lower sides of the drawing. The horizontal plane direction refers to the horizontal direction in the drawing.
[0033]
The torso 30 has a large thickness in the horizontal direction including the axial direction of the bar antenna for accommodating the movement 37, the dial 35, the hands 36 and the windshield 32.
According to the present invention, the annular exterior portion 47 is fixed to the upper surface of the body by a number of screws 48. The exterior part 47 is made of a thin conductive material such as stainless steel, brass, titanium, and titanium alloy. The exterior part 47 includes an upper plane 47a, a slope 47b, and a lower plane 47c along the shape of the upper surface of the body 30. The exterior part 47 is fixed to the trunk 30 by a screw 48 that passes through the lower flat surface 47c of the exterior part 47 and is screwed to the trunk 30. Further, the exterior part 47 is not arranged in a horizontal plane including the axis AX of the bar antenna 38. Further, the exterior portion is not disposed on an extension of the axis AX.
[0034]
As described above, the conductive metal exterior part 47 has a small thickness and is provided only on a part of the upper surface of the body 30, most of the case is made of a non-conductive material, and the bar antenna 38 is farthest from the exterior part 47. Since there is no exterior part on the horizontal plane including the axis AX of the bar antenna and the extension line, the reception disturbance is minimized, and the time can be surely corrected.
The time display unit may be a digital display using liquid crystal. Further, the exterior part expressed here is not a coating such as a paint film or a plating film, but means a member separate from the antenna housing.
In this embodiment, each part is joined by a conductive metal screw. However, if the joining is made by a hard synthetic resin screw or an adhesive, it is possible to further avoid reception trouble.
[0035]
In the first embodiment, the entire outer surface of the body 30, which is the antenna housing, is coated with a metallic pigment to form a decorative layer exhibiting a metallic tone of stainless steel color. Further, an exterior part 47 made of austenitic stainless steel having low magnetism was attached to the body 30. Therefore, the radio-controlled timepiece according to the present embodiment has a stainless steel tone with a metallic appearance as a whole.
[0036]
(Embodiment 2)
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a second exterior part, FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along the line 12-6, and FIG. 10 is a side view, FIG. 11 is a side view showing a reference example, and FIG. 12 is a cut-away plan view along the axis of the crown.
The wristwatch according to the present embodiment is characterized in that a case including a body 50, a back cover 51, and a windshield 52 has two sets of a first exterior part 53 and a second exterior part 54.
[0037]
The body 50 and the back cover 51 are made of an electrically non-conductive material such as synthetic resin, rubber, and ceramic. The draft shield 52 is made of glass of a non-conductive material, and is fixed to the step portion 50 a of the body 50 via a packing 49.
As shown in FIG. 6, the trunk 50 has a cylindrical shape and a crown 56 protrudes. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a dial 57, a pointer 58, a movement 60, and a bar antenna 61 are housed in the case. The dial 57 is made of a non-conductive material such as a synthetic resin or ceramic. As in the first embodiment, the movement 60 includes a downwardly-facing step 63 formed by a cylindrical upper part having a large diameter and a cylindrical lower part having a small diameter. The back cover 51 has an annular protrusion 66 and is fixed to the body via a packing 65 with a screw 64. The annular projection 66 pushes up the step 63 of the movement 60, so that the movement and the dial are pressed by the step 50b of the body 50 and are fixed inside the body.
[0038]
The bar antenna 61 includes a magnetic core member 67 and a coil 68 wound therearound. As shown in FIG. 12, the bar antenna 61 is disposed below the wide step 63 of the movement 60 along the horizontal plane in parallel with the crown 56. Therefore, the bar antenna is housed at a lower position in the lower part of the case.
The first and second exterior parts 53 and 54 are made of a thin conductive material such as stainless steel, brass, titanium, and titanium alloy.
[0039]
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the first exterior part 53 has an annular disk shape, and has an inclined surface 53a that descends outward at the upper part and a step part 53b at the lower surface. The first exterior part 53 is adhered to a plane part 50d of an annular protrusion formed on the upper surface of the body 50 via a double-sided adhesive tape 53e.
On the other hand, the second exterior part 54 has a cylindrical side surface covering part 54a that covers the side surface of the trunk and an upper inwardly engaging part 54b. Since the upper surface of the engagement portion 54b has the same slope as the slope 53a of the first exterior portion 53, the appearance of the wristwatch is improved.
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, the second exterior part 54 has band connecting legs 76 at both ends. The band is connected to each of the band connecting legs by a connecting pin such as a spring bar.
The second exterior part 54 is fixed to the body 50 by a screw 71 that penetrates the side surface cover part 54a and is screwed to the side surface of the body 50. An opening 73 from which the crown 56 protrudes is formed in the side cover 54a. The engaging portion 54b is in pressure contact with the step 50c of the body 50.
[0040]
According to the present invention, a pair of openings 72 is formed in the side cover 54a. The opening 72 includes a notch 72 a formed by cutting a lower edge of the second exterior part 54. The opening 72 is opened toward the lower edge of the second exterior part 54 by the notch 72a. The opening 72 is formed around an extension of the axis AX of the bar antenna 61 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 12. Also, the conductive metal screws 64 and 71 are not arranged on the extension of the axis AX. The thickness of the side cover 54a in the radial direction is small, and the thickness of the body 50 is large. Therefore, the side cover 54a is separated from the bar antenna 61 by a greater distance.
As described above, there is no metal object on the axis AX extension of the bar antenna 61, and only the non-conductive body is provided. The thickness of the body is large, and particularly, the side cover 54a of the second exterior part 54 is large and the body 50 has a large thickness. Despite covering the side surface, the reception disturbance can be extremely reduced.
[0041]
Since the notch 72 a is formed in the opening 72, it is possible to prevent the annular current from being generated around the opening 72 in the second exterior part 54 by the notch.
If the opening 77 is a closed circle as shown in FIG. 11, the current induced around the opening 77 forms a circumferential coil, and this coil impairs the reception of the antenna. Appropriate.
Further, as shown in the figure, the first exterior part 53 and the second exterior part 54 are arranged on the trunk 50 so as not to be in contact with each other. In this way, if the exterior parts 53 and 54 are insulated so as not to be electrically connected, no annular current is generated across the exterior parts 53 and 54, so that good reception of the antenna is maintained.
[0042]
In the second embodiment, a stainless steel coating was formed as a decorative layer on the entire outer surface of the body 50 by a dry plating method instead of the above-described decorative layer. The outer portions 53 and 54 made of brass were attached to the body 50. Therefore, in this radio timepiece, only the exterior parts 53 and 54 exhibited the gold color tone, and the other parts exhibited the stainless color tone with a metallic feeling.
[0043]
(Embodiment 3)
In the third embodiment, in the radio-controlled timepiece described in the second embodiment, the decoration layer formed by the dry plating method is simply replaced with the decoration layer formed by the wet plating method. The same numbers are assigned.
In the present embodiment, masking ink is applied to a predetermined portion of the body 50 which is an annular frame, which is located between the two connecting legs 76, and then the outer surface of the body 50 is wet-plated. Then, palladium plating was formed as a decorative layer. As a result, a decorative layer 81 made of a palladium plating film having a stainless color tone was formed in a portion other than the portion where the masking ink was applied on the outer surface of the body 50. Next, the masking ink was peeled off from the cylinder 50 to expose the outer surface of the cylinder 50. The exposed outer surface of the body 50 was formed as a slit portion 80.
[0044]
FIG. 13 shows a longitudinal section of the trunk 50, and FIG. 14 shows a longitudinal section of the trunk 50 in a portion where a slit portion is formed. 13 and 14, the slit portion 80 is formed in an annular band having a predetermined width along the upper surface, the outer side surface, the lower surface, and the inner side surface of the body 50. Therefore, the slit part divides the decoration layer 81 so that the decoration layer 81 coated on the annular body 50 does not form an annular conductive layer. Thus, a ring current for generating an interference magnetic field that degrades the reception performance of the antenna is not induced in the decoration layer, so that good reception performance of the antenna is maintained.
[0045]
An outer portion 53 made of austenitic stainless steel having low magnetism was coated on the body 50 with a gold-titanium alloy film as a decorative layer by a dry plating method and attached to the body 50. The exterior part 54 also made of austenitic stainless steel was attached to the body 50 without forming a decorative layer. Therefore, in this radio-controlled timepiece, only the exterior portion 53 exhibited a gold color tone, and the other portions exhibited a stainless color tone with a metallic feeling.
[0046]
In addition, the slit part of the trunk 50 is covered with the exterior part 54 covered on the trunk 50 and is inconspicuous. When the band is connected to the connection leg 76, the slit is also hidden by the band. Therefore, the appearance of the radio-controlled timepiece is not impaired by the slit portion 80. As described above, it is preferable that the slit portion 80 be provided at a position on the body 50 where it is difficult to visually recognize, so as not to impair the appearance of the radio timepiece.
Further, in this embodiment, the masking ink is peeled off to form the slit portion 80. However, the masking ink may be left without being peeled off and used as the slit portion.
[0047]
【The invention's effect】
According to the present invention, since the antenna housing for housing the antenna is non-conductive, and the exterior covering at least a portion of the outside of the antenna housing is conductive such as metal, the antenna housing itself is electrically conductive. Compared to conductive materials, the distance between the antenna and the conductive material can be increased, the reception obstacle of the antenna caused by the conductive material being located in the vicinity of the antenna is reduced, and the antenna can receive radio waves satisfactorily. Radio clocks can be provided.
[0048]
In addition, a conductive appearance such as metal can give the radio-controlled timepiece a metallic appearance, and a non-conductive material such as a synthetic resin can be used for the antenna housing without deteriorating the sense of quality and aesthetic appearance. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of functions of a radio-controlled timepiece.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing a radio-controlled wristwatch using a metal for a part of a case.
FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the wristwatch taken along a 12: 6 o'clock line.
FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the 3-9 o'clock line.
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a second embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a second exterior part.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 12-6.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-9.
FIG. 10 is a side view.
FIG. 11 is a side view showing a reference example.
FIG. 12 is a cut-away plan view along the axis of the crown.
FIG. 13 is a perspective view including a vertical section showing a third embodiment.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view including another longitudinal section showing the third embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 antenna
2 Radio clock receiver
3 CPU
4 Display drive unit
5 Input device
10 cases
11 torso
12 back cover
13 Windshield
14 movement
15 Dial
16 needles
17 Bar antenna
18 Core material
20 coils
21 Conductor
22 border frame
23 glass
30 torso
30a step
31 Back cover
32 Windshield
33 Band connection leg
34 Crown
35 Dial
36 Guidelines
37 movement
38 bar antenna
39 Packing
40 steps
41 steps
42 screws
43 annular projection
44 Magnetic core member
45 coils
46 Packing
47 Exterior
47a Upper plane
47b slope
47c lower plane
48 screws
49 Packing
50 torso
50a step
50b step
50c step
50d flat part
51 Back cover
52 Windshield
53 1st exterior part
53a Slope
53b step
54 Second exterior part
54a Side cover
54b Inwardly protruding engagement part
56 Crown
57 Dial
58 Guidelines
60 movement
61 bar antenna
63 steps
64 screws
65 Packing
66 annular projection
67 Magnetic core member
68 coils
71 screw
72 opening
72a notch
73 opening
76 Band connection leg
77 opening

Claims (20)

An antenna housing configured of a non-conductive member and containing an antenna and a clock device,
An exterior part made of a conductive material fixed to the outside of the antenna housing,
Radio clock equipped with. The radio timepiece according to claim 1, wherein
A radio controlled watch whose outer part is thinner than the antenna housing. The radio timepiece according to claim 1, wherein
A radio timepiece comprising an antenna having a magnetic core member and a coil wound on the magnetic core member. The radio timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
A radio-controlled timepiece in which the antenna housing is a watch case in which an antenna and a clock device are built. The radio timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The radio-controlled timepiece according to the description, wherein the exterior part includes a plurality of members. The radio timepiece according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
A radio timepiece whose exterior covers the top and side surfaces of the trunk in the antenna housing. The radio timepiece according to claim 3, wherein
A radio-controlled timepiece whose exterior part is not arranged on a horizontal plane including the axis of the magnetic core member. The radio timepiece according to claim 3, wherein
A radio-controlled timepiece in which the exterior part is not arranged on an extension of the axis of the magnetic core member. The radio timepiece according to claim 3, wherein
A radio timepiece in which a screw for fixing at least two of a plurality of components constituting an antenna housing to each other is not arranged on an extension of an axis of a magnetic core member. The radio timepiece according to claim 4, wherein
A radio controlled watch whose exterior covers the top of the body. The radio timepiece according to claim 4, wherein
A radio-controlled watch whose exterior covers the outer surface of the body. The radio timepiece according to claim 4, wherein
A radio controlled watch with an antenna located below the torso. The radio-controlled timepiece according to claim 11, wherein
A radio-controlled timepiece in which an exterior part has an opening on an extension of an axis of a magnetic core member. The radio-controlled timepiece according to claim 11, wherein
A radio timepiece in which a band connecting leg for attaching the radio timepiece to the body is connected to an exterior part. The radio controlled watch according to claim 13,
A radio controlled watch with an opening cut out from the outer edge of the exterior. The radio controlled watch according to claim 13,
A radio controlled watch in which two openings are arranged on the axis. The radio timepiece according to claim 1, wherein
A radio-controlled timepiece in which a decorative layer is coated on at least an exposed surface of the outer surface of the antenna housing that is not covered by the exterior part. The radio timepiece according to claim 17, wherein
A radio controlled watch in which the decorative layer is a metallic layer with a metallic appearance. The radio-controlled timepiece according to claim 17, wherein
A radio controlled watch in which the decorative layer is at least one selected from a coating film, a wet plating film, and a dry plating film. The radio timepiece according to claim 17, wherein
A radio timepiece in which the decorative layer is not formed in a ring shape so that a ring current does not occur in the conductive decorative layer.

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