Moon phase plate, timepiece, and method for manufacturing moon phase plate

Abstract

To provide a moon phase plate having a high-class feeling, a timepiece, and a manufacturing method of the moon phase plate.SOLUTION: A lunar age plate disposed on the side facing the rear surface of a dial of a timepiece and visually recognizable through a lunar age display window formed in the dial includes a disc-shaped upper plate, a disc-shaped lower plate fixed to the rear surface of the upper plate, and a decoration plate disposed in an arrangement hole that opens through the front surface of the upper plate, and the arrangement hole has a front-surface-side diameter smaller than the diameter of the decoration plate and a rear-surface-side diameter greater than the diameter of the decoration plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a moon chart, a clock and a method for manufacturing a moon chart. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a moon phase display watch equipped with a faceplate having a moon display section with a moon pattern and a dial with a moon phase window for displaying the phases of the moon. The moon display section is constructed by forming a recess in part of the faceplate and applying luminous paint to the recess. Specifically, an extremely shallow recess is formed in the faceplate, and the luminous paint is applied so that the recess is completely filled and is almost flush with the top surface of the faceplate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 2-14088 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In Patent Document 1, the paint filling the recesses and the top surface of the picture board are almost flush with each other, and the moon display part remains a flat design. For this reason, there is a demand for a moon phase board and a clock that can achieve a three-dimensional effect, as well as a method for manufacturing the moon phase board. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The moon phase plate disclosed herein is arranged on the back side of the dial of a watch and is viewable through a moon phase display window formed in the dial, and comprises an upper plate formed in a circular shape, a lower plate in a circular shape fixed to the back side of the upper plate, and a decorative plate arranged in an arrangement hole opening on the surface of the upper plate, characterized in that the diameter of the arrangement hole on the front side is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate and the diameter of the arrangement hole on the back side is larger than the diameter of the decorative plate.

[0006] The timepiece of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising a moon phase plate and a dial having a moon phase display window through which the moon phase plate is exposed.

[0007] The method for manufacturing the moon phase board disclosed herein is characterized by comprising the steps of: preparing an upper plate having an arrangement hole whose diameter on the front side is smaller than the diameter on the back side; preparing a lower plate having a moon phase tooth portion on its outer peripheral surface; attaching a double-sided adhesive sheet to the surface of the lower plate; preparing a decorative plate whose diameter is larger than the diameter on the front side of the arrangement hole and smaller than the diameter on the back side; placing the back side of the upper plate facing upward and placing the decorative plate in the arrangement hole; adhering the upper plate and the lower plate to the back side of the upper plate with the front side of the lower plate facing downward using the double-sided adhesive sheet; and flipping the upper plate and the lower plate upside down and pressing the decorative plate against the double-sided adhesive sheet through the arrangement hole in the upper plate to adhere it. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing a timepiece according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the moon phase board of the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the moon phase board of the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 shows the upper plate of the moon phase board. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 shows the lower plate of the lunar plate. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a process of placing a decorative plate. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a process of bonding an upper plate and a lower plate together. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a process of adhering a decorative plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A timepiece 1 according to an embodiment will now be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of a timepiece 1. The timepiece 1 of this embodiment is a wristwatch worn on a user's wrist and includes a cylindrical case 2, with a dial 3 positioned on the inner periphery of the case 2. Of the two openings in the case 2, the opening on the front side is covered by a crystal, and the opening on the back side is covered by a case back. The case 2 houses a movement powered by a mainspring (not shown), and also includes an oscillating weight that constitutes an automatic winding mechanism that winds the mainspring. Since timepiece movements equipped with a mainspring and oscillating weight are common, a detailed description of these movements will be omitted. The type of movement is not particularly limited, and could be a movement for an electronic timepiece with a stepping motor. In the following description, the "front" of each component refers to the surface facing the crystal, and the "back" of each component refers to the surface facing the case back.

[0010] As shown in Figure 1, timepiece 1 is equipped with hour hand 4, minute hand 5, and second hand 6 that indicate time information, a power reserve hand 7 that indicates the remaining winding of the mainspring, a date hand 8, and a moon phase indicator 10. Dial 3 is provided with a date display section 3A that displays the date indicated by date hand 8, and a moon phase indicator window 3B that exposes moon phase indicator 10 that is located on the back side of dial 3. Moon phase indicator window 3B is shaped so that it can display the phases of the moon, i.e., the age of the moon, by moving moon display section 11 of moon phase indicator 10.

[0011] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the moon phase board 10, and FIG. The moon phase board 10 comprises an upper plate 20, a lower plate 30, and a decorative plate 40. The upper plate 20 is a disk-shaped member made of a metal material such as brass, and has a through hole 21 formed in the center of its plane, and two arrangement holes 22 formed on either side of the through hole 21. The through hole 21 is a hole into which a moon phase plate guide seat (not shown) is inserted, which rotatably holds the moon phase plate 10. The axis of the date hand 8 is also arranged in the through hole 21. The arrangement hole 22 has a flat circular small diameter portion 221 that opens to the front surface of the upper plate 20, and a flat circular large diameter portion 222 that opens to the back surface of the upper plate 20. The small diameter portion 221 is formed in approximately the upper half of the thickness direction of the upper plate 20, and the large diameter portion 222 is formed in approximately the lower half of the thickness direction of the upper plate 20. Therefore, the diameter of the opening on the front surface side of the arrangement hole 22 is smaller than the diameter of the opening on the back surface side of the upper plate 20. Furthermore, the diameter of the small diameter portion 221 is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate 40 described below, and the diameter of the large diameter portion 222 is larger than the diameter of the decorative plate 40, and the thickness dimension of the large diameter portion 222 is larger than the thickness dimension of the decorative plate 40. A base portion 23 and a star portion 24 are provided on the surface of the upper plate 20 by painting or printing. The base portion 23 is a painted portion that resembles the night sky, such as black or dark blue. The star portion 24 is a printed portion that resembles a star, such as a cross or circle, printed in a lighter color than the base portion 23, such as white or yellow.

[0012] The lower plate 30 is made of a metal material such as brass, and is a disk-shaped member with a larger diameter than the upper plate 20. It is a moon phase indicator with a through hole 31 formed in the center of the plane and a moon phase tooth portion 32 formed on the outer periphery. The through hole 31 is coaxial with the through hole 21, and its diameter is slightly smaller than that of the through hole 21. As will be described later, the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 30 are aligned so that the through holes 21 and 31 are coaxial with each other by fitting the feet 25 formed on the upper plate 20 into the positioning holes 33 formed on the lower plate 30. Furthermore, the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 30 are fixed together by a double-sided adhesive sheet 50, as will be described later.

[0013] The decorative plate 40 is a disc-shaped plate material that constitutes the moon display unit 11, and in this embodiment is made of mother-of-pearl. Mother-of-pearl is a plate-shaped member made by slicing the shell of a pearl oyster, such as a white-lipped oyster, which is used in pearl farming. The diameter of the decorative plate 40 is larger than the small diameter portion 221 of the arrangement hole 22 but smaller than the large diameter portion 222. The thickness of the decorative plate 40 is smaller than the height of the large diameter portion 222. Therefore, the decorative plate 40 can be arranged within the large diameter portion 222 of the arrangement hole 22. The back surface of the decorative plate 40 is fixed to the lower plate 30 by a double-sided adhesive sheet 50. A ring-shaped double-sided adhesive sheet 55, which also serves as a spacer, is arranged between the step between the small diameter portion 221 and the large diameter portion 222 in the arrangement hole 22 of the upper plate 20 and the front surface of the decorative plate 40.

[0014] 2, the decorative plate 40 is exposed on the surface of the moon phase plate 10 through the small diameter portion 221 of the arrangement hole 22. Therefore, two circular moon display portions 11 made of mother-of-pearl are displayed on the moon phase plate 10 at 180 degree intervals in the rotation direction of the moon phase plate 10. The moon phase plate 10 is rotated intermittently every day by a moon phase wheel (not shown) that engages with the moon phase tooth portion 32, with a moon phase jumper (not shown) engaging with the moon phase tooth portion 32. As one lunar cycle is approximately 29.5 days, two moon display portions 11 are provided on the moon phase plate 10 at 180 degree intervals in the rotational direction. The moon phase tooth portion 32 has 59 teeth so that the moon phase plate 10 rotates once every 59 days, which is equivalent to two lunar cycles.

[0015] Next, a manufacturing method of the moon phase board 10 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. In the cross-sectional views shown in Figures 4 to 8, the thickness dimensions of the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 30 are schematically illustrated at an enlarged ratio. The manufacturing method of the moon phase board 10 includes the steps of preparing the upper plate 20, preparing the lower plate 30, attaching the double-sided adhesive sheet 50, preparing the decorative plate 40, positioning the decorative plate 40, adhering the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 30 together, and adhering the decorative plate 40.

[0016] 4A and 4B, in the process of preparing the upper plate 20, a metal plate such as brass is machined into a disk shape of a predetermined diameter, and then the legs 25, through-holes 21, and arrangement holes 22 are machined to manufacture the upper plate 20. The two legs 25 are used for alignment with the lower plate 30, and are provided at two locations on either side of the through-hole 21 in plan view. After the cutting process, if a pattern such as striated pattern is to be formed on the upper plate 20, the pattern is applied to the surface of the upper plate 20. Next, the surface of the upper plate 20 is plated, and then the base portion 23 is painted on top of that, and then the star portion 24 is printed. The process of preparing the upper plate 20 includes the above steps.

[0017] In the process of preparing the lower plate 30, as shown in (A) and (B) of Figures 5, a metal gear having a through hole 31 and a lunar tooth portion 32 formed therein is manufactured, and two positioning holes 33 are further machined. Next, a step of preparing a double-sided adhesive sheet 50 and attaching it to the surface of the lower plate 30 is carried out. That is, a center hole 51 corresponding to the through-hole 31 of the lower plate 30 and positioning holes 53 corresponding to each positioning hole 33 are formed in the double-sided adhesive sheet 50 by pressing. Thereafter, the double-sided adhesive sheet 50 is attached to the surface of the lower plate 30.

[0018] In the step of preparing the decorative plate 40, a mother-of-pearl sheet is cut into a disk shape to prepare the decorative plate 40. In the process of placing the decorative plate 40, as shown in Fig. 6, the back surface of the upper plate 20 is placed facing upward, and the decorative plate 40 is placed in the large diameter portion 222 of the placement hole 22. At this time, the decorative plate 40 is temporarily fixed in the placement hole 22 by a ring-shaped double-sided adhesive sheet 55. 7, in the process of adhering the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 30, the upper plate 20 is placed with the upper surface of the lower plate 30 facing downward, and the feet 25 of the upper plate 20 are inserted into the positioning holes 33 of the lower plate 30 while the double-sided adhesive sheet 50 adhered to the upper plate 20's upper surface is pressed against the lower surface of the upper plate 20. This allows the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 30 to be adhered via the double-sided adhesive sheet 50.

[0019] In the process of adhering the decorative plate 40, the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 30 are turned upside down, and the decorative plate 40 is pressed against the double-sided adhesive sheet 50 through the placement holes 22 in the upper plate 20 to adhere it, as shown in Figure 8. Through the above steps, the moon phase board 10 can be manufactured, in which the upper plate 20, the lower plate 30, and the decorative plate 40 are adhered with the double-sided adhesive sheet 50.

[0020] [Effects of the embodiment] According to this embodiment, the decorative plate 40 is arranged in the arrangement hole 22 opening on the surface of the upper plate 20, so that the decorative plate 40 can be seen through the moon phase display window 3B formed in the dial 3, and the moon phase display by the moon display section 11 can be expressed in a three-dimensional design, providing a moon phase plate 10 with a luxurious feel. In addition, since the diameter of the front surface of the arrangement hole 22 is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate 40, the outer peripheral surface of the decorative plate 40 can be hidden by the upper plate 20, and mother-of-pearl or the like, which is difficult to finish, can be used as the decorative plate 40, improving the design of the month display part 11. Furthermore, because the decorative plate 40 is disposed in the large diameter portion 222 of the arrangement hole 22, the surface of the decorative plate 40 is disposed in a position recessed relative to the surface of the upper plate 20. This prevents the decorative plate 40 from coming into direct contact with the dial 3, and prevents the decorative plate 40 from colliding with the dial 3 and being damaged by an impact such as when the timepiece 1 is dropped.

[0021] Since the arrangement holes 22 are formed only in the upper plate 20, there is no need to process arrangement holes in the lower plate 30, and the productivity of the lower plate 30 can be improved. Since the decorative plate 40 can be placed in the placement hole 22 of the upper plate 20, the upper plate 20 and the decorative plate 40 can be easily fixed to the double-sided adhesive sheet 50 stuck on the surface of the lower plate 30, and the assembling workability can also be improved. The decorative plate 40 is also adhered to the upper plate 20 by the double-sided adhesive sheet 55, so that the decorative plate 40 can be temporarily fixed to the upper plate 20 until it is adhered to the lower plate 30, thereby improving the ease of assembly.

[0022] The upper plate 20 and the decorative plate 40 are adhered to the lower plate 30 with a double-sided adhesive sheet 50, so that the decorative plate 40 can be attached softly, and when an impact is applied to the watch 1, the double-sided adhesive sheet 50 can absorb part of the impact force, making the decorative plate 40 less likely to be damaged.

[0023] [Variations] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and includes modifications, improvements, etc. within the scope of achieving the object of the present disclosure. For example, the arrangement hole in which the decorative plate 40 is to be placed is not limited to being formed only in the upper plate 20, but may be formed in both the upper plate and the lower plate. That is, a recess that serves as a large-diameter portion in which the decorative plate 40 can be placed may be formed on the surface of the lower plate 30, and only a small-diameter portion may be formed in the upper plate 20. Furthermore, the arrangement hole 22 is not limited to being formed with a small-diameter portion 221 and a large-diameter portion 222. For example, the arrangement hole may be tapered, with the diameter gradually increasing from the front surface to the back surface of the upper plate 20. The lunar tooth portion 32 is not limited to being formed on the lower plate 30, but may be formed on the upper plate 20. Although the double-sided adhesive sheet 55 is provided between the decorative plate 40 and the upper plate 20, this double-sided adhesive sheet 55 is not essential and may be omitted. Although the upper plate 20 and the decorative plate 40 are fixed to the lower plate 30 with the double-sided adhesive sheet 50, they may be fixed with an adhesive instead of the double-sided adhesive sheet 50. The positioning of the upper plate 20 and the lower plate 30 is not limited to that using the feet 25 and the positioning holes 33, and they may also be positioned by providing positioning marks or the like.

[0024] The design of the star portion 24 printed on the surface of the upper plate 20 is not limited to the above embodiment. Also, a moon phase board without the star portion 24 printed on the surface of the upper plate 20 may be used. The decorative plate 40 is not limited to mother-of-pearl, but may be a plate made of metal, silicon, glass, precious stone, semi-precious stone, or the like.

[0025] The manufacturing method of the moon phase board 10 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, after the decorative plate 40 is fixed to the double-sided adhesive sheet 50 attached to the surface of the lower plate 30, the upper plate 20 may be attached to the double-sided adhesive sheet 50 of the lower plate 30 by aligning the position of the arrangement hole 22 with the position of the decorative plate 40.

[0026] Summary of this disclosure The moon phase plate disclosed herein is arranged on the back side of the dial of a watch and is viewable through a moon phase display window formed in the dial, and comprises an upper plate formed in a circular shape, a lower plate in a circular shape fixed to the back side of the upper plate, and a decorative plate arranged in an arrangement hole opening on the surface of the upper plate, characterized in that the diameter of the arrangement hole on the front side is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate and the diameter of the arrangement hole on the back side is larger than the diameter of the decorative plate. According to the moon phase dial of the present disclosure, a decorative plate is placed in an arrangement hole opening on the surface of the top plate. This allows the decorative plate to be seen through the moon phase display window formed in the dial, and the moon phase display can be expressed in a three-dimensional design, resulting in a luxurious moon phase dial. Furthermore, because the diameter of the surface side of the arrangement hole is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate, the outer periphery of the decorative plate can be hidden by the top plate. This allows the decorative plate to be made of materials that are difficult to finish, such as mother-of-pearl, and improves the design. Furthermore, because the diameter of the surface side of the arrangement hole is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate, the surface of the decorative plate is positioned in a recessed position relative to the surface of the top plate. This prevents the decorative plate from coming into direct contact with the dial, preventing it from being damaged by impact, such as when the watch is dropped.

[0027] In the moon phase board of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the placement hole is formed in the upper plate. According to the moon phase board of the present disclosure, the arrangement holes only need to be formed in the upper plate, and there is no need to machine arrangement holes in the lower plate, thereby improving productivity. In addition, since the decorative plate can be placed in the arrangement holes in the upper plate, the upper plate and the decorative plate can be easily fixed to the surface of the lower plate with a double-sided adhesive sheet or adhesive, thereby improving assembly workability.

[0028] In the lunar age board of the present disclosure, the placement hole is configured with a flat, circular, small-diameter portion that opens on the surface of the upper plate and a flat, circular, large-diameter portion that opens on the back surface of the upper plate, and it is preferable that the diameter of the small-diameter portion is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate, the diameter of the large-diameter portion is larger than the diameter of the decorative plate, and the thickness dimension of the large-diameter portion is larger than the thickness dimension of the decorative plate. According to the moon phase board of the present disclosure, the decorative plate can be placed in the large diameter portion of the placement hole, so the decorative plate can be stably held in place until the upper plate and decorative plate are fixed to the surface of the lower plate with a double-sided adhesive sheet or adhesive, improving assembly workability. In addition, the small diameter portion can reliably hide the outer periphery of the decorative plate, improving design.

[0029] In the moon phase board of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the upper plate and the decorative plate are fixed to the surface of the lower plate by a double-sided adhesive sheet. According to the disclosed moon phase board, the upper and decorative plates can be easily fixed to the lower plate using a double-sided adhesive sheet. Furthermore, since there is no need to sandwich the decorative plate between the upper and lower plates, the decorative plate is not subjected to significant stress and can be attached gently. Furthermore, when the watch is subjected to an impact, the double-sided adhesive sheet can absorb part of the impact force, making the decorative plate less likely to break.

[0030] In the moon phase board of the present disclosure, it is preferable that the upper plate further has a design resembling a star. According to the moon phase plate of the present disclosure, when the moon phase plate is rotated, not only the moon phase display window on the dial displays a design that resembles a star, but also the moon phase, thereby improving the design.

[0031] In the moon phase board of the present disclosure, the decorative board is preferably made of mother-of-pearl. According to the moon phase board of the present disclosure, the moon can be represented using mother-of-pearl, improving the design.

[0032] The timepiece of the present disclosure is characterized by comprising a moon phase plate and a dial having a moon phase display window through which the moon phase plate is exposed. According to the timepiece of the present disclosure, a three-dimensional, stylishly designed moon phase dial with a luxurious feel can be used, thereby improving the design of the timepiece.

[0033] The method for manufacturing the moon phase board disclosed herein is characterized by comprising the steps of: preparing an upper plate having an arrangement hole whose diameter on the front side is smaller than the diameter on the back side; preparing a lower plate having a moon phase tooth portion on its outer peripheral surface; attaching a double-sided adhesive sheet to the surface of the lower plate; preparing a decorative plate whose diameter is larger than the diameter on the front side of the arrangement hole and smaller than the diameter on the back side; placing the back side of the upper plate facing upward and placing the decorative plate in the arrangement hole; adhering the upper plate and the lower plate to the back side of the upper plate with the front side of the lower plate facing downward using the double-sided adhesive sheet; and flipping the upper plate and the lower plate upside down and pressing the decorative plate against the double-sided adhesive sheet through the arrangement hole in the upper plate to adhere it. According to the present disclosure, the moon phase display can be expressed in a three-dimensional design, and a luxurious moon phase plate can be easily manufactured. Furthermore, because the diameter of the front side of the placement hole is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate, the outer surface of the decorative plate can be hidden by the top plate, and materials such as mother-of-pearl, which are difficult to finish, can be used as the decorative plate. Furthermore, the decorative plate can be easily placed on the top plate, and by using a double-sided adhesive sheet, the top plate and decorative plate can be easily adhered to the bottom plate, and the decorative plate can also be adhered softly. [Explanation of symbols]

[0034] 1...watch, 2...exterior case, 3...dial, 3A...date display section, 3B...moon phase display window, 8...date hand, 10...moon phase plate, 11...moon display section, 20...upper plate, 21...through hole, 22...positioning hole, 23...base section, 24...star section, 25...foot, 30...lower plate, 31...through hole, 32...moon phase tooth section, 33...positioning hole, 40...decorative plate, 50...double-sided adhesive sheet, 51...center hole, 53...positioning hole, 55...double-sided adhesive sheet, 221...small diameter section, 222...large diameter section.

Claims

1. A moon phase plate is arranged on the back side of the dial of the timepiece and is visible through a moon phase display window formed on the dial, an upper plate formed in a disk shape; a circular lower plate fixed to the rear surface of the upper plate; a decorative plate disposed in an arrangement hole that opens on the surface of the upper plate; The diameter of the arrangement hole on the front side is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate, and the diameter of the arrangement hole on the back side is larger than the diameter of the decorative plate. A moon phase board characterized by:

2. The moon phase board according to claim 1, The arrangement hole is formed in the upper plate. A moon phase board characterized by:

3. The moon phase board according to claim 2, the arrangement hole is configured to include a planar circular small-diameter portion that opens to the front surface of the upper plate and a planar circular large-diameter portion that opens to the back surface of the upper plate, The diameter of the small diameter portion is smaller than the diameter of the decorative plate, The diameter of the large diameter portion is larger than the diameter of the decorative plate, The thickness of the large diameter portion is greater than the thickness of the decorative plate. A moon phase board characterized by:

4. The moon phase board according to claim 1, The upper plate and the decorative plate are fixed to the surface of the lower plate by a double-sided adhesive sheet. A moon phase board characterized by:

5. The moon phase board according to claim 1, The upper plate also has a star-shaped design. A moon phase board characterized by:

6. The moon phase board according to claim 1, The decorative plate is made of mother-of-pearl A moon phase board characterized by:

7. The moon phase board according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a dial having a moon phase display window through which the moon phase plate is exposed; A watch characterized by comprising:

8. providing an upper plate having a placement hole whose diameter on the front side is smaller than that on the back side; providing a lower plate having a lunar tooth portion on an outer peripheral surface; A step of attaching a double-sided adhesive sheet to the surface of the lower plate; preparing a decorative plate having a diameter larger than the diameter of the front side of the arrangement hole and smaller than the diameter of the rear side of the arrangement hole; a step of placing the decorative plate in the placement hole with the back surface of the upper plate facing upward; a step of adhering the upper plate and the lower plate to a rear surface of the upper plate with the front surface of the lower plate facing downward using the double-sided adhesive sheet; a step of turning the upper plate and the lower plate upside down and pressing the decorative plate onto the double-sided adhesive sheet through the placement hole of the upper plate to adhere it; A method for manufacturing a moon phase board having the above structure.

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