Radio-controlled clock repeater handset

Abstract

To provide a radio-controlled timepiece repeater slave machine that can deliver a pseudo standard radio wave to a wall-mounted type radio-controlled timepiece without having an influence of an ambient environment.SOLUTION: A slave machine 11 comprises: a slave machine casing 12 that has a slave machine main body 20 housed therein; a latching tool 13 that is provided in the slave machine casing 12, and hooks the slave machine casing 12 to a wall surface fixture F fixed to a wall surface W; and an attachment tool 18E that fixes a wall-hanging type radio-controlled timepiece C on a front surface being an opposite side to the wall surface W of the slave machine casing 12 so that the slave machine casing 12 overlaps on the radio-controlled timepiece C. The latching tool 13 includes: a plate body 14 formed with a wall hanging hole 14A into which a tip part Ft of the wall surface fixture F is inserted; a lock bar 15 that is located on a lower side than the tip part Ft of the wall surface fixture F, and attached to the plate body 14 across the wall hanging hole 14A in a horizontal direction. The lock bar 15 has a pulling stop part 15C that prevents the tip part Ft of the wall surface fixture F from coming out from the wall hanging hole 14A.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit capable of outputting pseudo standard radio waves to a radio-controlled clock. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a radio-controlled clock repeater that outputs pseudo standard radio waves (hereinafter referred to as pseudo standard radio waves) with the same specifications as standard radio waves to a radio-controlled clock. This radio-controlled clock repeater acquires time information via the Internet, for example, and transmits pseudo standard radio waves to the radio-controlled clock based on this time information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-183501 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The radio-controlled clock repeater disclosed in Patent Document 1 outputs a pseudo-standard radio wave in which time data is AM-modulated onto a 40 kHz or 60 kHz long-wave carrier wave. However, due to the characteristics of long-wave waves, it is known that standard radio waves do not propagate inside buildings, etc. For this reason, even if a radio-controlled clock repeater has a typical communication range of about 10 meters, it may not be able to transmit the standard radio wave to a radio-controlled clock installed in a room other than the one in which the radio-controlled clock repeater is installed, depending on the building structure, for example. As a result, a radio-controlled clock may not be able to receive the pseudo-standard radio wave even if it is within the communication range of the radio-controlled clock repeater.

[0005] Furthermore, a typical radio-controlled clock repeater requires a power consumption of, for example, 1 to 2 watts to ensure sufficient radio wave output to transmit the pseudo standard radio wave over a wide area, and is connected to a commercial power source as its driving power source. In contrast, a wall-mounted radio-controlled clock is installed in a location far from the commercial power source. For this reason, a radio-controlled clock repeater cannot be placed in close proximity to the radio-controlled clock, such as on the back of the clock.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a slave unit for a radio-controlled clock repeater that can deliver pseudo standard radio waves to a wall-mounted radio-controlled clock without being affected by the surrounding environment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a slave unit for a radio-controlled clock repeater, which has a slave unit main body that receives a time information signal corresponding to standard time transmitted from a master unit and outputs a pseudo-standard radio wave, and which comprises: a slave unit casing that houses the slave unit main body; a hanging device that is provided on the slave unit casing and hangs the slave unit casing on a wall mounting fixture fixed to a wall surface; and a mounting fixture that fixes the radio-controlled clock to the front side of the slave unit casing that faces away from the wall surface so that the slave unit casing overlaps the wall-mounted radio-controlled clock, wherein the hanging device comprises a plate body having a wall-mounting hole through which the tip of the wall mounting fixture is inserted, and a latch member that is positioned below the tip of the wall mounting fixture and is attached to the plate body so as to straddle the wall-mounting hole horizontally, and the latch member has a stopper that prevents the tip of the wall mounting fixture from coming out of the wall-mounting hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit located on the back of a wall-mounted radio-controlled clock outputs a pseudo standard time signal, allowing the pseudo standard time signal to be delivered to the radio-controlled clock without being affected by the surrounding environment. Furthermore, the latch member has a retaining portion, which prevents the tip of the wall mounting bracket from coming out of the wall mounting hole when the radio-controlled clock is removed from the radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit. This prevents the radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit from falling when the radio-controlled clock is removed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing a radio-controlled clock repeater according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a parent device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the slave unit in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the handset is attached to a wall. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a slave unit. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the latching device of the handset, taken in the direction of arrows VII-VII in FIG. 3. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the lock bar is attached to the plate body. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the lock bar alone. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a front view of the lock bar. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the lock bar seen from above. [Figure 12] 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the latching device of the handset, taken in the direction of arrows XII-XII in FIG. 3. [Figure 13] 13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken from the same position as FIG. 12, illustrating a state in which the tip of the first engagement portion of the lock bar is inserted into one of the holding portions. FIG. [Figure 14]13 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken from the same position as FIG. 12, showing a state in which a lock bar according to a first modified example is attached to a holding portion. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a lock bar according to a second modified example, viewed from above. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, a radio-controlled clock repeater according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] As shown in Fig. 1, the radio-controlled clock repeater includes a master unit 1 that transmits a time information signal (standard radio wave data) according to standard time, and a slave unit 11 (radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit) that receives the time information signal from the master unit 1 and outputs a pseudo standard radio wave. In this case, the slave unit 11 constitutes the radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit.

[0012] The master unit 1 includes a box-shaped master unit casing 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the master unit 1 includes a master unit real-time clock 3 (hereinafter referred to as master unit RTC 3), a main power supply unit 4, a wireless module 5, and a master unit controller 8. The master unit RTC 3, wireless module 5, and master unit controller 8 are housed within the master unit casing 2. In addition, the master unit 1 includes a time setting unit 6 and a display unit 7.

[0013] The master RTC 3 is configured using, for example, a quartz oscillator and keeps time. The master RTC 3 is connected to the master controller 8. Power is supplied to the master RTC 3 from the main power supply 4 via the master controller 8. Therefore, when the main power supply 4 is connected to a commercial AC power source, the master RTC 3 is driven by the power supplied from the main power supply 4. The master RTC 3 determines the current time based on the input initial time. The master RTC 3 outputs a signal corresponding to the current time to the master controller 8.

[0014] Furthermore, the master RTC 3 is connected to a backup power supply 3A, which may be a button battery, a capacitor, etc. This allows the master RTC 3 to continue operating on the power supply from the backup power supply 3A and keep telling the time even when the power supply from the main power supply 4 is temporarily stopped.

[0015] Even devices that run on commercial AC power generally use an RTC (real-time clock) to manage the time. The RTC's time can vary depending on the surrounding environment (mainly temperature). To avoid this variation, the parent RTC3 has a built-in correction function. Specifically, the parent RTC3 adds one second when the frequency clock of the reference oscillator (e.g., 32.768 kHz) reaches a "predetermined count," but now adds one second only once every 20 seconds at the "predetermined count + set value." This allows the parent RTC3 to correct the time count.

[0016] The main power supply unit 4 is connected to the parent controller 8. The main power supply unit 4 supplies power to the parent controller 8. The main power supply unit 4 includes a power adapter 4A, an AC-DC conversion circuit 4B, and a low-voltage power supply circuit 4C. The power adapter 4A is configured, for example, with a plug and is connected to a commercial AC power outlet (not shown). The power adapter 4A supplies AC power from the commercial power supply to the AC-DC conversion circuit 4B. The AC-DC conversion circuit 4B is configured with various converter circuits and converts the AC power to DC power. The low-voltage power supply circuit 4C converts the voltage of the DC power supplied from the AC-DC conversion circuit 4B to a constant low voltage (e.g., 3.3 V) required by the parent controller 8. The low-voltage power supply circuit 4C is configured, for example, with various DC-DC converter circuits. The low-voltage power supply circuit 4C supplies low-voltage DC power to the parent controller 8.

[0017] The main power supply unit 4 also includes an AC signal extraction circuit 4D. The AC signal extraction circuit 4D detects the AC voltage of the commercial power supply output from the power adapter 4A and outputs a signal corresponding to this AC voltage to the parent unit controller 8. The main power supply unit 4, excluding the power adapter 4A, is housed within the parent unit casing 2. That is, the AC-DC conversion circuit 4B, the low-voltage power supply circuit 4C, and the AC signal extraction circuit 4D are housed within the parent unit casing 2.

[0018] The wireless module 5 constitutes the parent device side communication unit. The wireless module 5 of the parent device 1 performs LPWA (Low Power Wide Area Network) wireless communication with the wireless module 23 of the child device 11. The wireless module 5 uses, for example, the LoRa communication method in the 920 MHz band. This makes the wireless module 5 relatively resistant to external disturbances and capable of long-distance communication. The wireless module 5 transmits and receives radio waves in the 920 MHz band from an antenna (not shown). The use of radio waves in the 920 MHz band provides high reception sensitivity and is resistant to building walls, enabling communication even in complex indoor spaces.

[0019] The time setting unit 6 is attached to the front of the parent unit casing 2. The time setting unit 6 is composed of, for example, a plurality of button switches, and is connected to the parent unit controller 8. The time setting unit 6 is used to set the initial time of the parent unit 1. Specifically, the time setting unit 6 has a switch for advancing and retreating the initial time. For example, when starting up the parent unit 1 for the first time, or when the parent unit 1 has not been turned on for a long period of time, the user sets the initial time of the parent unit 1 using the time setting unit 6.

[0020] The display unit 7 is attached to the front of the parent unit casing 2. The display unit 7 is configured with, for example, a 7-segment LED, a single-color chip LED, a full-color LED, or the like, and is connected to the parent unit controller 8. The display unit 7 displays, for example, the current time, the initial time, etc. The display unit 7 lights up as an error indicator when an abnormality occurs in the parent unit 1, etc.

[0021] The master controller 8 is configured by, for example, a personal computer. The master controller 8 operates according to a program stored in memory 8A. The master controller 8 corrects the time based on the master RTC 3 based on the voltage signal of the commercial alternating current power supply (commercial AC power supply).

[0022] The frequency of commercial AC power is controlled with high precision by the power company. Therefore, when the voltage signal of commercial AC power is used as the clock's oscillator circuit, there is no constant "error per month" as with a quartz oscillator, and the cumulative error can be maintained within a range of about ±10 seconds throughout the year. Therefore, from a long-term perspective, time management synchronized with AC power without using an RTC is more accurate. Therefore, while the master controller 8 is powered by commercial AC power, it periodically calculates the deviation between the master RTC 3 and the AC-synchronized time. Based on this deviation, the master controller 8 adjusts the correction setting of the master RTC 3. This allows the master controller 8 to obtain accurate time information using the master RTC 3.

[0023] Note that the master unit 1 is not limited to acquiring time information using the master unit RTC 3. For example, like the radio-controlled clock repeater disclosed in Patent Document 1, the master unit 1 may be connected to the Internet by wire or wirelessly and acquire time information via the Internet.

[0024] The master controller 8 is connected to a standard radio wave data setting circuit 9. The master controller 8 outputs accurate time information acquired using the master RTC 3 or the like to the standard radio wave data setting circuit 9. The standard radio wave data setting circuit 9 sets a time code, which becomes the data for the pseudo standard radio wave, based on the time information input from the master controller 8. The time code includes time information such as the year, month, day, hour, and minute. The standard radio wave data setting circuit 9 outputs the set standard radio wave data (time code) to the master controller 8.

[0025] Master controller 8 is normally in a sleep state. Master controller 8 wakes up at a predetermined wake-up date and time D10 and waits for a call signal from slave 11. When master controller 8 receives a call signal from slave 11, it establishes communication with slave 11 and transmits standard radio wave data as a time information signal to slave 11 using wireless module 5.

[0026] As shown in Figures 3 to 6, slave unit 11 has slave unit main body 20 that receives a time information signal according to standard time transmitted from master unit 1 and outputs a pseudo standard radio wave. As shown in Figure 5, slave unit main body 20 includes slave real-time clock 21 (hereinafter referred to as slave unit RTC 21), power supply unit 22, wireless module 23, pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24, and slave unit controller 30. Slave unit main body 20 is housed in slave unit casing 12. In addition, slave unit 11 includes a display unit 25 and a setting unit 26.

[0027] Note that slave unit main body 20 only needs to receive the time information signal and output the pseudo standard radio wave, and for example, power supply unit 22 may be omitted. In this case, power supply unit 22 is disposed outside slave unit casing 12, and slave unit RTC 21, wireless module 23, pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24, and slave unit controller 30 are driven by the power supplied from power supply unit 22.

[0028] The slave RTC 21 is configured in a similar manner to the master RTC 3. Therefore, the slave RTC 21 is configured using, for example, a quartz oscillator or the like to measure time. The slave RTC 21 is connected to the slave controller 30. Power is supplied to the slave RTC 21 from the power supply unit 22 via the slave controller 30. Therefore, the slave RTC 21 is driven by the power supplied from the power supply unit 22. The slave RTC 21 determines the current time based on the initial time input by a time setting unit (not shown) of the slave RTC 21. The initial time of the slave RTC 21 does not necessarily have to be set by the slave 11, but may be set by the master 1 using communication between the master and slaves 11. The slave RTC 21 outputs a signal corresponding to the current time to the slave controller 30. Like the master RTC 3, the slave RTC 21 also has a built-in correction function for correcting errors. Like the parent RTC 3, the child RTC 21 may also be connected to a backup power supply, such as a button cell battery or a capacitor.

[0029] The power supply unit 22 is connected to the slave controller 30. The power supply unit 22 supplies power to the slave controller 30. The power supply unit 22 includes a battery unit 22A, an over-discharge protection circuit 22B, a power switch 22C, a battery voltage confirmation circuit 22D, and a regulator 22E.

[0030] The battery unit 22A includes, for example, a plurality of batteries (not shown) connected in series. The battery unit 22A has a socket (not shown) that accommodates the plurality of batteries. The battery unit 22A supplies power to the slave controller 30 via an over-discharge protection circuit 22B and a regulator 22E. The over-discharge protection circuit 22B protects the batteries from over-discharge. The regulator 22E converts the output voltage from the battery unit 22A to a constant low voltage (e.g., 3.3 V) required by the slave controller 30. The power switch 22C is connected to the over-discharge protection circuit 22B. When the power switch 22C is ON, power is supplied from the battery unit 22A to the slave controller 30. When the power switch 22C is OFF, power supply from the battery unit 22A to the slave controller 30 is cut off. The battery voltage confirmation circuit 22D is connected to the over-discharge protection circuit 22B and the slave controller 30. The battery voltage confirmation circuit 22D detects the output voltage from the battery unit 22A, and outputs a detection signal to the over-discharge protection circuit 22B and the slave controller 30.

[0031] The wireless module 23 constitutes the slave device side communication unit. The wireless module 23 is configured similarly to the wireless module 5. The wireless module 23 of the slave device 11 performs LPWA wireless communication with the wireless module 5 of the master device 1. The wireless module 23 uses, for example, a LoRa communication method in the 920 MHz band. The wireless module 23 transmits or receives radio waves in the 920 MHz band from an antenna (not shown).

[0032] Although LPWA wireless communication is performed between the master device 1 and the slave device 11 in the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, various wireless communication protocols including Bluetooth (registered trademark), BLE, etc. may be used between the master device 1 and the slave device 11.

[0033] The pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24 includes a standard radio wave output circuit 24A, a coil 24B, and a capacitor 24C. The standard radio wave output circuit 24A is connected to the slave controller 30. The standard radio wave output circuit 24A modulates a time code (standard radio wave data) input from the slave controller 30 onto, for example, a 40 kHz carrier signal and supplies the modulated signal to the coil 24B. The coil 24B forms an antenna coil. The coil 24B is a small inductor with a diameter of approximately 5 to 10 mm (e.g., 7 mm) and an axial length of approximately 8 to 15 mm (e.g., 10 mm). The coil 24B and the capacitor 24C are mounted on a control circuit board 24D and connected in parallel with each other (see FIG. 5). At this time, the coil 24B and the capacitor 24C form a resonant circuit with a Q value of 40 kHz. The coil 24B emits a pseudo standard radio wave of 40 kHz (pseudo standard radio wave) based on the signal supplied from the standard radio wave output circuit 24A. Therefore, the pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24 can efficiently emit a 40 kHz pseudo standard radio wave from the coil 24B with low power consumption.

[0034] The pseudo standard time signal output unit 24 is not limited to outputting a 40 kHz pseudo standard time signal, but may output a 60 kHz pseudo standard time signal. Also, the frequency of the pseudo standard time signal may be configured to select either 40 kHz or 60 kHz.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the receiving antenna A of the radio-controlled clock C that receives the standard radio wave tends to be located in the center of the radio-controlled clock C in the left-right direction. Taking this into consideration, the coil 24B is located in the center of the slave unit casing 12 in the left-right direction. That is, the coil 24B is located in approximately the same position as the mounting bracket 18E of the adjuster mechanism 18 in the left-right direction of the slave unit casing 12. Meanwhile, the wall hanging hole of the radio-controlled clock C is located in the center of the radio-controlled clock C in the left-right direction. As a result, when the slave unit 11 is attached to the back of the radio-controlled clock C, the coil 24B is located in a position close to the receiving antenna A of the radio-controlled clock C. As a result, the receiving antenna A of the radio-controlled clock C is highly sensitive to the pseudo standard radio wave from the coil 24B. Furthermore, the coil 24B is located in the upper part of the slave unit casing 12.

[0036] The display unit 25 is attached to the front of the slave unit casing 12. The display unit 25 is configured, for example, by a single-color chip LED, a full-color LED, or the like. The display unit 25 is configured, for example, by two LEDs, and is connected to the slave unit controller 30. The display unit 25 lights up according to the current state (status) of the slave unit 11. Specifically, the display unit 25 switches between off, on, blinking, and lighting color according to the sleep state, driving state, communication state with the master unit 1, error state, and the like.

[0037] Setting unit 26 is attached, for example, at a position adjacent to display unit 25. Setting unit 26 is configured, for example, by a rotary switch, and is connected to slave unit controller 30. Setting unit 26 sets the number of slave unit 11 by operating the rotary switch. This allows master unit 1 to individually identify each of these slave units 11 and transmit standard radio wave data to each of them, even when multiple slave units 11 communicate with a single master unit 1.

[0038] The access switch 27 is attached, for example, to a position below the display unit 25, and is connected to the slave controller 30. When the access switch 27 is pressed, the master unit 1 is notified of the slave number corresponding to the setting unit 26 of the slave unit 11, and the slave unit 11 is registered in the master unit 1.

[0039] Power switch 22C is attached, for example, to a position below setting unit 26 and is connected to slave unit controller 30. Pressing power switch 22C starts slave unit 11. This causes slave unit controller 30 to execute a program stored in memory 30A.

[0040] Slave controller 30 is a slave control means that controls wireless module 23 and pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24. Slave controller 30 is configured, for example, by a personal computer. Slave controller 30 operates according to a program stored in memory 30A. Slave controller 30 corrects the time based on slave RTC 21 based on the standard radio wave data from master controller 8. This allows slave controller 30 to obtain accurate time information using slave RTC 21.

[0041] The slave controller 30 is connected to the pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24. The slave controller 30 outputs accurate time information acquired using the slave RTC 21 to the pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24. Based on the acquired time information, the pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24 generates a pseudo standard radio wave signal in which the time code (standard radio wave data) is modulated, and emits the pseudo standard radio wave from the coil 24B.

[0042] The slave unit controller 30 is normally in a sleep state. The slave unit controller 30 wakes up at a predetermined wake-up date and time D11 and transmits a call signal to the master unit controller 8. When communication is established between the slave unit 11 and the master unit 1 based on the call signal, the master unit controller 8 transmits the standard radio wave data acquired from the standard radio wave data setting circuit 9 to the slave unit 11 using the wireless module 5. When the slave unit controller 30 receives the standard radio wave data using the wireless module 23, it corrects the time based on the slave unit RTC 21 based on the standard radio wave data. Thereafter, the slave unit controller 30 goes into a sleep state again and waits until the predetermined start time Ts arrives.

[0043] At start time Ts, slave controller 30 outputs accurate time information acquired using slave RTC 21 to pseudo standard time signal output unit 24 from start time Ts to end time Te. This causes slave 11 to emit pseudo standard time signals from coil 24B from start time Ts to end time Te. The pseudo standard time signals may be output continuously from start time Ts to end time Te, or may be output intermittently at regular intervals.

[0044] Since the base unit 1 is connected to a commercial AC power source, it may be kept running at all times. However, to reduce power consumption, it is preferable that the base unit 1 be operated only for the required time from the start-up date and time D10. The start-up date and time D10 of the base unit 1 is the same as the start-up date and time D11 of the slave unit 11. However, to allow for a time error due to the slave unit RTC 21, the start-up date and time D10 is set several minutes (for example, about 5 minutes) earlier than the start-up date and time D11. As a result, the base unit 1 is in an operating state when the slave unit 11 transmits a call signal.

[0045] The start time Ts and end time Te are set so that they include the time when the radio-controlled clock C receives the standard radio wave and adjusts the time. Generally, the radio-controlled clock C receives the standard radio wave and adjusts the time between 2:00 AM and 3:30 AM. For this reason, the start time Ts is set to, for example, around 1:55 AM, and the end time Te is set to, for example, around 3:35 AM. In addition, the start date and time D11 of the slave device 11 is set to, for example, one hour before the start time Ts.

[0046] The activation dates and times D10 and D11 are set at predetermined intervals of, for example, 1 to 30 days. Specifically, the activation dates and times D10 and D11 are set at intervals of, for example, 2 weeks (14 days). Therefore, for example, if the activation date and time D11 of the slave unit 11 is set to start at approximately 12:50 AM on January 1, the master unit 1 will start at approximately 12:45 AM on January 1 as the activation date and time D10. The next time the master unit 1 and the slave unit 11 start (next activation date) is set to January 15, two weeks later. The activation dates and times D10 and D11, the start time Ts, and the end time Te may be changed as appropriate depending on the user's request, the specifications of the radio-controlled clock C, etc. In addition, although the slave unit 11 calls the master unit 1 in this embodiment, the master unit 1 may call the slave unit 11 instead.

[0047] In this embodiment, the day interval at which slave unit 11 is activated is 2 weeks, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the day interval at which slave unit 11 is activated may be any number of days between 1 and 13, or any number of days between 15 and 30. The day interval at which slave unit 11 is activated is set appropriately taking into consideration the time accuracy of radio-controlled clock C, the power consumption of slave unit 11, and the like. Furthermore, if radio-controlled clock C receives a standard time signal during the day and adjusts the time, the start time Ts and end time Te may be set so that a pseudo standard time signal for that time is transmitted.

[0048] As shown in Figures 3, 4, 6 to 8, handset 11 includes handset casing 12, latch 13, and adjuster mechanism 18. Handset casing 12 is formed in a thin box shape with a predetermined thickness and is composed of main body housing section 12A and lid section 12B. Main body housing section 12A is formed in, for example, a rectangular box shape and is open on the front side. Inside main body housing section 12A, handset main body 20 is housed, which includes handset RTC 21, power supply section 22, wireless module 23, pseudo standard radio wave output section 24, handset controller 30, etc.

[0049] The lid 12B is formed in a flat plate shape and is attached to the main body housing portion 12A by screws or the like. The lid 12B is located on the front side of the main body housing portion 12A and covers the opening of the main body housing portion 12A. A window 12C is formed in the center of the lid 12B. The window 12C is formed, for example, by a rectangular through-hole, and inside the window 12C, the power switch 22C, the display portion 25, the setting portion 26, the access switch 27, etc. are exposed.

[0050] The hanging device 13 is attached to the upper part of the handset casing 12. The hanging device 13 includes a plate 14 having a wall-hanging hole 14A into which the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F is inserted, and a lock bar 15 as a latch member attached to the plate 14, located below the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F and spanning the wall-hanging hole 14A in the horizontal direction (left-right direction in FIG. 3). The hanging device 13 further includes two holders 16 and 17 provided on the plate 14 and holding both ends of the lock bar 15 extending horizontally.

[0051] Plate 14 is formed in the shape of a rigid rectangular flat plate using, for example, a metal material, a resin material, or the like. A wall-hanging hole 14A, e.g., a pentagonal through-hole, is formed in the center of plate 14. A tip Ft of a hook-shaped wall mounting fixture F attached to, for example, a building wall W is inserted into a corner 14B located at the top of wall-hanging hole 14A. Thus, hook 13 secures handset 11 to the wall (wall W) in a hanging state. A lock bar 15 is attached to plate 14. Wall-hanging hole 14A of plate 14 has a notch 14C formed by cutting out a triangular portion of the peripheral wall at the lower end of corner 14B (see FIG. 8). A retaining portion 15C of lock bar 15 inserted into wall-hanging hole 14A comes into contact with notch 14C. Therefore, the retaining portion 15C is caught in the notch 14C, thereby restricting horizontal displacement of the retaining portion 15C. The plate 14 also has two legs 14D on its underside that are bent forward in an L-shape. The legs 14D are attached to the main body accommodating portion 12A of the handset casing 12 using bolts or the like.

[0052] The shape of the plate 14 is not limited to a rectangle, and various shapes can be selected. The wall-hanging hole 14A is not limited to a pentagonal shape, and may be a triangle, a rhombus, or a polygon. The wall-hanging hole 14A may also be a circle or an ellipse.

[0053] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the locking bar 15 is attached to the retaining portions 16 and 17 provided on both lateral ends of the plate body 14. The locking bar 15 is positioned below the corner 14B of the wall-hanging hole 14A and extends in the lateral direction of the plate body 14, straddling the wall-hanging hole 14A. With the locking bar 15 removed, the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F fixed to the wall surface W is inserted into the wall-hanging hole 14A and fixed at the corner 14B. This allows the wall mounting fixture F fixed to the wall (wall surface W) to be inserted into the corner 14B of the wall-hanging hole 14A. The locking bar 15 is attached to the hanging fixture 13 after the wall mounting fixture F is inserted into the wall-hanging hole 14A. This allows the locking bar 15 to limit the opening area of ​​the wall-hanging hole 14A.

[0054] 9 to 13, the locking bar 15 has a first engaging portion 15A that engages with one of the holding portions 16 and a second engaging portion 15B that engages with the other of the holding portions 17. The locking bar 15 has a retaining portion 15C that prevents the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F from coming out of the wall mounting hole 14A. The locking bar 15 is formed, for example, from a resin material in the shape of a long, narrow plate that extends horizontally, and is capable of elastic deformation in the thickness direction of the plate body 14. The locking bar 15 is not limited to being made of a resin material, and may also be made of a metal material, for example.

[0055] The first engagement portion 15A is inserted between the holding portion 16 and the plate body 14. The first engagement portion 15A is formed in a strip shape extending horizontally. A wedge portion 15A1 whose thickness increases toward the base end is formed at the tip portion of the first engagement portion 15A. When the tip portion of the first engagement portion 15A is inserted between the holding portion 16 and the plate body 14, the wedge portion 15A1 comes into contact with the holding portion 16 and the plate body 14 and is supported in a sandwiched state between the holding portion 16 and the plate body 14. This prevents the first engagement portion 15A from slipping out from between the holding portion 16 and the plate body 14.

[0056] The second engagement portion 15B includes a front connecting portion 15B1 located forward of the holding portion 17 and connected to the retaining portion 15C, and a folded portion 15B2 formed by folding back an end of the front connecting portion 15B1 and inserted between the other holding portion 17 and the plate body 14. The front connecting portion 15B1 and the folded portion 15B2 are formed in a strip shape extending horizontally. The front connecting portion 15B1 and the first engagement portion 15A are disposed at different positions in the thickness direction (front-rear direction) of the plate body 14. That is, the front connecting portion 15B1 is disposed further forward on the plate body 14 than the first engagement portion 15A. Meanwhile, the tip portion of the folded portion 15B2 is disposed at approximately the same position as the first engagement portion 15A in the thickness direction of the plate body 14.

[0057] When the second engaging portion 15B is attached to the holding portion 17, the holding portion 17 is sandwiched between the front connecting portion 15B1 and the folded-back portion 15B2. At this time, the holding portion 17 is surrounded by the front connecting portion 15B1 and the folded-back portion 15B2. This restricts the second engaging portion 15B from being displaced toward the front of the plate body 14, and also restricts its displacement toward the holding portion 16.

[0058] The retaining portion 15C is located between the first engaging portion 15A and the second engaging portion 15B and is connected to the first engaging portion 15A and the second engaging portion 15B. The retaining portion 15C protrudes toward the wall surface W and is inserted into the wall mounting hole 14A. The retaining portion 15C is formed, for example, in a V-shaped bent shape and is a convex portion that protrudes in the thickness direction of the lock bar 15. The upper portion of the retaining portion 15C, which is closer to the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F, protrudes toward the wall surface W more than the lower portion. That is, the protruding dimension of the upper portion of the tip Ft is greater than the protruding dimension of the lower portion of the tip Ft. When the handset 11 is displaced upward while it is hung on the wall mounting fixture F, the upper end portion of the retaining portion 15C comes into contact with the underside of the wall mounting fixture F. As a result, the retaining portion 15C prevents the wall mounting fixture F from coming off the slave unit 11 when the radio-controlled clock C is removed from the slave unit 11.

[0059] The protruding end of the retaining portion 15C protrudes toward the wall W, for example, beyond the plate body 14. However, if the protruding end of the retaining portion 15C contacts the wall W, the handset 11 will be supported by the protruding end of the retaining portion 15C and the corner 14B of the wall-hanging hole 14A, which may cause the handset 11 to become unstable. For this reason, the protruding dimension of the retaining portion 15C is set so that the protruding end of the retaining portion 15C protrudes toward the wall W beyond the plate body 14, but does not contact the wall W. In addition, the thickness of the retaining portion 15C is set smaller than the thicknesses of the first engaging portion 15A and the second engaging portion 15B. This allows the locking bar 15 to easily flex and deform in the thickness direction of the locking bar 15 at the position of the retaining portion 15C when attaching the locking bar 15 to the plate body 14.

[0060] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 8, the holding portion 16 is provided on one horizontal side of the plate body 14 (the right side in Figure 3). The holding portion 16 forms a hook portion and is formed in an L-shape with its tip extending upward and protruding from the front side of the plate body 14. The holding portion 16 is made of a rectangular strip portion formed by hollowing out the plate body 14 made of, for example, a metal material, and is formed by bending this strip portion so that it protrudes in an L-shape from the front side of the plate body 14. The holding portion 16 holds the first engagement portion 15A of the lock bar 15.

[0061] The holding portion 17 is provided on the other horizontal side (the left side in FIG. 3) of the plate body 14. The holding portion 17 is formed in the same manner as the holding portion 16. Therefore, the holding portion 17 is formed in an L-shape with the front side of the plate body 14 protruding and the tip side extending upward. The holding portion 17 holds the second engagement portion 15B of the lock bar 15.

[0062] As shown in Figures 3, 4, and 8, the adjuster mechanism 18 includes a rail member 18A, a spacer 18C, a slider 18D, and a mounting fixture 18E. The rail member 18A is located in front of the plate body 14 of the latch 13 and extends vertically. A guide hole 18B consisting of a vertically extending, elongated slit is formed in the center of the rail member 18A. The rail member 18A is attached to the front side of the plate body 14 via, for example, three spacers 18C. One spacer 18C is located at the upper end of the rail member 18A, and two spacers 18C are located at the lower end of the rail member 18A. The spacers 18C are interposed between the rail member 18A and the latch 13, so that the rail member 18A faces the plate body 14 with a gap between them. A lock bar 15 is inserted between the rail member 18A and the plate body 14.

[0063] The slider 18D is made up of two plate-like members facing each other with the rail member 18A in between. The center portion of the slider 18D is inserted into the guide hole 18B of the rail member 18A. The position of the slider 18D can be shifted in the vertical direction along the guide hole 18B.

[0064] The base end of the mounting fixture 18E is inserted into the center of the slider 18D. The mounting fixture 18E is inserted into a wall-hanging hole (not shown) of the radio-controlled clock C to support the radio-controlled clock C. The mounting fixture 18E is composed of a cylindrical rod portion and a disk portion formed at the tip of the rod portion and having a larger radial dimension than the rod portion. The mounting fixture 18E is made of, for example, a metal material. The outer peripheral surface of the disk portion is knurled. The disk portion of the mounting fixture 18E serves as a stopper that prevents the radio-controlled clock C from falling off the mounting fixture 18E.

[0065] A bolt is formed at the base end of the rod-shaped portion of mounting fixture 18E. When the disk portion of mounting fixture 18E is rotated in the direction in which this bolt is tightened, the two plate-shaped members of slider 18D are displaced in a direction toward each other. As a result, slider 18D is in a state in which rail member 18A is sandwiched between the two plate-shaped members, and vertical displacement of slider 18D is restricted, thereby positioning and fixing it.

[0066] When the disk portion of mounting fixture 18E is rotated in the direction that loosens the bolt, the two plate-like members of slider 18D are displaced in directions that separate them from each other, thereby releasing slider 18D from the state in which rail member 18A is sandwiched between the two plate-like members, and allowing slider 18D to be displaced in the vertical direction.

[0067] Next, the use and function of the lock bar 15 when attaching the handset 11 to the wall mount F will be described with reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 7, 8, 12, and 13.

[0068] When attaching the handset 11 to the wall mount F, with the lock bar 15 removed, the tip Ft of the wall mount F is inserted into the wall mount hole 14A of the hanging fixture 13. When the handset 11 is then released, a downward force acts on the handset 11 due to its own weight, causing the wall mount F to contact the corner 14B of the wall mount hole 14A. This causes the plate 14 to become caught on the J-shaped wall mount F, and the handset 11 is now hung on the wall mount F. However, in this state, because the opening area of ​​the wall mount hole 14A is larger than the tip Ft of the wall mount F, there is a possibility that the handset 11 may be displaced horizontally or in the front-to-rear direction due to vibrations or that the tip Ft of the wall mount F may come out of the wall mount hole 14A.

[0069] Therefore, by attaching the lock bar 15 to the plate body 14, the opening area of ​​the wall-hanging hole 14A is reduced. As shown in FIG. 8, when attaching the lock bar 15 to the plate body 14, the lock bar 15 is inserted laterally between the plate body 14 and the rail member 18A of the adjuster mechanism 18, and the tip of the first engagement portion 15A is moved from left to right. Then, the lock bar 15 is positioned so that it straddles the lower side of the wall-hanging hole 14A, and the tip of the first engagement portion 15A is inserted between the holding portion 16 and the plate body 14. At this time, the retaining portion 15C of the lock bar 15 is positioned opposite the holding portion 16 in the left-right direction across the wall-hanging hole 14A (on the left side in FIG. 3), facing the plate body 14. Then, with the protruding end (tip) of the retaining portion 15C of the lock bar 15 in contact with the front surface of the plate body 14, the lock bar 15 is moved horizontally toward the holding portion 16 (see FIG. 13).

[0070] At this time, the lock bar 15 is slid while the retaining portion 15C rides up onto the plate body 14, and the retaining portion 15C is inserted into the wall-hanging hole 14A. This improves the ease of assembling the lock bar 15. The lock bar 15 is also thinner than the other parts by the thickness of the retaining portion 15C. Therefore, when the retaining portion 15C rides up onto the plate body 14, the lock bar 15 flexes and deforms, allowing the lock bar 15 to be assembled to the plate body 14.

[0071] Furthermore, the upper portion of retaining portion 15C protrudes further toward plate body 14 than the lower portion. Therefore, the tip of retaining portion 15C is inclined obliquely relative to the vertical direction. As a result, the contact area between the tip of retaining portion 15C and plate body 14 can be reduced, and the frictional resistance between retaining portion 15C and plate body 14 is reduced.

[0072] When the retaining portion 15C reaches the wall-mounting hole 14A, the retaining portion 15C enters the wall-mounting hole 14A, and the second engaging portion 15B is displaced toward the plate 14. As a result, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 13 , the front connecting portion 15B1 of the second engaging portion 15B comes into contact with the front surface of the holding portion 17. In this state, the lock bar 15 is moved horizontally toward the holding portion 16. The tip of the first engaging portion 15A hooks onto the holding portion 16. Subsequently, the tip of the folded portion 15B2 of the second engaging portion 15B hooks onto the holding portion 17. At this time, the tip portions of the first engaging portion 15A and the folded portion 15B2 are chamfered to make it easier to insert the first engaging portion 15A and the folded portion 15B2 into the holding portions 16 and 17.

[0073] When wedge portion 15A1 of first engagement portion 15A advances to the right beyond holding portion 16, the thick portion of wedge portion 15A1 contacts plate body 14, strongly interfering with the surface (front) of plate body 14 and stopping lock bar 15. This creates a clicking sensation and a holding feeling in lock bar 15, and the worker installing lock bar 15 knows that first engagement portion 15A of lock bar 15 is firmly fixed. In this way, by providing first engagement portion 15A and second engagement portion 15B, lock bar 15 is easier to install relative to plate body 14. Therefore, even when a worker reaches out to install handset 11 on wall W to place radio-controlled clock C at a high location, for example, lock bar 15 can be easily installed relative to holding portions 16 and 17.

[0074] When both ends of the lock bar 15 are held by the holding portions 16, 17, the protruding end portion of the retaining portion 15C is inserted into the wall-hanging hole 14A. At this time, the retaining portion 15C protrudes further toward the wall surface W than the holding portions 16, 17, and is positioned adjacent to the lower side of the lower end portion (bent portion) of the J-shaped bent wall mounting fixture F.

[0075] After attaching the slave unit 11 to the wall mounting fixture F, the radio-controlled clock C is brought close to the slave unit 11 so that it overlaps the slave unit 11, and the mounting fixture 18E of the slave unit 11 is inserted into the wall mounting hole of the radio-controlled clock C. This fixes the radio-controlled clock C to the slave unit 11. At this time, the slave unit 11 is placed between the radio-controlled clock C and the wall W, and the front of the slave unit 11 is covered by the radio-controlled clock C. As a result, the slave unit 11 located behind the radio-controlled clock C emits the pseudo standard time signal, so that the pseudo standard time signal from the slave unit 11 can be delivered to the radio-controlled clock C without being affected by the surrounding environment.

[0076] For example, when replacing the battery in the radio-controlled clock C, the radio-controlled clock C is removed from the slave unit 11. The wall-hanging hole of the radio-controlled clock C is generally shaped so that the radio-controlled clock C is displaced downward due to its own weight, thereby securing the radio-controlled clock C. Therefore, when removing the radio-controlled clock C from the slave unit 11, the radio-controlled clock C is lifted upward and then pulled forward. At this time, the tip Ft of the J-shaped wall mounting bracket F extends diagonally upward. Therefore, if the lock bar 15 itself were not present or if the retaining portion 15C of the lock bar 15 were omitted, when the wall-hanging hole of the radio-controlled clock C gets caught on the mounting bracket 18E of the slave unit 11 and the slave unit 11 is displaced upward together with the radio-controlled clock C, the tip Ft of the wall mounting bracket F could come out of the wall-hanging hole 14A of the slave unit 11, potentially causing the slave unit 11 to fall.

[0077] In contrast, in this embodiment, the lock bar 15 includes a retaining portion 15C that protrudes toward the wall W and is inserted into the wall mounting hole 14A. Therefore, when the handset 11 is pulled forward (away from the wall W) together with the radio-controlled clock C, the handset 11 moves forward by an amount corresponding to the variation in the bottom of the wall mounting bracket F, but the gap around the wall mounting bracket F is limited by the retaining portion 15C. Furthermore, when the handset 11 moves upward together with the radio-controlled clock C, the upper end of the retaining portion 15C inserted into the wall mounting hole 14A comes into contact with the lower end (bent portion) of the wall mounting bracket F. As a result, the handset 11 is prevented from moving upward, and the tip Ft of the wall mounting bracket F is prevented from coming out of the wall mounting hole 14A. This allows the handset 11 to be removed from the radio-controlled clock C while preventing the handset 11 from falling, thereby preventing damage to the handset 11 and the floor surface.

[0078] Thus, in this embodiment, the radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit 11 has a slave unit main body 20 that receives a time information signal corresponding to standard time transmitted from the master unit 1 and outputs a pseudo-standard radio wave, and is equipped with a slave unit casing 12 that houses the slave unit main body 20, a hanging device 13 that is provided on the slave unit casing 12 and hangs the slave unit casing 12 on a wall mounting fixture F fixed to a wall surface W, and a mounting fixture 18E that fixes the radio-controlled clock C to the front side of the slave unit casing 12 opposite the wall surface W so that the slave unit casing 12 overlaps the wall-mounted radio-controlled clock C.

[0079] As a result, the slave unit 11 is attached between the back of the wall-mounted radio-controlled clock C and the wall W so that it overlaps the radio-controlled clock C. Therefore, the slave unit 11 located behind the radio-controlled clock C emits the pseudo standard radio wave, so that the pseudo standard radio wave from the slave unit 11 can be delivered to the radio-controlled clock C without being affected by the surrounding environment.

[0080] The hanging device 13 also comprises a plate 14 having a wall mounting hole 14A formed therein into which the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F is inserted, and a locking bar 15 (latching member) that is positioned below the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F and is attached to the plate 14 so as to straddle the wall mounting hole 14A horizontally, and the locking bar 15 has a fall-out prevention portion 15C that prevents the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F from coming out of the wall mounting hole 14A.

[0081] At this time, when attaching the handset 11 to the wall mounting fixture F, the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F is inserted into the wall mounting hole 14A of the hanging fixture 13 with the lock bar 15 removed from the plate 14. This allows the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F to be inserted into the wall mounting hole 14A, which has a large opening area, making it easy to attach the hanging fixture 13 of the handset 11 to the wall mounting fixture F. After inserting the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F into the wall mounting hole 14A of the hanging fixture 13, the lock bar 15 is attached to the plate 14 of the hanging fixture 13. This reduces the opening area of ​​the wall mounting hole 14A, allowing the insertion portion of the wall mounting fixture F to be positioned at the corner 14B of the wall mounting hole 14A, and preventing the tip Ft from slipping out of the wall mounting hole 14A.

[0082] In addition, the lock bar 15 has a retaining portion 15C, which prevents the tip Ft of the wall mounting fixture F from coming out of the wall mounting hole 14A even when the radio-controlled clock C is displaced upward together with the handset 11 when the radio-controlled clock C is removed from the mounting fixture 18E of the handset 11. As a result, the handset 11 is prevented from falling when the radio-controlled clock C is removed from the handset 11.

[0083] In this embodiment, the hanging device 13 is provided on the plate body 14 and further includes two holding portions 16, 17 that hold both ends of the horizontally extending lock bar 15, and the lock bar 15 has a first engagement portion 15A that engages with one of the holding portions 16 and a second engagement portion 15B that engages with the other holding portion 17, and the anti-pullout portion 15C is located between the first engagement portion 15A and the second engagement portion 15B and is connected to the first engagement portion 15A and the second engagement portion 15B, protrudes toward the wall surface W, and is inserted into the wall hanging hole 14A.

[0084] Therefore, when the slave unit 11 is displaced upward, the upper end portion of the retaining portion 15C inserted into the wall mounting hole 14A comes into contact with the lower end portion of the tip portion Ft of the wall mounting fixture F. As a result, the upward displacement of the slave unit 11 can be restricted, and the tip portion Ft of the wall mounting fixture F can be prevented from coming out of the wall mounting hole 14A.

[0085] In this case, the upper portion of the retaining portion 15C, which is closer to the tip Ft of the wall mount F, protrudes more toward the wall W than the lower portion. Therefore, even when the handset 11 moves upward while being displaced in a direction away from the wall mount W, the upper end portion of the retaining portion 15C can contact the lower end portion of the tip Ft of the wall mount F. On the other hand, as the protruding dimension of the retaining portion 15C increases, the retaining portion 15C tends to interfere with the plate body 14 when attaching the lock bar 15 to the holding portions 16, 17 provided on the plate body 14, which tends to deteriorate the attachability. In contrast, in this embodiment, the protruding dimension of the lower portion of the retaining portion 15C can be made smaller than the upper portion of the retaining portion 15C, thereby improving the attachability of the lock bar 15 compared to a case in which the lower portion of the retaining portion 15C protrudes to the same extent as the upper portion.

[0086] In this embodiment, the two holding portions 16, 17 are formed in an L-shape, protruding forward from the plate body 14 with their tips extending upward, and the first engagement portion 15A is inserted between one of the holding portions 16 and the plate body 14, while the second engagement portion 15B has a front connecting portion 15B1 located forward of the other holding portion 17 and connected to the anti-pullout portion 15C, and a folded portion 15B2 formed by folding back the end of the front connecting portion 15B1 and inserted between the other holding portion 17 and the plate body 14.

[0087] Therefore, when attaching the lock bar 15 to the plate body 14, the lock bar 15 is positioned so that it straddles the wall-hanging hole 14A, and the tip of the first engagement portion 15A is inserted between the holding portion 16 and the plate body 14. Then, with the front connecting portion 15B1 of the second engagement portion 15B in contact with the front surface of the holding portion 17, the lock bar 15 is moved horizontally toward the holding portion 16. This causes the tip of the folded portion 15B2 of the second engagement portion 15B to be inserted between the holding portion 17 and the plate body 14, and the lock bar 15 is fixed. This improves the attachability of the lock bar 15.

[0088] The slave unit 11 is equipped with an adjuster mechanism 18 that can adjust the position of the mounting bracket 18E along the vertical direction of the radio-controlled clock C. Therefore, the position of the slave unit 11 relative to the radio-controlled clock C can be adjusted along the vertical direction of the radio-controlled clock C. Therefore, when the slave unit 11 is placed behind the radio-controlled clock C, even if part of the slave unit 11 is exposed (protrudes) above or below the radio-controlled clock C, the position of the slave unit 11 relative to the radio-controlled clock C can be adjusted using the adjuster mechanism 18. This allows the radio-controlled clock C to cover all or most of the slave unit 11, and allows the slave unit 11 to be hidden behind the radio-controlled clock C.

[0089] The slave unit 11 also includes a wireless module 23 (slave unit side communication unit) that receives the time information signal, and a pseudo standard radio wave output unit 24 that has a coil 24B as an antenna and outputs a pseudo standard radio wave from the coil 24B based on the standard radio wave data (time information signal), and the adjuster mechanism 18 can adjust the position of the coil 24B relative to the vertical direction of the radio-controlled clock C. Therefore, the relative positions of the coil 24B of the slave unit 11 and the receiving antenna A of the radio-controlled clock C can be adjusted so that the sensitivity of the receiving antenna A of the radio-controlled clock C when receiving the pseudo standard radio wave is increased.

[0090] In this embodiment, radio waves with shorter wavelengths than standard radio waves (for example, radio waves in the 900 MHz band) are used for communication between master unit 1 and slave unit 11. Therefore, even if master unit 1 and slave unit 11 are placed in different rooms, communication between master unit 1 and slave unit 11 is possible. As a result, slave unit 11 can receive the time information signal from master unit 1 and can output a pseudo standard radio wave based on the time information signal.

[0091] Furthermore, since the slave unit 11 is powered by the power from the battery unit 22A, it does not need to be connected to a commercial power source. Therefore, the slave unit 11 can be used even in an environment where a commercial power source is not located near the wall-mounted radio-controlled clock C.

[0092] Furthermore, because slave unit 11 is attached to the back of radio-controlled clock C, the pseudo standard time signal can reach a sufficient range of about 10 to 50 cm (e.g., 30 cm), and the output of the pseudo standard time signal can be reduced. As a result, the average current of slave unit 11 can be reduced to, for example, 0.2 mA / h or less, and the frequency of battery replacement in slave unit 11 can be reduced to, for example, about once per year.

[0093] Although the slave unit 11 is provided with an adjuster mechanism 18 that can adjust its position relative to the radio-controlled clock C in the vertical direction (up and down), the present invention is not limited to this. For example, if the slave unit 11 is small enough to be hidden behind the radio-controlled clock C, and the radio-controlled clock C can receive the pseudo standard radio wave from the slave unit 11, the adjuster mechanism 18 may be omitted. In other words, the mounting fixture 18E may be fixed in a state where it cannot be displaced in the up and down direction.

[0094] In the above embodiment, the mounting fixture 18E is attached to the plate 14 of the latching device 13 via the rail member 18A or the like, but the present invention is not limited to this. The mounting fixture 18E may be attached to the handset casing 12, for example.

[0095] Although slave unit 11 has been described as receiving the time information signal directly from master unit 1, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, wireless module 23 of slave unit 11 may have a function of relaying communication between master unit 1 and another slave unit 11. In this case, slave unit 11 can indirectly receive the time information signal from master unit 1 via the other slave unit 11.

[0096] In the above embodiment, the latch member is formed by a band-shaped lock bar 15 extending horizontally, but the present invention is not limited to this. The latch member may be, for example, a rod-shaped member extending horizontally or a flat plate member.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the upper portion of the retaining portion 15C of the lock bar 15 protrudes further toward the wall surface W than the lower portion, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper and lower portions of the retaining portion 15C of the lock bar 15 may protrude toward the wall surface W to the same extent, or the lower portion may protrude further toward the wall surface W than the upper portion.

[0098] In the above embodiment, the second engagement portion 15B of the lock bar 15 includes a front connecting portion 15B1 located forward of the holding portion 17 and connected to the retaining portion 15C, and a folded portion 15B2 formed by folding back an end of the front connecting portion 15B1 and inserted between the other holding portion 17 and the plate body 14. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a lock bar 41 (latch member) according to a first modified example shown in FIG. 14 may be configured to include a first engagement portion 41A, a second engagement portion 41B, and a retaining portion 41C. In this case, the first engagement portion 41A is configured similarly to the first engagement portion 15A. The retaining portion 41C is configured similarly to the retaining portion 15C. In contrast, the second engagement portion 41B has a connecting portion 41B1 inserted between the retaining portion 17 and the plate body 14 and connected to the anti-pullout portion 15C, and a folded portion 41B2 formed by folding back the end of the connecting portion 41B1 at the front side.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the retaining portion 15C of the lock bar 15 has a V-shaped bend when viewed from above. However, the present invention is not limited to this. As in the lock bar 51 (latch member) according to a second modified example shown in FIG. 15 , the retaining portion 51C connected between the first engaging portion 51A and the second engaging portion 51B may be formed, for example, in the shape of a solid triangular prism when viewed from above. In this case, the first engaging portion 51A is configured similarly to the first engaging portion 15A, and the second engaging portion 51B is configured similarly to the second engaging portion 15B. The retaining portion of the lock bar may also be formed in the shape of a solid rectangular prism, semicircular, or the like. Furthermore, the retaining portion of the lock bar may be bent, for example, in a rectangular, polygonal, circular, or elliptical shape when viewed from above.

[0100] In the above embodiment, the holding portions 16, 17 that hold the lock bar 15 are formed in an L-shape with the tip extending upward and protruding from the front side of the plate body 14, but the present invention is not limited to this. The holding portion may be any that allows the lock bar (latching member) to be easily attached and detached, and may be, for example, a ring-shaped portion with the upper and lower ends attached to the plate body, or may have any other shape or structure.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the hanging device 13 with the lock bar 15 is applied to the radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit 11, which is an intermediate mounting device attached between a radio-controlled clock C, which is a display object, and a wall surface W. The hanging device 13 with the lock bar 15 may also be applied to a lighting device or indirect lighting device, which is attached between a picture or panel, which is a display object, and a wall surface, and serves as an intermediate mounting device to illuminate the picture, etc. The hanging device 13 with the lock bar 15 may also be applied to a monitor support device, which is attached between a wall clock or monitor, which is a display object, and a wall surface, and serves as an intermediate mounting device to adjust the display direction of the clock, etc.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the wall mount F has a J-shape with the tip Ft extending diagonally upward, but the present invention is not limited to this. The wall mount may be, for example, a nail-shaped member with a countersunk head having a large outer diameter at the tip of the shaft, similar to mount 18E of handset 11. In this case, when the opening area of ​​wall mounting hole 14A is restricted to a small area by lock bar 15, this opening area becomes equal to or smaller than the area of ​​the countersunk head, thereby preventing the wall mount from slipping out of wall mounting hole 14A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] 1 base unit 11 Handset (Radio Clock Repeater Handset) 12 Handset casing 13 Hook and Loop 14 Plate 14A Wall mounting hole 14B Corner 15, 41, 51 Lock bar (lock member) 15A,41A,51A 1st engagement part 15B, 41B, 51B 2nd engaging part 15B1 Front connection part 15B2, 41B2 Folded part 15C, 51C retaining part 16,17 Holding part 18 Adjuster mechanism 18E Mounting fixture 20 Handset body C Radio-controlled clock W wall F Wall Mounting Bracket Ft tip

Claims

1. A slave unit for a radio-controlled clock repeater has a slave unit main body that receives a time information signal corresponding to standard time transmitted from a master unit and outputs a pseudo standard radio wave, a handset casing that houses the handset main body; a hook provided on the handset casing for hooking the handset casing to a wall mounting fixture fixed to a wall surface; a mounting fixture for fixing the radio-controlled clock to a front surface of the handset casing opposite to the wall surface so that the handset casing overlaps the wall-mounted radio-controlled clock; The latching device is a plate body having a wall mounting hole formed therein into which the tip of the wall mounting fixture is inserted; a latch member that is positioned below the tip of the wall mounting fixture and is attached to the plate body while horizontally spanning the wall mounting hole, The latch member has a retaining portion that prevents the tip of the wall mounting fixture from coming out of the wall mounting hole.

2. The latching device further includes two holding portions provided on the plate body and configured to hold both ends of the horizontally extending bar member, The bar member is a first engaging portion that engages with one of the holding portions; a second engaging portion that engages with the other holding portion, The radio-controlled clock repeater sub-unit as described in claim 1, characterized in that the anti-slip portion is located between the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, is connected to the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion, protrudes toward the wall surface, and is inserted into the wall hanging hole.

3. 3. The radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit according to claim 2, wherein the retaining portion has an upper portion near the tip of the wall mounting fixture that protrudes toward the wall surface more than a lower portion.

4. The two holding portions are formed in an L-shape with their tip ends extending upward and protruding from the front side of the plate body, the first engaging portion is inserted between one of the holding portions and the plate body, The radio-controlled clock repeater sub-unit as described in claim 2, characterized in that the second engagement portion comprises a front connecting portion located forward of the other holding portion and connected to the anti-pullout portion, and a folded portion formed by folding back the end of the front connecting portion and inserted between the other holding portion and the plate body.

5. 3. The radio-controlled clock repeater slave unit according to claim 1, further comprising an adjuster mechanism that can adjust the position of the mounting fixture along the vertical direction of the radio-controlled clock.

Images