US 5,691,962 AGranted

Wristwatch with illumination system for multiple digital and analog styles

AssigneeTimex Corporation

InventorsHerbert Schwartz, Friedrich Mose, Michel Plancon

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Abstract

An improved illuminated watch movement with analog and digital features comprising a frame containing an analog stepping motor and gear train connected to operate timepiece hands located substantially in the center of the movement. The frame has a recess on the dial side of the frame with a liquid crystal display disposed in the recess and having an indicia pattern. The liquid crystal display has a large available surface which covers the lower half of the movement up to the hour wheel, so that a variety of indicia patterns may be displayed. An electroluminescent lamp is disposed beneath said liquid crystal display. An electroluminescent dial is disposed on the dial side of the frame and has a window opening framing the indicia pattern. A circuit with actuators is connected to actuate the electroluminescent lamp and/or the electroluminescent dial. The movement further includes a printed circuit board disposed on the opposite side of the frame from the dial and having contact pads. Yieldable electrical connectors such as spring metal or conductive elastomeric members extend across the frame between the contact pads and the electroluminescent dial and lamp. The movement is adapted to fit a variety of dial shapes with window openings for framing a variety of indicia patterns without significant physical alterations.

Claims7

Dependent claims

An improved illuminated watch movement with analog and digital features of the type having a movement frame with a movement side and a dial side and having a stepping motor and gear train disposed on the movement side connected to operate analog hands disposed on the dial side to rotate coaxially with an hour wheel having an axis and having a liquid crystal display with at least one row of actuatable digits thereon, and having an analog dial with a window for viewing said digits, the improvement comprising:

a recess defined in the dial side of the movement frame,
said liquid crystal display disposed in said recess and having an indicia pattern thereon, said liquid crystal display having a first dimension which extends substantially across the width of the movement frame and having a second dimension which extends substantially from an edge of the frame to the outer edge of the hour wheel, said indicia pattern having a size and shape selected from a group consisting of
a. a single arcuate line of digits extending substantially over the available surface of the liquid crystal display,
b. two rows of digits extending substantially over the available surface of the liquid crystal display,
c. a single row of digits extending over a portion of the liquid crystal display substantially smaller than the available surface of the liquid crystal display,
an electroluminescent lamp disposed beneath said liquid crystal display,
said analog dial comprising an electroluminescent dial disposed on the dial side of the movement frame and adapted to receive the axis of the hour wheel in the center of the dial, said dial defining a window opening therethrough framing the size and shape of the indicia pattern, and
circuit means connected to selectively actuate the electroluminescent lamp and/or the electroluminescent dial.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.