Analog electronic timepiece using an intermittent driving signal

Claim 2

An electronic timepiece including a transducer operable for producing an intermittent driving force and a hand operable for continuous rotation based on the intermittent driving force, further comprising: energy storage means coupled to the transducer for converting the intermittent driving force to stored energy; control means for continuously releasing the stored energy as a continuous driving force; and linkage means coupled between the energy storage means and control means for transmitting the continuous driving force between the energy storage means and control means, for separating the energy storage means from the control means and for continually rotatably driving the hand.

Claim 3

The electronic timepiece of claim 1, wherein the energy storage means includes a hairspring, the energy being stored as deformation restoration energy of the hairspring.

Claim 4

The electronic timepiece of claim 1, wherein the energy storage means includes a driving magnet and a following magnet which are spaced apart, the energy being stored as the attractive force between the driving magnet and the following magnet due to the angular deviation therebetween.

Claim 5

The electronic timepiece of claim 1, wherein the control means includes a rotor submersed in a viscous fluid.

Claim 6

The electronic timepiece of claim 1, wherein the control means includes a pendulum and escapement gear.

Claim 7

The electronic timepiece of claim 2, wherein the control means includes a rotor submersed in a viscous fluid.

Claim 8

The electronic timepiece of claim 3, wherein the control means includes a rotor submersed in a viscous fluid.

Claim 9

The electronic timepiece of claim 3, wherein the control means includes a pendulum and escapement gear.

Claim 10

The electronic timepiece of claim 1 wherein the linkage means include a gear train between the energy storage means and the control means and the hand is connected to the gear train.

Claim 11

The electronic timepiece of claim 2, wherein the energy storage means further comprises a hairspring gear driven by the discrete driving rotation and coupled to a first end of the hairspring, and a hairspring pinion coupled to the other end of the hairspring and to the control means through the linkage means, whereby continuous sweeping rotation of the hairspring pinion results.

Claim 12

The electronic timepiece of claim 4, further comprising a container with a cavity, the cavity containing the rotor and viscous fluid.

Claim 13

The electronic timepiece of claim 11, further comprising a rotor pinion connected to the rotor for co-rotation with the rotor.

Claim 14

The electronic timepiece of claim 12, wherein at least one of the container and the rotor pinion is provided with a fluid repellent treatment.

Claim 15

The electronic timepiece of claim 12, further comprising a cap coupled to the container for sealing the viscous fluid in the cavity, a gap being formed between the center of the cap and the rotor pinion.

Claim 16

The electronic timepiece of claim 14 when at least one of the container and the rotary pinion is provided with a fluid repellent treatment proximate the gap.

Claim 17

The electronic timepiece of claim 14, wherein the center of the cap is curved upward to form a narrow extended gap between the cap and rotor pinion.

Claim 18

The electronic timepiece of claim 14, wherein a magnetic fluid fills the gap and a magnetic circuit maintains the magnetic fluid in the gap.

Claim 19

The electronic timepiece of claim 5, wherein the escapement gear is surrounded on both sides by the pendulum.

Claim 20

The electronic timepiece of claim 5, wherein there are two escapement gears surrounding the pendulum.

Claim 21

The electronic timepiece of claim 1, wherein the linkage means includes at least one idler gear for spacing the energy storage means apart from the control means, whereby flexible arrangement of the components to assemble a thin timepiece is provided.

Claim 22

An electronic timepiece including a transducer operable for producing a discrete rotatable driving force and a hand operable for continuous rotation based on the discrete driving force, further comprising: energy storage means coupled to the transducer for converting the discrete driving force to stored energy; a rotor submersed in a viscous fluid; and linkage means coupled between the energy storage means and viscous rotor for transmitting the stored energy to the rotor causing the rotor to continuously rotate based on the resistance of the rotor to rotation in the viscous fluid and the transmitted stored energy and for separating the energy storage means from the rotor and wherein the linkage means couples the hand to the rotor to drive the hand in a continuous manner.

Claim 23

An electronic timepiece including a transducer operable for producing a discrete rotatable driving force and a hand operable for continuous rotation based on the discrete driving force, further comprising: energy storage means coupled to the transducer for converting the discrete driving force to stored energy; a rotor submersed in a viscous fluid; and linkage means coupled between the energy storage means and viscous rotor for transmitting the stored energy to the rotor causing the rotor to continuously rotate based on the resistance of the rotor to rotation in the viscous fluid and the transmitted stored energy and for separating the energy storage means from the rotor and wherein the linkage means couples the hand to the rotor to drive the hand in a continuous manner.

Claim 24

The electronic timepiece of claim 21, wherein the energy storage means includes a hairspring, the energy being stored as deformation restoration energy of the hairspring.

Claim 25

The electronic timepiece of claim 21, wherein the energy storage means includes a driving magnet and a following magnet which are spaced apart, the energy being stored as the attractive force between the driving magnet and the following magnet due to the angular deviation therebetween.

Claim 26

The electronic timepiece of claim 21, wherein the linkage means include a gear train between the energy storage means and the control means and the hand is connected to the gear train.

Claim 27

The electronic timepiece of claim 24 wherein the linkage means includes at least one idler gear for spacing the energy storage means apart from the control means, whereby flexible arrangement of the components to assemble a thin timepiece is provided.

Claim 28

The electronic timepiece of claim 22 wherein the energy storage means further comprises a hairspring gear driven by the discrete driving rotation and coupled to a first end of the hairspring, and a hairspring pinion coupled to the other end of the hairspring and to the control means through the linkage means, whereby continuous sweeping rotation of the hairspring pinion results.

Claim 29

An electronic timepiece including a transducer operable for producing a discrete rotatable driving force and a hand operable for continuous and discrete rotation based on the discrete driving force, further comprising: p1 energy storage means coupled to the transducer for converting the discrete driving force to stored rotational energy; removable control means for continuously releasing the stored rotational energy; and linkage means coupled between the energy storage means, hand and removable control means for transmitting rotational energy to the hand in a continuous sweeping manner when the removable means is coupled to the linkage means, for separating the energy storage means from the control means and for driving the hand in a discrete manner when the removable control means is uncoupled from the linkage means.

Claim 30

An electronic timepiece including a transducer operable for producing a discrete rotatable driving force and a hand operable for continuous and discrete rotation based on the discrete driving force, further comprising: p1 energy storage means coupled to the transducer for converting the discrete driving force to stored rotational energy; removable control means for continuously releasing the stored rotational energy; and linkage means coupled between the energy storage means, hand and removable control means for transmitting rotational energy to the hand in a continuous sweeping manner when the removable means is coupled to the linkage means, for separating the energy storage means from the control means and for driving the hand in a discrete manner when the removable control means is uncoupled from the linkage means.

Claim 31

The electronic timepiece of claim 1, wherein the storage means stores several steps of the interval rotation.

Claim 32

The electronic timepiece of claim 1, further including linkage control means coupled to the linkage means for selectively preventing transmission of continuous rotation by the linkage means.

Claim 33

The electronic timepiece of claim 29, wherein the linkage control means includes a control lever.