Calendar Timepiece

Abstract

An improved calendar timepiece in which the correspondence between the month and date can be easily adjusted to obtain any desired date and month relationship.

Description

This invention relates to improvements in and relating to a calendar timepiece.

There are several types of conventional calendar timepieces.

The most typical type of conventional calendar timepiece is one in which the date or date and day of the week are represented on the timepiece.

In the second and less popular type of timepiece, a series of dates covering a complete month are arranged along the periphery of the dial and a separate ring carrying week day representations is rotatably mounted relative to the dial. Any desired week day-date correlation for a month can be obtained by turning the desired amount the date ring relative to the dial.

In the third and less popular type timepiece, the complete monthly dates are represented on the dial in stepped week groups, the months of a year also being represented on the same dial. A rotatable ring carrying the indicia for the day and year in two concentric circles is mounted below the dial (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,648 patented Nov. 23rd, 1971 to Tooru Takagi). Any desired day-date correspondence for a specifically selected month can be established by turning the said ring, so as to bring the corresponding year representation thereon into registration with the selected month representation on the dial.

The aforementioned conventional calendar timepieces represent, however, various drawbacks.

In the case of the first type of calendar timepiece, day-date representation of only the instant day is shown.

In the case of the second type of timepiece, the day representation is arranged repeatedly on a circle, thus confusion may be frequently encountered.

In the case of the third type of timepiece, the first day of a week, or Sunday, may not always be positioned at the left-hand extremity of the calendar.

The main object is to provide an improved calendar timepiece in which the varying correlations for week and monthly day dates can be easily established.

It is another object of this invention to permit positioning the first calendar day of the month in spite of any necessary calendar adjustment in order to obtain any correct day-date correspondence, at the beginning or left hand end of the calendar representation when seen from the side of a viewer.

A subsidiary and optional object of the present invention is to provide an improved calendar timepiece wherein the calendar representation is grouped substantially similar to a wall calendar.

In order to achieve the objects of the invention, several main features are used as set forth in the present specification.

These and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear more apparent when the following detailed description of the invention is read with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrative of several preferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the outline configuration of a first preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of the first embodiment of FIG. 1 taken substantially along a section line II-- II shown therein.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view, illustrating the cooperation between several parts employed in the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the calendar display mechanism employed in the foregoing embodiment, in an enlarged scale relative to FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a date indicator employed in the calendar display mechanism shown in FIG. 4, in an enlarged scale relative to FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing a second embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial and enlarged cross sectional view of several inner parts of the second embodiment, taken substantially along a section line VII-- VII shown in FIG. 6. In FIG. 7 several unimportant elements thereof, such as the crystal and the back cover of the timepiece have been omitted from the drawing for simplicity.

FIG. 8 is a similar view to FIG. 1, showing a third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged section, showing several modified parts of the calendar display mechanism.

Now referring to FIGS. 1 - 5, the first embodiment will be described in detail.

Numeral 1 represents a watch casing which comprises mainly a case band 1a; a crystal 1b fixedly, but detachably, press fit to the case band through the intermediary of a first resilient sealing ring 1c; and a back cover 1d fixedly, but detachably mounted onto said case band through mating screw threads 1e and a second resilient sealing ring 1f.

A conventional dial 2 is provided with 12 hour symbols 2a arranged concentrically thereon and further with sector-shaped windows 2b and 2c in radial registration to each other for showing dates and months in digital form. In the present embodiment, the dial 2 is fixedly attached to the case band 1a by glueing. Numerals 3, 4 and 5 represent seconds-, minute- and hour hands, respectively.

The viewer may observe through first window 2b a correspondingly limited part of the surface area of a rotatable date display dial 6, covering a month of a first composite calendar 6a printed thereon. He may observe, at the same, time, through second window 2c a limited part of a rotatable month display dial 7, covering a year of a second composite calendar 7a printed thereon.

A series of characters, S, M, T, W, T, F and S, are printed on a narrow strip-like area defined by and between the windows 2b; 2c for representing seven successive days of a week from Sunday to Saturday. Numeral 8 represents a U-shaped, month indicator attached fixedly at its root end to the dial 6 by glueing, welding or similar conventional technique. In the present embodiment, the dial 6 has been made of a transparent plastic material, to permit observation of one or two of indicator marks 9a, 9c . . . . . 9f printed on the upper surface of a rotatable indicator dial 9 which is arranged underneath the dial 6 concentrically therewith, as clearly seen from FIG. 2.

Numeral 10 represents a conventional winding crown which serves time-setting and barrel-winding functions. Circumferentially displaced a predetermined small distance from the winding crown 10, there is a manually operable knob 11 adapted for selective adjustment of the rotational position of either dial 6 or 7, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Numeral 12 represents a conventional watch movement, only partially shown, which is held in position by a holder ring 13, the latter being kept in position by case band 1a and back cover 1c, although the specific positioning means has been omitted because it is well known in the art.

As a part of the watch movement 12, there is provided a cannon wheel 14 which performs a complete revolution every 12 hours and an hour hand 5 conventionally attached thereto. A date wheel 16 performs a complete revolution every 24 hours by being driven through a duplicate gear type intermediate wheel 15 from the cannon wheel. A gear 9b having 28 teeth is made integral and concentric with the date indicator dial 9, as clearly seen from FIGS. 2 and 5. Said date wheel 16 is fed one tooth pitch every twenty four hours by contact with a drive pin 16a which is studded on date wheel 16.

The dial 9 is loosely mounted on the cannon wheel 14 and normally held in position by contact with a conventional jumper, not shown. The intermediate wheel 15 and date wheel 16 are rotatably mounted on respective studs 15a and 16b which are studded on a conventional pillar plate 12a belonging to the watch movement 12 and only partially shown.

The dial 6 has been made from a transparent plastic material and provided at the peripheral rim on the lower surface with a crown gear part 6b having twenty eight teeth, said dial 6 being rotatably mounted at its perforated center by the cannon wheel 14.

The first composite calendar 6a represents generally a sector-like shape and comprises a group of dates covering two-odd months partially overlapped and arranged in five parallel circumferential rows and along 13 radial lines corresponding to 13 of 28 tooth pitches of the crown gear 6b (see, FIG. 4).

Month display dial 7 is made of a plastic material, having an outer rim 7b provided at its lower surface with a crown gear portion 7c which has 28 teeth arranged in radial registration with similar teeth at 6b. The rim 7b has a radially inwardly extending arm 7d made integral therewith, said arm being made integral with a concentric dial proper 7e. The thus formed dial 7 is rotatably mounted at the correspondingly perforated center of the dial proper on the cannon wheel 14. The second composite calendar 7a has generally a sector-like outline and arranged along and inside of the outer periphery of the dial proper 7e, as specifically seen in FIG. 4. This calendar 7a comprises a group of digits representing two 12 months year partially overlapped at "7" (July) and "4" (April) and in three circumferential rows along 13 radial lines corresponding to 13 of the 28 teeth pitches of the crown gear 7c. Since the crown gears 6b and 7c have the same number of teeth arranged in mutual radial registration and the same tooth pitches, the second composite calendar 7a has the same sector angle with that of the first composite calendar 6a.

Knob 11 is rotatably mounted in a bearing sleeve 18 which is press-fit into the case band 1a and has its reduced diameter stem 11c freely and inwardly projecting from said bearing sleeve and rigidly carrying a stepped positioner 11b and a clutch pinion 17 one after another. Said pinion is adapted for selective engagement with either crown wheel 6b or 7c depending upon the axial position of the knob 11, as will be more fully described. For assuring the axially selected position of the knob 11, a click spring 19 is fixedly mounted on the case band 1a, so as to cooperate with said positioner 11b.

With the knob 11 and its stem 11c positioned as shown in FIG. 2, pinion 17 is kept in engagement with the crown gear part 6b of date display dial 6. When the knob and its stem are pulled out one step from the position shown, the pinion 17 is brought into engagement with the neighboring crown gear part 7c of month display dial 7. Jumper springs 20 and 21 are fixedly mounted on the case band 1a and kept in meshing engagement with the teeth 7c and 6b of these dials 7 and 6, respectively, as specifically shown in FIG. 3, for resiliently positioning the latter.

Numeral 22 represents a separator disc which is rotatably mounted on the cannon wheel 14 for avoiding mechanical interference between the dials 2 and 7 (FIG. 2).

As may be well seen from FIG. 1, a viewer can observe the first composite calendar 6a through the related viewing window 2b. This calendar is composed of a series of date digits covering a complete odd month, said calendar having an arrangement of dates in resemblance with a regular wall calendar.

The number of days depends upon the kinds of months or whether the month is odd or even, and whether it is a regular or leap year. The series arrangement of odd and even months is definite for each regular or leap year. When the week day for January 1st, for instance, of a regular or leap year is determined, all the week day-date relationship for the remainder of the year is determined.

When the months of a complete year are grouped according to the week day begining the first day of each month, the following table is obtained: January and October; May; August and leap year February; non-leap year February, March and November; June; September and December; and July, April and leap year January. The second composite calendar 7a resides in two such month groups, omitting, however, a common group of July, April and leap year November, as example.

The operation of the first embodiment so far shown and described is as follows:

As described hereinbefore, date indicator dial 9 is advanced counter clockwise in FIG. 1 a tooth pitch 9b every 24 hours by the driving action of pin 16a of date wheel 16. Date indicator mark 9a is positioned on the dial 9, so as to have a radial distance corresponding to that of the innermost row of the composite calendar 6a, including date digits 1, 2 . . . . . 7. Mark 9c has a one step longer radial distance corresponding to the second row including the date digits 2 - 14 and it is positioned at a 90.degree. apart central angle, as measured clockwise in FIG. 5 from the first mark 9a. 9d, 9e and 9f are positioned successively in the similar manner. Marks 9a, 9d and 9f are positioned on the same radial line.

Rotation of the dial 9 is stopped by the action of a jumper, not shown, when the marks 9a, 9c and 9f are brought into radial registration with the date digits of the date calendar 6a. When it is assumed that the position of the dial 9 is such that with rotational movement thereof, the first mark 9a moves counter clockwise from the date digit "1", then, the mark 9a will be successively brought into registration with the digits "2" and "3" for display thereof, upon the lapse of each 24 hours. When the first mark 9a disappears from the display area of the window 2b, the next succeeding indicator mark 9c will appear in the window 2b from the left. Similar operational principles apply to further indicator marks 9d, 9e and 9f in succession, and so on.

For convenience of the description, it is assumed that the instant day is January 1st of a year. The watch wearer manipulates knob 11 shown in FIG. 2 so as to rotate the dial 6 through pinion 17 and crown gear part 6b until the first date digit "1" is brought into radial registration with a predetermined day symbol "T" (second occurence) which means Thursday if the first day of the year corresponds thereto, as shown in FIG. 1.

Next, the watch wearer must being the month digit "1" or "(1)" corresponding naturally to January as mentioned hereinbefore, into the next indicating space of a "U" of the member 8. For this purpose, he can pull out knob 11 together with its stem 11c one stop and turn it properly, so as to rotate the second dial 7 through gear meshing at 17; 7c.

Further, the wearer manipulates the time-setting crown or knob 10 through 14, 15 and 16 to the dial 9. Then, with the regular time-keeping operation of the watch movement 12, successive indicator marks 9c - 9f will scan the respective second, third, fourth and fifth date digit rows, as was referred to hereinbefore, as the month of January elapses. During this period, all the successive date digits 2 - 31 are displayed one after another after every 24 hours.

On the first day, Sunday, of February, the wearer manipulates the knob 11 so as to rotate the dial 6 together with its month indicator 8, to catch the second month digit "2" for regular year or "(2)" for leap year by the indicator, whereupon the day-date correspondence will become proper for February. When the last day of the foregoing month (January in this case) corresponds to Saturday, the dial 9 must be rotated 90.degree. in the reverse direction. However, if the last day of the foregoing month corresponds to any other day, such reverse rotation of the dial 9 is unnecessary. This is becuase the indicator marks 9a; 9c . . . . . 9f are positioned on four quardrant lines and the first and fifth indicator marks 9a and 9f are positioned on one and the same radial line of dial 9, said four quadrants being allocated to 4 weeks of the calendar.

With the regular time-keeping operation of the movement 12, the marks 9a, 9c . . . . . 9f will scan all the date digits successively for the indication of all the February dates, and so on.

When the 31st day, Thursday, of December of the same year comes, the wearer knows the type of day, Friday, of the first day of January of the year. Then, he operates knob 11 positioned as shown in FIG. 2, so as to bring the first date digit "1" of the first calendar 6a into coincidence with the day mark, to bring the first month digit "1" of the second calendar 7a into coincidence with the month indicator 8, and so on.

Even before arrival of the first day of a month or a new year, a calendar may be conveniently reproduced to permit advance consulation of the calendar for optimum future planning or the like by a corresponding advance manipulation of knob 11 in two different ways.

Next, referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the second preferred embodiment will be described in detail hereinbelow.

In the present embodiment, the month indicator 108 represents a small window formed through regular dial 102 in place of the movable arrangement employed in the foregoing embodiment. Further, month display window 102c is arranged on the dial 102, indeed, substantially in opposition to date display window 102b relative to the center of the dial. It is, therefore, necessary to provide date display dial 106 and month display dial 107 with a possibility of synchronous rotation in the same direction. Thus, the manual operating mechanism for these dials is different in its structure and function from that employed in the foregoing first embodiment, while other operational means may be designed similar to those corresponding parts of the first embodiment. For better understanding and easy comparison of the present embodiment with the first one, same or similar parts of the apparatus are denoted with respective same reference numerals, each being added, however, with 100.

Date display dial 106 is provided at its outer periphery with twenty eight teeth 106b, a first or date composite calendar 106a being formed on the upper surface of the dial 106. As seen, odd date digits are only completely shown, while even date digits have been replaced by respective dots for simplicity. The date of the instant day can be demonstrated by one of the indicator marks 109a; 109c - 109f on date indicator dial 109.

Dial 102 is formed with date display window 102b and day marks 102d "S, M, T, W, T, F and S" corresponding to a complete week and shown in a slightly decorative mode.

Knob 111 having a stem 151 rigid therewith is axially slidably and rotatably mounted in case band 101a in a water tight way by the provision of a resilient sealing ring 150 and a bearing sleeve 118 which is fixedly mounted in the case band by means of fixing means such as screws, or press fit, both of which are not shown. On the inner end of the stem 151, a pair of pinions 152; 153 having pinion teeth 152a; 153a, respectively, are rotatably mounted and kept meshed with gear teeth 106b; 107c of date display dial 106 and month display dial 107, respectively. These pinions 152; 153 are made hollow and formed at their respective inner wall surfaces with spline-teeth 152b; 153b, respectively, yet in phase with each other. Axial shift of these pinions is prevented by a part of a conventional movement holder, only a part thereof being shown, and a positioner spring 119 which is rotatably mounted on the stem 151.

Stem 151 is formed on its peripheral surface at an intermediate position between its end extremities with turn ring groove 111b, an axial blind bore 111c also being formed in the material of said stem. Said positioner spring 119 is mounted to be axially shiftable in said turn ring groove 111b. Main part 154a of a substantially S-sectioned spring key 154 is inserted under tension into said axial bore 111c which is closed at 111d. A flared and hooked end 154b of said spring key 154 is kept in slidable engagement with the spline grooves 152b; 153b of both pinions 152; 153 in unison, while a smaller flared end 154c of the spring key is kept in engagement with a lateral bore 111f which communicates with the blind bore 111c.

Thus, when knob 111 is manually rotated in its shown position, motion will be transmitted therefrom to these pinions 152; 153.

With these pinions thus rotated by manipulation of the knob 111, both dials 106; 107 are correspondingly rotated.

However, when the knob 111 is axially drawn out and rotated, motion will be transmitted therefrom only to pinion 153, on account of the limited engagement of the spring key with the spline groove 153b of same. In this case, only month display dial 107 is adjusted as desired in its angular position.

As aforesaid, the dials 106 and 107 can be rotatingly adjusted in unison or separately. By the united rotation of both dials 106; 107 adjustment between date digits 106a and day marks 102d can be brought about. By the single rotation of the latter dial 107, adjustment between month calendar mark 107a and month indicator 108 is brought about.

Once preset in the above mentioned way, each monthly manual adjustment can be made by the common rotation of both dials 106; 107, until the desired month display will appear at the small window 108.

The whole manipulation procedures may easily be understood from the above brief description of the second embodiment by consultation of the foregoing detailed description of the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a third embodiment of the invention. The difference in this embodiment from the foregoing second embodiment resides in mounting at 3 and 9 o'clock on both sides of its center the window at 202b for the date digit display and that denoted 208 for month mark display. The month display window consists exclusively of a small window at 208. Month display dial 20, although not shown in its entirety, has a large outer diameter so as to fully cover the third row of date digits (15, 17 and 19 illustrated on the drawing), but it is provided with a sector-shaped large recess, (not shown,) for avoiding appearance of month digits (shown specifically and representatively as (2) and 8) in the window 202b. By adopting this measure, the month display can be substantially enlarged for providing a clearer and more distinct representation of successive calendar months. Numeral 209g represents the dark colored part of the date indicator, while numeral 209c represents a clear part thereof adapted to show the specific and appropriate date digit concerned.

Other several parts which are denoted with the same reference numerals as those in the foregoing second embodiment, yet each having added the digit 100, can be easily understood in their structure and function when consulting with the same or similar parts shown and described in the second embodiment.

When common and unitary rotation of the date display dial and month display dial is required as in the case of the second and third embodiments, various drive mechanisms serving that purpose may be adopted as occasion requires, other than that shown in the second embodiment. In FIG. 9, a modification thereof is shown, wherein all the reference numerals adopted have the same respective numerals attached to those of the first embodiment, yet each has a "300" added for easy comparison and identification.

Month display dial 307 is formed with a number of grooves 361 on the inside surface thereof, the pitch of these grooves being selected to be equal to the divided sector angle defining the radial arrangement of the date digits. Date display dial 306 is attached fixedly with a spring member 360 which is adapted for successive engagement with said recesses 361. Case band 301a is provided with a spring member 362 which is adapted for exerting a resiliently frictional braking force upon the dial 307. When the dial 306 is rotated forcibly, then it can not accompany the other dial 307 on account of the braking force applied by the spring 362. On the other hand, when the month display dial 307 is forcibly rotated, it will accompany the neighboring date display dial 306.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are as follows:

1. A calendar timepiece comprising:

a casing having a dial thereon;

said dial having hour indicia regularly spaced about the periphery thereof, a first window, a second window, and weekday indicators fixed on said dial adjacent said second window designating in order Sunday through Saturday;

a month disc viewable through the first window having indicia thereon designating the months of the year;

a calendar disc having indicia thereon designating the dates of a month, said calendar disc indicia being located such that when the first date is positioned adjacent the corresponding weekday indicator, a complete monthly calendar is viewable through said second window with each date aligned with the proper corresponding weekday indicator;

setting means mounted on said casing for manually setting said month disc and said calendar disc;

a timepiece movement;

hour, minute, and second hands driven by said timepiece movement overlying said dial;

and a day disc driven by said timepiece movement having means coacting with said date indicia for indicating automatically the day of the month.

2. A calendar timepiece as in claim 1 further comprising means connected to said setting means for selectively changing the month disc and the calendar disc, and means connected to said setting means for changing the month disc and calendar disc in unison.

3. A calendar timepiece as in claim 2 wherein the month disc and the calendar disc are so arranged in said timepiece that when the calendar disc and month disc are adjusted to indicate the correct month and the calendar disc indicia is positioned adjacent the corresponding weekday indicator, and the means for changing the month disc and calendar disc are operated in unison to correctly position the calendar disc indicia adjacent the corresponding weekday indicator for the next month in said second window, the month disc is correspondingly adjusted to correctly indicate the next month within said first window.