JP7803397B2 - Cover structure, watch, and method for manufacturing the cover structure - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a cover structure used in electronic devices such as watches and gauges, a watch equipped with the same, and a method for manufacturing the cover structure.

For example, in the case of a wristwatch, as described in Patent Document 1, a watch crystal is provided at the upper opening of the watch case, a transparent dial is placed below this crystal, and the watch movement and solar panel are arranged in parallel below this dial.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-69626

In such watches, to prevent the watch movement from being visible through the transparent dial, a light-blocking sticker is attached directly to the top surface of the watch movement, which is located on the inner periphery of the solar panel.

However, with such watches, when applying the light-blocking sticker directly to the watch movement, it is difficult to align the light-blocking sticker with the watch movement, and once applied, it is difficult to correct the positioning.

The problem this invention aims to solve is to provide a cover structure that allows for accurate alignment of components and makes the internal structure difficult to see, a watch equipped with such a cover structure, and a method for manufacturing such a cover structure.

This invention relates to a cover structure comprising: a cover member that is transmissive to at least visible light and has at least one first alignment mark portion that absorbs visible light; a semi-transparent layer that is provided below the first alignment mark portion and that is continuous around the first alignment mark portion in a planar view from a certain direction, and that transmits light in a certain wavelength range of visible light and absorbs light in other wavelength ranges of visible light; and a covered member that is provided below the semi-transparent layer and has at least one second alignment mark portion that transmits visible light in a position that is covered by the first alignment mark portion in a planar view from the certain direction.

This invention allows components to be accurately aligned and makes the internal structure less visible.

1 is an enlarged plan view showing an embodiment of a wristwatch to which the present invention is applied. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing the main part of the wristwatch shown in FIG. 1 taken along the line AA. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B of the glass structure shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the glass structure shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from above. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing a watch glass provided with a function display portion, a light absorbing layer, and a first alignment mark portion in the glass structure shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing a semi-transparent layer provided on the underside of the crystal shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view showing a solar panel attached to the underside of the crystal of FIG. 4. FIG. 5A and 5B show the main parts of the glass structure shown in FIG. 4, where FIG. 5A is an enlarged view showing the alignment part at part C on the 9 o'clock side of FIG. 4, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged view showing the alignment part at part D on the 3 o'clock side of FIG. 4. This shows the state in which the second alignment mark portion is misaligned with respect to the first alignment mark portion in the alignment state shown in Figure 8, where (a) is an enlarged view showing the misalignment of the alignment portion on the 9 o'clock side, and (b) is an enlarged view showing the misalignment of the alignment portion on the 3 o'clock side.

An embodiment of a wristwatch to which the present invention is applied will now be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in Figures 1 and 2, this wristwatch has a wristwatch case 1. This wristwatch case 1 has a case body 2, a first exterior member 3, and a second exterior member 4.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the case body 2 is made of metal such as stainless steel or a highly rigid synthetic resin. The first exterior member 3 is attached to the upper outer periphery of the case body 2 and is made of a resilient synthetic resin such as urethane resin. The second exterior member 4 protects the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides of the first exterior member 3 and is made of a metal such as stainless steel.

As shown in Figure 1, push button switches 5 are provided at the 2 o'clock, 4 o'clock, 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, and 10 o'clock sides of this watch case 1. As shown in Figure 2, a glass structure 6, which serves as a cover structure, is provided at the upper opening of this watch case 1, i.e., the top of the case body 2. Furthermore, a back cover 7 is attached to the bottom of the watch case 1, i.e., the bottom of the case body 2, via a waterproof gasket 7a. A watch module (not shown) is provided inside this watch case 1.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the glass structure 6 comprises a crystal 8, which is a cover member, and a solar panel 9, which is a covered member. This glass structure 6 is constructed so that the solar panel 9 is attached to the underside of the crystal 8 with transparent double-sided adhesive tape 10 (which transmits almost all light with wavelengths across the entire visible light range). In this case, the crystal 8 is a transparent glass plate that transmits at least visible light (which transmits almost all light with wavelengths across the entire visible light range), and is formed in an approximately circular shape. The outer periphery of this crystal 8 is positioned on the upper periphery of the case body 2 and fixed with adhesive 11.

In this case, the solar panel 9 is made of a semiconductor material, such as a silicon-based material such as monocrystalline silicon or polycrystalline silicon, or a gallium-based material. Generally, solar panels have cells that are relatively close to black in color, such as black, gray close to black, dark blue, or dark purple. The solar panel 9 in this embodiment is gray close to black.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a light-absorbing layer 12 that absorbs visible light is silk-screened and formed in a substantially annular shape on the outer periphery of the underside of the crystal 8. For convenience, the outer diameter of the substantially annular light-absorbing layer 12, as viewed from above, is referred to as the outer diameter, and the inner diameter is referred to as the inner diameter. The inner diameter is defined as the length of the inner diameter of the light-absorbing layer 12 when there are no irregularities, such as the notch 12a and the first alignment mark 13 described below (the same applies to the semi-transparent layer 14 described below). The light-absorbing layer 12 is, for example, a black layer. The light-absorbing layer 12 has an outer diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the crystal 8 and an inner diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the solar panel 9, or an inner diameter that is smaller than the outer diameter of the solar panel 9 but larger than the inner diameter of the solar panel 9. A function indicator 8a indicating the timepiece functions is formed in a substantially arc-shaped shape along the outer periphery of the solar panel 9 on the underside of the crystal 8, located inside the light-absorbing layer 12. It is desirable that the function display section 8a be printed with light-transmitting ink to increase the amount of light received by the solar panel 9.

As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), semicircular cutouts 12a are provided on the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides of the light-absorbing layer 12, each opening toward the inner periphery of the light-absorbing layer 12. For convenience, the inner diameter of the semicircular cutouts 12a refers to the diameter of the circle formed by extending the semicircular arc in a planar view from above (the same applies to the outer diameter of the cover portion 14a, described below). First alignment mark portions 13 are provided by silk printing on the underside of the crystal 8 located within each cutout 12a on the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides of the light-absorbing layer 12. Each of these first alignment mark portions 13 is a layer that absorbs visible light and is formed in a roughly circular shape with an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the respective cutout portion 12a.

As shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), each of these first alignment mark portions 13 has an outer diameter approximately the same as the radius of the cutout portion 12a. The centers of these first alignment mark portions 13 are located so that they correspond to the centers of the cutout portions 12a on the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides of the light absorbing layer 12. As a result, each first alignment mark portion 13 is located with a gap S1 between its outer periphery and the inner periphery of the cutout portions 12a on the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides of the light absorbing layer 12.

In this case, the light absorbing layer 12 may extend into part of the gap S1 between the first alignment mark portion 13 and the light absorbing layer 12. For example, by extending multiple straight lines from part of the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12 to the first alignment mark portion 13, alignment can be achieved via the semi-light-transmitting layer 14, and the gap S1 can be hidden as much as possible by the light absorbing layer 12 in black.

For this reason, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the light absorbing layer 12 is provided avoiding the first alignment mark portion 13 so as not to contact or overlap the first alignment mark portion 13. Furthermore, the first alignment mark portion 13 is provided on the inner periphery, i.e., the inner periphery, of the light absorbing layer 12, with part of its outer edge protruding inward from the cutout portion 12a of the light absorbing layer 12 beyond the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12.

As shown in Figures 3 and 6, a semi-light-transmitting layer 14 that transmits visible light is provided in a substantially annular shape by medium printing below the light-absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13. This semi-light-transmitting layer 14 is a semi-transparent layer that improves adhesion to the case body 2, light-absorbing layer 12, and first alignment mark portion 13, and is colored, for example, with a black coloring material.

The semi-transparent layer 14 does not have 100% transmittance for all wavelengths in the visible light band, but rather absorbs at least some wavelengths, such as blue wavelengths (400-500 nm), red wavelengths (650-750 nm), and green wavelengths (500-550 nm). In this embodiment, the semi-transparent layer 14 is a layer that transmits light of all wavelengths in the visible light band to the same extent. Furthermore, the term "semi-transparent" is used for convenience, and as will be described later, does not necessarily mean a light transmittance of 50%. The semi-transparent layer 14 is formed with an inner diameter that is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the light absorbing layer 12 and an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the light absorbing layer 12.

As shown in Figures 6 and 8, covering portions 14a are provided on the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides of this semi-transparent layer 14, covering each cutout portion 12a in the light-absorbing layer 12 from below along with the first alignment mark portion 13. These covering portions 14a are formed in a roughly semicircular shape with an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the cutout portion 12a in the light-absorbing layer 12. Therefore, the covering portions 14a are smoke portions that transmit a certain amount of visible light, providing a smoked (blinding) effect, and are provided in a semicircular shape that protrudes from the inner periphery of the semi-transparent layer 14, overlapping the periphery of the cutout portion 12a.

As a result, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the cover portion 14a transmits visible light to a certain extent at a location corresponding to the gap S1 between the outer periphery of the first alignment mark portion 13 and the inner periphery of the cutout portion 12a, and at a location adjacent to and corresponding to the outer edge around the first alignment mark portion 13 located on the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12 (i.e., at a location continuous with the periphery of the light absorbing layer 12 and first alignment mark portion 13). In this case, the light transmittance of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 and cover portion 14a is 5% to 15%, and preferably 10%.

Furthermore, the light transmittance of the light absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13 is set lower than that of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 and the covering portion 14a. In other words, when the light transmittance of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 and the covering portion 14a is approximately 10%, the light transmittance of the light absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13 is 0% to 5%, and preferably 0% (no visible light passes through).

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 4 and 7, the solar panel 9 attached to the underside of the crystal 8 is formed in a substantially annular shape with an outer diameter approximately the same as the inner diameter of the light absorption layer 12, or an outer diameter larger than the inner diameter of the light absorption layer 12 but smaller than the arrangement area of the function display unit 8a on the crystal 8. This solar panel 9 receives external light that has passed through the crystal 8 and generates electromotive force, and has multiple cells 9a arranged in a ring. The multiple cells 9a of this solar panel 9 are connected by connection wiring 9b provided on the outer periphery, and are electrically connected to the watch module (not shown) inside the watch case 1.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, second alignment mark portions 15, which are covered by first alignment mark portions 13, are provided on the outer periphery of the solar panel 9 on both the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides. As shown in Figure 3, each of these second alignment mark portions 15 is a circular through-hole that penetrates the top and bottom surfaces of the solar panel 9, and its outer diameter is smaller than the outer diameter of the first alignment mark portion 13.

As a result, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), visible light is irradiated from the underside of the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15, and the irradiated visible light passes through the through hole in the second alignment mark portion 15 and is irradiated onto the cover portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14. Some of this irradiated visible light passes through the cover portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 and is irradiated onto the first alignment mark portion 13. When this irradiated visible light is almost completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13, it is detected that the solar panel 9 is accurately aligned with the underside of the watch crystal 8.

Furthermore, with this glass structure 6, visible light irradiated from the underside of the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15 is not completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13, and as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), the visible light leaks above the first alignment mark portion 13.If this leaked visible light is visible from above the watch crystal 8, it is detected that the second alignment mark portion 15 is misaligned with the first alignment mark portion 13.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), it is not acceptable for the second alignment mark portion 15 of the glass structure 6 to be misaligned with and protrude beyond the first alignment mark portion 13. In this embodiment, the areas that need to be smoked (concealed) are those visible through the gap S1, i.e., the area between the light absorbing layer 12 and the solar panel 9 (or first alignment mark portion 13). These areas are concealed so that they are difficult to see by the semi-transparent, or smoked, covering portion 14a of the semi-transparent layer 14.

As a result, the glass structure 6 is concealed by the covering portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14, preventing the watch module (not shown) inside the watch case 1 from being seen from the outside through the area that is to be smoked (concealed) and visible through the gap S1. Furthermore, by having the light-absorbing layer 12, first alignment mark portion 13, semi-light-transmitting layer 14, and solar panel 9 all be the same color, the watch module (not shown) inside the watch case 1 is further concealed and becomes less visible from the outside. In this embodiment, "similar colors" refers to black or colors close to black (gray close to black, dark blue, dark purple), etc.; however, if the color of the solar panel 9 is close to blue, for example, the light-absorbing layer 12, first alignment mark portion 13, and semi-light-transmitting layer 14 may be made closer to blue.

Next, a method for manufacturing such a watch crystal structure 6 will be described.
This manufacturing method includes a first step of providing a first alignment mark portion 13 and a semi-light-transmitting layer 14 on the underside of the watch crystal 8, a second step of providing a second alignment mark portion 15 on the solar panel 9, a third step of irradiating visible light from below the solar panel 9 to detect the alignment between the second alignment mark portion 15 and the first alignment mark portion 13, and a fourth step of attaching the aligned solar panel 9 to the watch crystal 8.

In the first step, the light absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13 are first silk-screen printed on the underside of the crystal 8. In this case, the light absorbing layer 12 is formed in a roughly annular shape around the peripheral edge of the underside of the crystal 8. At this time, semicircular cutout portions 12a are provided on the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides of the light absorbing layer 12, and the first alignment mark portion 13 is provided within each of these cutout portions 12a.

In this case, the first alignment mark portion 13 is formed in a circular shape whose area is smaller than the area of the cutout portion 12a, with a gap S1 provided between its outer periphery and the inner periphery of the cutout portion 12a. Furthermore, part of the outer periphery of the first alignment mark portion 13, i.e., the outer edge located on the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12, is provided so that it protrudes from the cutout portion 12a toward the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12.

In this first process, a semi-transparent layer 14 is formed by medium printing on the underside of the crystal 8, including the light-absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13. This semi-transparent layer 14 transmits a certain amount of visible light, and has cover portions 14a on the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides. These cover portions 14a protrude in a semicircular shape from the inner periphery of the semi-transparent layer 14, overlapping the peripheral edge of the cutout portion 12a.

As a result, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the cover portion 14a allows a certain amount of visible light to pass through while covering the area corresponding to the gap S1 between the outer periphery of the first alignment mark portion 13 and the inner periphery of the cutout portion 12a, as well as the area adjacent to and corresponding to the outer edge around the first alignment mark portion 13 located on the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12.

In the second process, second alignment mark portions 15 are provided on the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock sides of the solar panel 9. These second alignment mark portions 15 are through-holes that allow light to pass through, and their inner diameters are smaller than the outer diameters of the first alignment mark portions 13. As a result, when the second alignment mark portion 15 is positioned below the first alignment mark portion 13, it is covered by the first alignment mark portion 13.

In the third step, visible light is irradiated from below the solar panel 9 toward the watch crystal 8 to detect the alignment between the second alignment mark portion 15 on the solar panel 9 and the first alignment mark portion 13 on the watch crystal 8. In this case, when visible light is irradiated from below the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15, the irradiated visible light passes through the through hole in the second alignment mark portion 15 and is irradiated onto the cover portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14, and some of this irradiated visible light passes through the cover portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 and is irradiated onto the first alignment mark portion 13.

If the irradiated visible light is almost completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13 at this time, it is detected that the solar panel 9 is accurately aligned with the underside of the watch crystal 8. Furthermore, if the visible light irradiated from the underside of the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15 is not completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13 and leaks above the first alignment mark portion 13 as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b). If this leaked visible light is visible from above the watch crystal 8, it is detected that the second alignment mark portion 15 is misaligned with the first alignment mark portion 13.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), it is not acceptable for the second alignment mark portion 15 of the glass structure 6 to be misaligned with and protrude from the first alignment mark portion 13. For this reason, in this embodiment, the areas that need to be smoked (concealed) are those visible through the gap S1, i.e., the area between the light absorbing layer 12 and the solar panel 9 (or the first alignment mark portion 13). In particular, when viewed from an oblique angle, the internal structure of the watch module (not shown) and other components inside the watch case 1 are visible. In this embodiment, these areas are concealed by the semi-transparent, or smoked, covering portion 14a of the semi-transparent layer 14, making them less visible.

In the fourth step, the aligned solar panel 9 is attached to the crystal 8 with transparent double-sided adhesive tape 10. That is, with the second alignment mark portion 15 of the solar panel 9 aligned with the first alignment mark portion 13 of the crystal 8, the solar panel 9 is attached to the underside of the crystal 8 with transparent double-sided adhesive tape 10. This allows the solar panel 9 to receive external light through the transparent double-sided adhesive tape 10. In this way, the glass structure 6 is manufactured.

As shown in Figure 3, the glass structure 6 manufactured in this manner has the crystal 8 placed on the upper outer periphery of the case body 2 and fixed in place with adhesive 11. In this state, when the first exterior member 3 is attached to the upper outer periphery of the case body 2 as shown in Figure 2, the outer periphery of the top surface of the crystal 8 is pressed down by the second exterior member 4.

Then, the second exterior member 4 is attached to the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides of the first exterior member 3. This completes the assembly of the watch case 1. A watch module (not shown) is placed inside this watch case 1, and in this state, the back cover 7 is attached to the bottom of the watch case 1 together with the waterproof gasket 7a. This completes the assembly of the watch.

As such, this wristwatch crystal structure 6 comprises: a crystal 8, which is a cover member that transmits at least visible light and is provided with at least one first alignment mark portion 13 that absorbs visible light; a semi-transparent layer 14, which is provided below the first alignment mark portion 13 and is continuous around the first alignment mark portion 13 in a planar view from above, transmitting light in a certain wavelength range of visible light and absorbing light in other wavelength ranges of visible light; and a solar panel 9, which is a covered member that is provided below the semi-transparent layer 14 and is provided with at least one second alignment mark portion 15 that transmits visible light in a position that is covered by the first alignment mark portion 13 in a planar view from above. This allows the crystal 8 and solar panel 9 to be accurately aligned while making the internal structure difficult to see.

In other words, with this watch's crystal structure 6, when visible light is irradiated from below the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15, some of the visible light that passes through the second alignment mark portion 15 (through-hole) passes through the cover portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 and is irradiated onto the first alignment mark portion 13. This irradiated visible light is almost completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13, making it possible to detect that the solar panel 9 is accurately aligned with the underside of the watch crystal 8.

In addition, in this wristwatch crystal structure 6, the crystal 8 has a substantially annular light-absorbing layer 12 that absorbs visible light at least at the peripheral edge of the crystal 8, which is visible in a planar view from above. This allows the light-absorbing layer 12 to absorb external light that passes through the crystal 8, thereby preventing external light from entering from the outer periphery of the crystal 8 and making it difficult to see the underside of the peripheral edge of the crystal 8 from the outside.

In addition, in this watch crystal structure 6, when viewed in a plan view from above, the light absorbing layer 12 is arranged to avoid at least a portion of the first alignment mark portion 13. This prevents the light absorbing layer 12 from contacting or overlapping the first alignment mark portion 13, allowing the light absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13 to be well-positioned. This allows a gap S1 to be formed between the light absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13, allowing some visible light to pass through this gap S1.

In this case, in the watch crystal structure 6, a semicircular cutout 12a is provided in the light absorbing layer 12, opening toward the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12, and a first alignment mark 13 that absorbs visible light is provided with a gap S1 on the underside of the watch crystal 8 located within this cutout 12a, allowing some visible light to transmit through the gap S1 between the outer periphery of the first alignment mark 13 and the inner periphery of the cutout 12a in the light absorbing layer 12.

In other words, in the crystal structure 6 of this wristwatch, the outer diameter of the first alignment mark portion 13 is formed to be approximately the same size as the radius of the cutout portion 12a, and the center of the first alignment mark portion 13 is positioned to correspond to the center of the cutout portion 12a in the light absorbing layer 12. This prevents the light absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13 from contacting or overlapping, and ensures that a gap S1 is reliably and effectively formed between the outer periphery of the first alignment mark portion 13 and the inner periphery of the cutout portion 12a in the light absorbing layer 12.

Furthermore, in this wristwatch crystal structure 6, when viewed in a plan view from above, the first alignment mark portion 13 is provided on the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12, making it easier to provide the second alignment mark portion 15 below the first alignment mark portion 13, thereby making it easier to detect the alignment of the second alignment mark portion 15 relative to the first alignment mark portion 13.

In other words, in the crystal structure 6 of this wristwatch, the first alignment mark portion 13 is provided on the inner periphery, i.e., the inner periphery, of the light absorbing layer 12, and a portion of the outer edge of this first alignment mark portion 13 is arranged to protrude inward from the cutout portion 12a of the light absorbing layer 12 beyond the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12, making it easier to detect the alignment of the second alignment mark portion 15 with respect to the first alignment mark portion 13. Furthermore, because the first alignment mark portion 13 is provided on the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12 (by having the first alignment mark portion 13 embedded into the inner periphery of the light absorbing layer 12), the first alignment mark portion 13 can be made to appear to be nearly integrated with the light absorbing layer 12, preventing the first alignment mark portion 13 from protruding inward and thereby preventing a deterioration in appearance.

In addition, in this watch crystal structure 6, the solar panel 9 is a roughly annular member, and the inner diameter of the light absorbing layer 12 is equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the solar panel 9, which allows the light absorbing layer 12 to reliably cover the outer periphery of the solar panel 9 and makes the internal structure difficult to see. Furthermore, because the inner diameter of the light absorbing layer 12 is equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the solar panel 9, the cutout portion 12a can be positioned further inward, thereby reducing the gap S1. In other words, the internal structure can be made difficult to see.

In addition, in this watch glass structure 6, when viewed from above in a plan view, the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 has a covering portion 14a that is continuously provided around the light-absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13, so that the gap S1 between the first alignment mark portion 13 and the light-absorbing layer 12 can be reliably covered by the covering portion 14a. This covering portion 14a makes it difficult to see the internal structure, such as the watch module (not shown) inside the watch case 1, through the gap S1 between the first alignment mark portion 13 and the light-absorbing layer 12.

In other words, in this watch crystal structure 6, the cover portion 14a is arranged to protrude in a semicircular shape from the inner periphery of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14, overlapping the peripheral edge of the cutout portion 12a in the light-absorbing layer 12. This ensures that the cover portion 14a reliably covers the area corresponding to the gap S1 between the outer periphery of the first alignment mark portion 13 and the inner periphery of the cutout portion 12a, as well as the adjacent area corresponding to the outer periphery around the first alignment mark portion 13 located on the inner periphery of the light-absorbing layer 12. ...

Furthermore, in the watch crystal structure 6, the light transmittance of the first alignment mark portion 13 and the light absorbing layer 12 is lower than that of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14. Therefore, even if some visible light passes through the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 and the covering portion 14a, the transmitted visible light can be effectively absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13 and the light absorbing layer 12.

In other words, in the watch crystal structure 6, the light transmittance of the semi-transparent layer 14 and the cover portion 14a is 5% to 15%, preferably 10%. When the light transmittance of the semi-transparent layer 14 and the cover portion 14a is approximately 10%, the light transmittance of the light absorbing layer 12 and the first alignment mark portion 13 is 0% to 5%, preferably 0% (no visible light passes through).

As a result, in this wristwatch glass structure 6, visible light that passes through the semi-transparent layer 14 and cover portion 14a can be almost completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13 and light-absorbing layer 12, and when detecting alignment, the position of the second alignment mark portion 15 can be ascertained, particularly through the cover portion 14a. In other words, by providing the semi-transparent layer 14 and cover portion 14a, alignment detection is possible, and when using a wristwatch using this glass structure 6, the internal structure, such as the watch module (not shown) inside the watch case 1, can be made difficult to see through the gap S1.

Furthermore, in the watch crystal structure 6, the second alignment mark portion 15 is a through hole whose outer diameter is smaller than that of the first alignment mark portion 13. This means that the second alignment mark portion 15 can be reliably covered by the first alignment mark portion 13. As a result, even if visible light is irradiated onto the second alignment mark portion 15 and transmitted therethrough, it can be reliably absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13, allowing the solar panel 9 to be accurately aligned with the watch crystal 8.

In other words, with this watch crystal structure 6, when visible light is irradiated from below the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15, some of the visible light that passes through the through-hole in the second alignment mark portion 15 is transmitted through the cover portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14, and this transmitted visible light is almost completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13, making it possible to detect that the solar panel 9 is accurately aligned with the underside of the watch crystal 8.

Furthermore, in this watch crystal structure 6, some of the visible light irradiated from the underside of the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15 is not completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13, and as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), some of the visible light leaks above the first alignment mark portion 13.If this leaked visible light is visible from above the watch crystal 8, it can be detected that the second alignment mark portion 15 is slightly misaligned with respect to the first alignment mark portion 13.

For this reason, the light transmittance of the light absorbing layer 12 and first alignment mark portion 13 and the light transmittance of the semi-light transmitting layer 14 and cover portion 14a should at least be such that a slight misalignment of the second alignment mark portion 15 with respect to the first alignment mark portion 13, causing some visible light to leak above the first alignment mark portion 13, can be detected visually from above the watch crystal 8 or using an optical sensor, etc.

Furthermore, with this watch's glass structure 6, as shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), it is not acceptable for the second alignment mark portion 15 of the glass structure 6 to be misaligned with and protrude from the first alignment mark portion 13. With this watch's glass structure 6, the areas that need to be smoked (concealed) are those visible through the gap S1, i.e., between the light absorbing layer 12 and the solar panel 9 (or first alignment mark portion 13), and these areas can be concealed by being semi-transparent, i.e., smoked, by the covering portion 14a of the semi-transparent layer 14.

The manufacturing method for this wristwatch crystal structure 6 also includes the following steps: a first step of providing at least one first alignment mark 13 that absorbs visible light on the crystal 8, which is a cover member that transmits at least visible light, and providing a semi-transparent layer 14 that transmits light in a portion of the visible wavelength range and absorbs light in other wavelength ranges around the first alignment mark 13 in a planar view from above; a second step of providing at least one second alignment mark 15 that transmits visible light at the position of the solar panel 9, which is a covered member that is covered by the first alignment mark 13 in a planar view from above; and a third step of irradiating visible light from the solar panel 9 side toward the crystal 8 to detect the alignment between the second alignment mark 15 on the solar panel 9 and the first alignment mark 13 on the crystal 8. This allows for accurate alignment between the crystal 8 and the solar panel 9 while making the internal structure difficult to see.

In other words, in the manufacturing method of this wristwatch crystal structure 6, when aligning the solar panel 9 with the watch crystal 8 in the third step, visible light is irradiated from below the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15, and some of the visible light that passes through the through hole in the second alignment mark portion 15 is transmitted through the cover portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14 and irradiated onto the first alignment mark portion 13. This irradiated visible light is almost completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13, making it possible to detect that the solar panel 9 is accurately aligned with the underside of the watch crystal 8.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing method of this watch crystal structure 6, in the third step, a portion of the visible light irradiated from the underside of the solar panel 9 toward the second alignment mark portion 15 passes through the covering portion 14a of the semi-light-transmitting layer 14, and this transmitted portion of the visible light is not completely absorbed by the first alignment mark portion 13. As shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(b), a portion of the visible light leaks above the first alignment mark portion 13. If this leaked visible light is visible from above the watch crystal 8, it can be detected that the second alignment mark portion 15 is slightly misaligned with respect to the first alignment mark portion 13.

In the manufacturing method for this wristwatch glass structure 6, it is not acceptable for the second alignment mark portion 15 of the solar panel 9 to be slightly misaligned and protrude beyond the first alignment mark portion 13 in the third step. Here, the areas of the glass structure 6 that need to be smoked (concealed) are those visible through the gap S1, i.e., between the light absorbing layer 12 and the solar panel 9 (or first alignment mark portion 13), and these areas can be concealed by making them less visible through the semi-transparent, or smoked, covering portion 14a of the semi-transparent layer 14.

In the above-described embodiment, the first alignment mark portion 13 and the second alignment mark portion 15 are each circular in shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the first alignment mark portion 13 and the second alignment mark portion 15 may each be formed in a rectangular shape.

In addition, while the above-described embodiment and its modified examples have been described as having circular first and second alignment mark portions 13 and 15 provided on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides, respectively, the present invention is not limited to this, and they do not necessarily have to be provided on the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides. A structure in which rectangular or other shaped first and second alignment mark portions are provided on one of the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock sides, and the first and second alignment mark portions 13 and 15 of the above-described embodiment are provided on the other side, is also acceptable.

In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example, the first alignment mark portion 13 etc. and the second alignment mark portion 15 etc. are described as being provided on the 3 o'clock side and the 9 o'clock side, but this invention is not limited to this and they may be provided in any position on the same circumference. Furthermore, they do not necessarily have to be provided in two locations; they may be provided in just one location, or they may be provided in three or more locations.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment and modified examples, the first alignment mark portion 13 etc. and the second alignment mark portion 15 etc. are described as being formed in a circular or rectangular shape, but this invention is not limited to this and the shapes may be polygonal, such as a pentagon or hexagon, or elliptical, for example.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the solar panel 9 is formed in a substantially annular shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the solar panel may also be formed in a circular shape.

Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment has been described as being applied to a wristwatch, this invention does not necessarily have to be a wristwatch, and can be applied to various types of clocks, such as travel watches, alarm clocks, table clocks, and wall clocks. Furthermore, this invention does not necessarily have to be a clock, and can also be applied to electronic devices such as gauges.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Wristwatch case 2 Case body 3 First exterior member 4 Second exterior member 5 Push button switch 6 Glass structure 7 Back cover 8 Watch crystal 8a Function display section 9 Solar panel 9a Cell 9b Connection wiring section 10 Double-sided adhesive tape 11 Adhesive 12 Light absorbing layer 12a Cutout section 13 First alignment mark section 14 Semi-light transmitting layer 14a Cover section 15 Second alignment mark section S1 Gap

Claims (10)

a cover member that is transparent to at least visible light and that is provided with at least one first alignment mark portion that absorbs visible light;
a semi-transparent layer that is provided below the first alignment mark portion, that is provided continuously around the first alignment mark portion in a plan view from a certain direction, that transmits light in a part of a wavelength range of visible light and absorbs light in other wavelength ranges of visible light;
a covered member provided below the semi-light-transmitting layer, the covered member having at least one second alignment mark portion that transmits visible light and is provided at a position that is covered by the first alignment mark portion in a plan view from the certain direction;
A cover structure comprising: the cover member has a substantially annular light absorbing layer that absorbs visible light at least at a peripheral edge portion that is visible in a plan view from the certain direction;
The cover structure according to claim 1 . the light absorbing layer is provided so as to avoid at least a part of the first alignment mark portion in the plan view from the certain direction;
The cover structure according to claim 2 . When viewed from the certain direction, the first alignment mark portion is provided on an inner periphery of the light absorption layer.
The cover structure according to claim 3 . the covered member is a member having either a substantially circular or a substantially annular shape,
The inner diameter of the light absorbing layer is equal to or smaller than the outer diameter of the covered member.
The cover structure according to claim 4 . When viewed from the certain direction, the semi-light-transmitting layer has a covering portion that is continuously provided around the light absorbing layer and the first alignment mark portion.
The cover structure according to claim 5 . the light transmittance of the first alignment mark portion and the light absorption layer is lower than the light transmittance of the semi-light transmitting layer;
The cover structure according to claim 2 . the second alignment mark portion is a through hole having an outer diameter smaller than an outer diameter of the first alignment mark portion;
The cover structure according to claim 1 . A watch equipped with the cover structure described in any one of claims 1 to 8. a first step of providing at least one first alignment mark portion that absorbs visible light on a cover member that transmits at least visible light, and providing a semi-light-transmitting layer that transmits light in a part of the wavelength range of visible light and absorbs light in other wavelength ranges of visible light continuously around the periphery of the first alignment mark portion in a plan view from a certain direction;
a second step of providing at least one second alignment mark portion that transmits visible light at a position on the covered member that is covered by the first alignment mark portion in a plan view from the certain direction;
a third step of irradiating visible light from the covered member side toward the cover member to detect alignment between the second alignment mark portion of the covered member and the first alignment mark portion of the cover member;
A method for manufacturing a cover structure comprising: