| JP63120276 | DIAL PLATE FOR CLOCK |
| JP03071084 | PRODUCTION OF DIAL FOR WRIST WATCH |
| JP55129784 | WATCH |
CHOI, Jang-sung (3rd Fl, Dongsung-Top's Outlet 308-1, Youngwha-dong,Jangan-gu, Suwon 440-819, KR)
LEE, Jae Ho (1019-24, Daerim 2-dongYeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 150-824, KR)
CHOI, Jang-sung (3rd Fl, Dongsung-Top's Outlet 308-1, Youngwha-dong,Jangan-gu, Suwon 440-819, KR)
LEE, Jae Ho (1019-24, Daerim 2-dongYeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul 150-824, KR)
Claims
[1] A timepiece for displaying day-and-night on the whole terrestrial globe, which includes: an inner plate displaying a world map, the world map placing the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describing the Southern or Northern hemisphere, the inner plate turning around once a day in the same direction as the rotation of the earth; a time indicator turning around once a day together with the inner plate and adapted to indicate time; and an outer plate located on the rim of the inner plate or above the inner plate and having scales for indicating time, the timepiece comprising:
(A) the inner plate made of a transparent or semi-transparent material;
(B) two curved- type division-plates located perpendicularly below the inner plate and (nearly) corresponding to day-and-night boundary lines of the summer solstice and the winter solstice, and a plurality of division-plates corresponding to day-and-night boundary lines at time points where a period ranging from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is divided into any number;
(C) a light-emitting means, that is turned-on always, mounted on the outside of the division-plate corresponding to the winter solstice, and a plurality of light- emitting means mounted on areas between the respective division-plates, the plural light-emitting means turned-on and -off according to the time points; and
(D) a controlling means adapted to control turning-on and -off the light-emitting means mounted between the respective division-plates according to the set date.
[2] The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the division-plates comprise: two curved-type division-plates corresponding to the day-and-night boundary lines of the summer solstice and the winter solstice; one quasi-straight type division-plate corresponding to the day-and-night boundary line of the vernal and autumnal equinox days; and two to ten curved- type division-plates corresponding to the day-and-night boundary lines at time points obtained by dividing the periods from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox day, and from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox day, into two to six respectively.
[3] The timepiece according to claim 1, wherein the time indicator is settable, and is at least one mark adapted to indicate at least one country or region.
[4] The timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a minute-hand turning around once an hour, or a minute-hand turning around once an hour and a second-hand turning around once a minute.
[5] The timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a standard- time-displaying means divided into 24 equal parts with different colors, the standard-time-displaying means turning around once a day, wherein each region on the world map of the inner plate is colored with color corresponding to the part indicating its standard time on the standard- time-displaying means.
[6] The timepiece according to claim 1, further comprising a number-displaying type digital timepiece coupled with the day-and-night displaying timepiece, the digital timepiece controlled by the controlling means. |
Description
TIMEPIECE DISPLAYING DAY OF NIGHT IN A GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION
Technical Field
[1] The present invention relates to a timepiece for displaying day-and-night, which allows a user to easily perceive day time regions and night time regions on the whole terrestrial globe, and more particularly, to a timepiece for displaying day-and-night on the whole terrestrial globe, which allows the user to easily perceive the present time and day-and-night in various regions on earth. Background Art
[2] Time units of various kinds have been used according to eras and regions. For instance, in the Orient, the presently used 24-division per day system was employed only before 100 years. Before that, 12-division per day system, that is, 12-gabja system) had been used. However, the 24-division per day system, that is, 24-hour system is definitely fixed for the present time system. The timepiece for indicating the time includes a 12-di visional plate and an hour hand that rotates twice per day.
[3] Nowadays, the widely used system of the date is the solar calendar that directly reflects the moving state of the sun around the earth. That is, one day is the period ranging from time of one due culmination of the sun to time of the next due culmination at a specific place on earth. One day is divided into 24 hours, and one hour is divided into 60 minutes. One year is the period of time during which the earth completes a single revolution around the sun, namely, the period of time during which the sun starts from a specific place on the ecliptic and arrives at the specific place through a single rotation. So, the calendar widely used all over the world is the solar calendar and the timepiece adopts the solar time system. Considering that a season and day-and-night can be determined through the relation between the sun and the earth, the solar time system coincides with a daily life cycle. However, most of the timepieces used presently adopt the 12-hour system, in which an hour hand makes one revolution per 12 hours, but the 12-hour system cannot inform the real natural phenomena, such as the present location and altitude of the sun, day-and-night, rising and falling of stars, phases of the sun, stars and the moon changed according to seasons, and so on, but just informs the present time. This may break the natural band between nature and a human being.
[4] In the meantime, when assuming that the culmination time of the sun in Korea is 12 o'clock (since the standard meridian line in Korea is the east longitude of 135, the real culmination time is twelve thirty), the sun rises from the due east and sets to the due
west on vernal equinox day and autumnal equinox day. The time of sunrise on these days is six o'clock a. m. while the time of sunset is six o'clock p. m. On summer shoot, the sun rises from the northeast and sets to the northwest, and the time of sunrise is about four forty a. m. and the time of sunset is about seven twenty p. m. Therefore, the daytime on the summer shoot is longer by about two hours and forty minutes than that on the vernal equinox day or autumnal equinox day. On the winter solstice, the sun rises from the southeast and sets to the southwest and the time of sunrise is about seven twenty a. m. and the sunset time is about four forty p. m. Therefore, the daytime on the winter solstice is shorter by about five hours and twenty minutes than that on the vernal equinox day or autumnal equinox day, while the nighttime on winter solstice is longer by the same time length. The times of sunrise and sunset are different from day to day, and the difference is accumulated to become about 30 minutes every month.
[5] As described above, the times of sunrise and sunset are changed according to seasons and the latitude of the place where a person measures the times. Even though the times of sunrise and sunset are very important information in daily life, this information could not be easily obtained without taking a look on the news from a television or a newspaper.
[6] In addition, the enlargement of the urbanization brings about the increased underground activities and the activities in closed buildings, and so most of the people could not see the sun in the actual circumstances.
[7] Hence, a timepiece, which can indicate the relations between the earth and the sun
(day-and-night on earth) in a terrestrial aspect according to the real periodic phenomena of nature, is needed.
[8] In order to meet such necessity, nature-reflecting timepieces of various kinds are disclosed in many countries. For instance, Korean Patent Application No. 10-1999-22609 (entitled "Timepiece for indicating sunrise-sunset time and location of the sun") discloses a timepiece, which includes a sunrise-sunset time indicating part controllably mounted on the timepiece to allow a user to easily perceive the times of sunrise and sunset, but the timepiece cannot reflect the times of sunrise and sunset changed continuously. U.S. Patent No. 4,551,027 (entitled "Device for determining time of sunrise and sunset") discloses a 12-hour system timepiece, which includes an auxiliary disc mounted at the center, the auxiliary disc having three inner arcuate data units and three outer arcuate data units. However, the timepiece can indicate the times of sunrise and sunset just through a complicated process connected with a separate map. U.S. Patent No. 5,023,849 (entitled "Astronomic timepiece and disc intended for use therein") discloses a solar information timepiece, which includes: three of concentric rings of different diameters, the sectors having 12 divisions and being associated respectively with the time of sunrise, the time of sunset and the solar
altitude; and a month disc having a plurality of graphic markings, characters or numbers for showing changes in the time of sunrise, the time of sunset and the solar altitude. However, the timepiece is very complicated, and cannot provide correct information of the sun. U. S. Patent. No. 5,917,778 (entitled "Geographical chronological device") discloses a timepiece, which includes a front piece having an oval cut-out formed at the center thereof, a rear piece having four sliding-type slits, a sliding light portion and a sliding dark portion mounted on the slits between the front piece and the rear piece, so that day-and-night are indicated by actuation of the sliding light portion and the sliding dark portion. However, the timepiece has several problems in that its structure is complicated, and in that day-and-night is indicated only on the winter solstice, the autumnal equinox day and the summer solstice exactly but on the other days in a straight line. Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 5-12695 (entitled a "Timepiece for indicating daytime regions on earth according to seasons") discloses a timepiece, which includes a global plate 122 not having an hour hand and a minute- hand at the center thereof, actuating means 150 mounted at right and left ends of the global plate 122, an elastic wire 128 coupled to the actuating means 150 at both ends thereof, and a controlling unit 130 operated in such a way as to vertically bend and stretch the elastic wire so as to indicate day-and-night. The timepiece has several problems in that it is complicated and strange since the hour hand and the minute-hand are not mounted at the central portion of the timepiece but mounted at a peripheral portion thereof, and in that the user cannot easily perceive a boundary between day- and-night with eyes at once since the elastic wire is in a thin line form.
[9] Due to diversification and tendency toward high quality in a human being's desire, a timepiece, which can simply indicate the real natural phenomena in the relations among the earth, stars, the sun and the moon so that the user can naturally and visually perceive relations between the sun and a spatiotemporal point, where the user occupies, is required. That is, a timepiece of a new concept, which allows the user to sense and realize the relations between the sun and time not with numbers but with eyes and body, is needed. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem
[10] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the above- mentioned problems occurring in the prior arts, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an analog timepiece, which can naturally and simply indicate day- and-night on earth at a specific time point.
[11] It is another object of the present invention is to provide an analog timepiece, which can naturally change a boundary line between day-and-night according to a circulation
of seasons.
[12] It is a further object of the present invention is to provide a dual-time analog timepiece, which can indicate day-and-night on earth and provide times of at least two regions on earth at the same time.
[13] It is a still further object of the present invention is to provide a combined type timepiece, in which a digital timepiece is combined to the analog timepiece. Technical Solution
[14] To achieve the above objects, the present invention provides a timepiece for displaying day-and-night of a 24-hour system including: an inner plate displaying a world map placing the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describing the Southern or Northern hemisphere, the inner plate turning around once a day in the same direction as the rotation of the earth; a time indicator turning around once a day together with the inner plate and adapted to indicate time; and an outer plate located on the rim of the inner plate or above the inner plate and having scales for indicating time. The timepiece can naturally indicate day-and-night of the earth viewed from the South Pole or the North Pole.
[15] Furthermore, the timepiece according to the present invention includes: (A) the inner plate made of a transparent or semi-transparent material; (B) two curved-type division-plates located perpendicularly below the inner plate and corresponding to day- and-night boundary lines of the summer solstice and the winter solstice, and a plurality of division-plates corresponding to day-and-night boundary lines at time points where a period ranging from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is divided into any number; (C) a light-emitting means, that is turned-on always, mounted on the outside of the division-plate corresponding to the winter solstice, and a plurality of light- emitting means mounted on areas between the respective division-plates, the plural light-emitting means turned-on and -off according to the time points; and (D) a controlling means adapted to control turning-on and -off the light-emitting means mounted between the respective division-plates according to the set date.
[16] The time indicator may be integrated with or separated from the inner plate, and constructed of a general needle type or any mark.
[17] Moreover, the timepiece may further includes a minute-hand turning around once an hour, or a minute-hand turning around once an hour and a second-hand turning around once a minute. In this instance, scales for indicating hours and scales for indicating minutes and seconds may be indicated on the timepiece separately. Alternatively, the scales for indicating hours may also indicate minutes and seconds together.
[18] In the present invention, the inner plate, the time indicator, and the minute-hand or
the second-hand respectively perform their own rotational operations at fixed speeds, and such operations may be achieved by selecting the widely known mechanical type or electric type movement (operating device), but it is preferable to select the electric type in consideration of the relation with other component (light-emitting means).
Advantageous Effects
[19] Since the earth's rotational axis is inclined, the times of sunrise and sunset are changed according to seasons and lengths of day-and-night are changed according to latitudes, where a user locates. So, the conventional timepieces cannot directly provide states of the sunrise and the sunset all over the world. However, the timepiece according to the present invention indicates the states of the sunrise and the sunset on a map of the world through shadows or differences in colors, so that the user can perceive states of day-and-night on the whole terrestrial globe as well as a specific region, time passed from the time of sunrise, and time remaining until sunset at once with eyes without any manipulation. Brief Description of the Drawings
[20] FIG. 1 is a view showing a day-and-night boundary line actually measured at about
15-day intervals from January 6.
[21] FIG. 2 is a brief view of a day-and-night boundary line shown when a year is equally divided into five starting from January 1 according to the present invention.
[22] FIGS. 3 to 8 are photographs showing the outward and inward appearances of a timepiece produced according to the present invention.
[23] * Explanation on essential reference numerals in drawings *
[24] 1. inner plate 2. hour hand
[25] 3. minute-hand 4. second-hand
[26] 5. outer plate 11. division-plate
[27] M. movement
Mode for the Invention
[28] A timepiece according to the present invention is a 24-hour system universal timepiece including: an inner plate displaying a world map placing the South Pole or the North Pole at the center thereof and describing the Southern or Northern hemisphere, the inner plate turning around once a day in the same direction as the rotation of the earth; a time indicator turning around once a day together with the inner plate and adapted to indicate time; and an outer plate located on the rim of the inner plate or above the inner plate and having scales for indicating time. The timepiece can naturally indicate day-and-night of the earth viewed from the South Pole or the North Pole.
[29] In more detail, the timepiece according to the present invention includes: (A) the
inner plate made of a transparent or semi-transparent material; (B) two curved-type division-plates located perpendicularly below the inner plate and corresponding to day- and-night boundary lines of the summer solstice and the winter solstice, and a plurality of division-plates corresponding to day-and-night boundary lines at time points where a period ranging from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is divided into any number; (C) a light-emitting means, that is turned-on always, mounted on the outside of the division-plate corresponding to the winter solstice, and a plurality of light- emitting means mounted on areas between the respective division-plates, the plural light-emitting means turned-on and -off according to the time points; and (D) a controlling means adapted to control turning-on and -off the light-emitting means mounted between the respective division-plates according to the set date.
[30] Hereinafter, for convenience in description and for your understanding, some assumptions will be made. FIG. 1, which reflects the real data, illustrates the Northern hemisphere on the assumption that the sun is located above the upper end portion of the timepiece.
[31] Theoretically, the central portion of the day-and-night boundary line performs a reciprocating motion once a year from the summit. For convenience in description, one year refers to 360 days, one month refers to 30 days, the winter solstice refers to January 1 (actually, about December 22 each year in the Northern hemisphere), the vernal equinox refers to April 1 (actually, about March 21), the summer solstice refers to July 1 (actually, about June 22 in the Northern hemisphere), and the autumnal equinox refers to October 1 (actually, about September 23).
[32] Hereinafter, the timepiece according to the present invention will be described in relation with the Northern hemisphere. Since the timepiece describing the Southern hemisphere is symmetric to the timepiece describing the Northern hemisphere, description of the Southern hemisphere will be omitted.
[33] It is assumed that the sun is located above the upper end portion of the timepiece.
[34] The day-and-night boundary lines coincide with one another at both ends thereof regardless of any time point.
[35] It is assumed that the number of the division-plates is 13.
[36] The above simplification and assumptions are to clearly explain the timepiece according to the present invention, and hence, it is obvious that the technical idea and scope of the present invention are not influenced or restricted by the above.
[37] Description of (A)
[38] The inner plate displaying the world map describing the Southern or Northern hemisphere is made of a material, which can transmit light by the light-emitting means, which will be described later. Of course, also the world map is printed or bonded on the inner plate in such a way as to properly transmit light. It is preferable that materials
of the inner plate and the world map may be transparent or semi-transparent plastic, but the present invention is not restricted to the above-mentioned materials. Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner plate is in a circular plate form since it "displays the world map describing the Southern or Northern hemisphere and turns around once a day".
[39] In case of the Southern hemisphere, to which Korea belongs, the inner plate of the timepiece turns in the same direction as the rotation of the earth, namely, in the counterclockwise direction. On the contrary, in case of the Northern hemisphere, the inner plate turns in the clockwise direction (in a direction to turn to the right from the top portion of the timepiece).
[40] Description of (B)
[41] The times of sunrise and sunset are changed according to seasons and the latitude of a region, where a user locates, and expressed as changes in boundary of day-and-night according to seasons (time points of a year) on the whole terrestrial globe. That is, since the earth revolves in a state where the earth's rotational axis inclined at an angle of 23.5°, it causes changes in weather and periodical changes in day-and-night boundary (hereinafter, called a "day-and-night boundary line" or a "boundary line") according to seasons. The time data for sunrise and sunset of all latitudes on the Northern hemisphere were collected during specific dates of 2004, and were graphed on FIG. 1, which illustrates the day-and-night boundary line of the Northern hemisphere. Each boundary line indicates the corresponding date.
[42] Since the earth is not a complete sphere, the day-and-night boundary lines do not form a complete arc, in different from the common presumption, ends of the day- and-night boundary lines doe not coincide with one another, and the day-and-night boundary lines of adjacent time points are overlapped with each other. It is informed that forms of the respective day-and-night boundary lines are also changed every year little by little. As you can see from the drawing, on vernal equinox day and autumnal equinox day, the day-and-night boundary line is in a nearly straight form, which divides the Northern hemisphere nearly equally (day-and-night boundary line located at the center of FIG. 1 ; which is not a completely straight line actually, and so, called a "quasi- straight type"). On the summer solstice, both ends of the day-and-night boundary line [nearly] coincide with both ends of the quasi-straight type boundary line and the boundary line is in a concavely curved form that the central portion of the boundary line is retracted in the opposite direction to the sun at an angle of 23.5° (namely, the central portion comes in contact with the opposite direction to the sun at the latitude ranging from 90° to 23.5° on the map). On the winter solstice, both ends of the day-and-night boundary line coincide with both ends of the quasi-straight type boundary line and the boundary line is in a convexly curved form that the central
portion of the boundary line advances toward the sun at an angle of 23.5° (namely, the central portion comes in contact with the direction of the sun at the latitude ranging from 90° to 23.5° on the map). In the description of FIG. 1, it would be appreciated to those skilled in the art that the "latitude values" and the expression that "the central portion of the day-and-night boundary line is in the concave or convex form" are made roughly since the earth is an incomplete sphere. So, the "division-plate corresponding to the day-and-night boundary line" does not mean the division-plate perfectly coinciding with the day-and-night boundary line of a real specific date but the "division- plate nearly coincides with natural phenomena (day-and-night boundary line)".
[43] In the present invention, the division-plate is a sort of a band, which has the same form as a curved line and/or a quasi-straight line of the day-and-night boundary line at a specific time point. It is preferable that the timepiece according to the present invention has at least three the division-plates corresponding to the summer solstice, the vernal and autumnal equinox days and the winter solstice. The division-plates are mounted below the inner plate.
[44] A process to determine the number of the division-plates will be described. The real day-and-night boundary line at a specific time point corresponds to the division-plate of the timepiece according to the present invention.
[45] The two outermost division-plates correspond to the summer solstice and the winter solstice, and the day-and-night boundary lines vertically reciprocate for a year. So, if the division-plates corresponding to the 1 st and the 15 of every month are all mounted, the total number of the division-plates is 13, and dates corresponding to the division- plates and latitudes, which come in contact with the center of the day-and-night boundary lines of the dates, are indicated in the following Table 1. The reference numerals of the division-plates in the Table 1 are attached for convenience in explanation, and in this instance, the total number of the division-plates is 13 as my please.
[46] [Table 1]
[47]
[48] * The forms of the division-plates are obtained when it is assumed that the sun is located above the upper end portion of the timepiece. The forms of the division-plates in the Northern hemisphere are opposed to those of the division-plates in the Southern hemisphere.
[49] Since the total number of the division-plates may be freely determined according to situations, the timepiece may include two curved- type division-plates corresponding to the day-and-night boundary lines of the summer solstice and the winter solstice, and a plurality of other division-plates corresponding to the day-and-night boundary lines at time points obtained by evenly dividing a period ranging from the summer solstice to the winter solstice at a certain ratio. However, the timepiece cannot sufficiently reflect the natural phenomena if the number of the division-plates is too small, and it is difficult to manufacture the timepiece due to a restriction in space if the number of the division-plates too large. Hence, it is preferable that the timepiece includes the two curved-type division-plates corresponding to the day-and-night boundary lines of the summer solstice and the winter solstice, one quasi-straight type division-plate corresponding to the day-and-night boundary line on the vernal and autumnal equinox days, and two to ten curved-type division-plates corresponding to the day-and-night
boundary lines at time points obtained by dividing the periods from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox day, and from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox day, into two to six respectively(the total number of the division-plates is five to thirteen). In this instance, as shown in Table 1, the division may be an equal division compared with time, or a uniform division compared with space that the divided spatial intervals are uniform. Further, the division may not be the equal division but an unequal division according to a manufacturer's selection.
[50] If the timepiece includes total five division-plates in the equal division compared with time, the division-plates of Nos. 1, 4, 7, 10 and 13 on the Table 1 are selected, and its theoretically schematic diagram is shown in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, N designates the North Pole, and O, which is the rim of a circle designates the equator. Time points of respective day-and-night boundary lines indicated into circled numbers and latitudes inscribed with the boundary lines are the same as the above Table 1.
[51] Description of (C)
[52] The division-plates function to indicate the day-and-night boundary lines on the inner plate of the timepiece according to the present invention. Since the day-and-night boundary is periodically changed according to seasons, the timepiece further includes light-emitting means mounted on areas between the respective division-plates for periodically turned-on and -off. For this, while the light-emitting means mounted on the rim of the division-plate corresponding to the winter solstice is always in a lighting state, the light-emitting means mounted on the areas between the respective division- plates graduatedly repeat a lighting state and a lighting-out state according to time points. In case where the total number of the division-plates is 13, periods, when the areas between the respective division-plates are lighted and lighted out, are shown in the following Table 2. In Table 2, for instance, "an area 1-2" means an area formed between the division-plate Nos. 1 and 2, "area ~1" means the rim of the division-plate of No. 1, and "area 13~" means the rim of the division-plate of No. 13. In Table 2, the area number is attached for convenience in explanation, and the total number of the division-plates is 13 since the final area number of the division-plate is 13.
[53] [Table 2]
[54]
[55] In the present invention the light-emitting means may be any one, which can emit light by electric power, but preferably, a device of low power consumption and small size having durability. For example, an LED may be used as the light-emitting means.
[56] Description of (D)
[57] The timepiece according to the present invention requires a process to set an hour hand and a minute-hand according to regions and times in the same way as a general 24-hour system timepiece describing the Northern or Southern hemisphere. In the meantime, since the timepiece according to the present invention indicates the day- and-night boundary lines according to seasons (time points), it additionally requires a controlling means to control turning-on and -off the light-emitting means mounted between the respective division-plates according to a the set date. The controlling means may be an IC or a subsidiary circuit having a program therein to light or light out the light-emitting means mounted on each area as indicated in the Table 2 according to the the the set date. The controlling means is not restricted to the above- mentioned devices. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can properly select a detailed structure of the controlling means as occasion demands.
[58] In the present invention, the time indicator can be set, and may be at least one mark indicating at least one country or region. For instance, the time indicator may be a country shape, a national flag, or a national flower symbolizing the corresponding
country or region. Meanwhile, since a minute of a specific time is uniform all over the world, at least two marks symbolizing at least two regions can be used as the time indicators if the user is interested in times and day-and-night states in at least two regions.
[59] Moreover, the timepiece according to the present invention may additionally include a standard- time-displaying means, which is divided into 24 parts at uniform angles, and indicated with different colors according to the standard times, the standard-time-displaying means turning around once a day in the same rotational direction of the earth. In this instance, each region of the world map displayed on the inner plate has the same color as the standard-time-displaying means according to its standard time, so that the user can promptly know the present time without any manipulation and calculation by seeing the present time of a part on the standard- time-displaying means having the same color of the region concerning. The standard- time-displaying means can be located at any place of the timepiece, but it is better visually to locate the standard-time-displaying means between a portion to indicate an hour scale and the inner plate.
[60] In the meantime, the timepiece according to the present invention is a rotary type timepiece, and may additionally include a number-displaying type digital timepiece coupled with the day-and-night displaying timepiece and controlled by the controlling means. Preferably, the digital timepiece displays all of year/month/day/hour/minute (/second), and in this instance, the year/month/day/hour/minute (/second) are synchronized together with the day-and-night displaying timepiece. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can properly select a detailed synchronization method according to manufacturing situations of the timepiece.
[61] For instance, the year/month/day may be synchronized manually, and operations of the inner plate/hour hand/minute-hand (/second-hand) are automatically synchronized with the hour/minute (/second) of the digital timepiece using a sensor.
[62] Furthermore, the timepiece according to the present invention may further include a display portion for displaying a location of the moon and a display portion for indicating positions of the sun at noon. The display portion for displaying the location of the moon may be located at any proper place of the timepiece, and is set to turn around once every 29.5 days or 30 days according to the number of days of the lunar calendar so as to meet the synodic month period of the moon, namely about 29.5 days. Meanwhile, the location of the moon is divided into an actual location according to the natural phenomena and a virtual location set according to the lunar calendar. For example, the moon is actually located at a specific location in the universal timepiece of the present invention, but the moon according to the lunar calendar is virtually located before or after the actual moon. Additionally, the universal timepiece may
indicate the lunar calendar date. In this case, the user selects a date system used in each cultural range. That is, the user may select a proper date according to the cultural range, since the Islamic lunar calendar of the Islam cultural range and the lunar calendar of the Orient have different date systems.
[63] The system according to the present invention can roughly analogize the lunar calendar date according to relative locations of the sun and the moon. That is, it is the 30 day according to the lunar calendar, the last day of a lunar month, when the moon and the sun keep the same angle to a central axis of the timepiece. And, it is the 15 day according to the lunar calendar, the fifteenth day of a lunar month, when the moon and the sun are located in the opposite direction from each other to the central axis of the timepiece.
[64] Moreover, the timepiece according to the present invention may be applied to a portable watch, a table watch, a wall clock, and so on according to use purpose.
[65] In this specification, while the forms, structures and rotational speeds of the respective plates are mainly described, it is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can easily change or modify the timepiece referring to the embodiment. That is, the timepiece according to the present invention may be operated by a mechanical method through a combination of an actuating device and a saw tooth having a specific R.P.M ratio, or by an electric method, for instance, Quartz method.
[66] Referring to photographs of the timepiece produced as a product, the present invention will be described again.
[67] FIGS. 3 to 8 illustrate the inside of the timepiece, an enlargement of the inside of the timepiece, a state where the outer plate 5 having scales for indicating time is mounted, a state where the outer plate 5, the time indicator (an hour hand 2, a minute- hand 3, and a second-hand 4) are mounted, a state where the outer plate 5 and the inner plate 1 are mounted, and the outward appearance of the timepiece having all components. In the product, the LED is mounted as the light-emitting means, but is not yet mounted on the front surface. The controlling means is mounted on the rear surface of the timepiece. Since a movement (M) is protrudes outward, a portion of the division-plate 11 is interrupted. It will be appreciated to solve the problem in connection with the interruption of the division-plate if the movement (M) of a small size is applied thereto or the movement (M) is mounted below the division-plate.
[68] In the product, the timepiece has ten division-plates, and dates of the day-and-night boundary lines corresponding to the respective division-plates (refer to circled numbers) are indicated in the following Table 3. In Table 3, the division-plates of Nos. 1 and 10 have time scopes to indicate scopes of actual dates, which can correspond to the division-plates. In case of the other division-plates excepting the division-plates of Nos. 1 and 10, scopes of corresponding dates are omitted.
[69] [Table 3] [70]
Industrial Applicability
[71] As described above, the timepiece according to the present invention indicates the states of the sunrise and the sunset on a map of the world through shadows or differences in colors, so that the user can perceive states of day-and-night on the whole terrestrial globe as well as a specific region, time passed from the time of sunrise, and time remaining until sunset at once with eyes without any manipulation.