Takata Corporation

Nec Corporation

Nec Electronics Corporation

Citizen Watch Company, Ltd.

Hitoshi Fujita

Hiroaki Fujii

Koji Tanaka

Koichi Furukawa

Ryuji Yano

Hiromasa Tanji

Tsugio Takahashi

Tomomi Murakami

Hideaki Yano

Takashi Osa

Kenji Kitazawa

Fumio Nakano

Hiroshi Okamoto

An electronic timepiece with a solar cell includes a timepiece movement, a timepiece case for housing the timepiece movement, a casing ring for housing and holding the timepiece movement in the timepiece case, a solar cell and a dial. The solar cell is disposed almost vertically to a solar cell positioning portion provided in the casing ring, and the solar cell has a slender strip shape formed on a flexible substrate. Consequently, the solar cell is not disposed in the timepiece movement, and it is only necessary to change the casing ring as an external component even when a panel cover diameter is changed. Further, a solar cell can be coiled to match the size of the casing ring when it is incorporated in the casing ring, so that a common solar cell can be used despite a change in the panel cover diameter of the timepiece.

Electronic timepiece with solar cell

In controlling a seat belt retractor, at least one of signals selected from a state signal showing a movement of an occupant wearing a seat belt and an external signal obtained from detecting means installed in a vehicle during running thereof is received. Then, a rotational torque of a motor is selected to a predetermined reduction ratio corresponding to at least one of the state signal and the external signal from a plurality of torques. The motor is controlled to a predetermined torque, to thereby wind the webbing on the spool.

Controlling method of seat belt retractor

A clock ride-over circuit in which clock ride-over may be achieved even if jitter is contained in clocks prior to and subsequent to ride-over and no control input signal for write and readout is applied from outside. A clock prior to rideover CLKis detected by a clock subsequent to ride-over CLKwhich is of a higher speed than the clock prior to ride-over. A timing signal TIM of a constant period, generated by a counter adapted for self-running with the clock prior to ride-over, is compared to the phase comparison signal COMP which is the result of the clock detection. Stable clock ride-over is possible by the phase comparison signal COMP having a pulse width larger than the jitter period of the clock subsequent to ride-over.

Clock ride-over method and circuit

In controlling a seat belt retractor, at least one of signals selected from a state signal showing a movement of an occupant wearing a seat belt and an external signal obtained from detecting means installed in a vehicle during running thereof is received. Then, a rotation of a spool for a webbing is controlled by switching a rotational torque of a motor to a predetermined reduction ratio corresponding to at least one of the state signal and the external signal, or a driving state of the motor is controlled to a predetermined torque, to thereby wind the webbing on the spool. After fastening the seat belt, the seat belt is automatically wound, and after a predetermined time from completion of winding of the webbing, it is determined whether the winding of the webbing is further needed, and if necessary, the webbing is wound again.

A weighing apparatus by which a past record of measured weight values can be known later is provided. Weight measured by a weight sensor is inputted to a MPU via an I/O (input-output) unit. The MPU stores the inputted weight data in a memory together with the date and time which a timepiece circuit indicates, either when the MPU determines that the weight is being measured (for example, when the weight equals or exceeds a predetermined value) or when a command to record the weight data is given by an external unit such as a personal computer (PC) via an I/O unit. The stored weight data and date-time data are read from the memory by the MPU when a readout command is given by the external unit, and are outputted to the external unit via the I/O unit.

Weighing apparatus

A seat belt retractor includes a base frame, a spool having a spool shaft journalled to the base frame, a webbing wound around the spool, a return spring connected to the spool for winding the webbing by a return force thereof, a motor connected to the spool for winding the spool, and a speed-reduction mechanism interposed between the motor and the spool. The speed-reduction mechanism winds the webbing at a low speed for fitting the webbing to an occupant, and includes a contrate gear with a predetermined reduction gear ratio. Thus, the webbing is wound by operation of the motor via the contrate gear.

Seat belt retractor

A seat belt retractor includes a base frame, a spool journalled to the base frame, a webbing wound around the spool, and a motor for rotating the spool. A speed-reduction mechanism is interposed between the motor and the spool. The speed-reduction mechanism includes at least one transmission train with a predetermined gear ratio, a common transmission element connected to the transmission train, and a resistant torque device connected to the transmission train. The common transmission element transmits rotation of the motor to the spool when the torque of the rotation is smaller than the preset value. Winding of the webbing is made based on the wearing condition of the webbing and the running condition of the vehicle.

Seat belt retractor with switching means

To provide a seatbelt retractor in which wiring of lead wires in a cover is not required. Instead, a circuit board and the like can be positioned accurately, and the circuit board is sufficiently protected during the mounting of mechanical components. A circuit board is anchored to a groove of an inner cover mounted on a retainer so that the inner cover covers the circuit board at the periphery of the inner cover with rotation axles and pivot mating with mating holes, respectively, at ends thereof.

A seat belt retracting device having a motor for retracting a seat belt having a tongue adapted to engage a buckle. The device includes an electrical circuit for controlling operation of the motor with a one-chip integrated circuit (IC). The circuit includes a control output power circuit; a motor control power circuit; and a communication control power circuit. The motor is configured to operate for a first prescribed period of time to retract the seatbelt from the moment at which disengagement between the buckle and the tongue is detected.

Seat belt retracting device

In a seat belt control device of the invention, when a buckle switch detects disengagement of a buckle and a tongue plate of a seat belt, the seat belt is retracted through a motor. In addition, the seat belt is re-retracted, through a motor, when a passenger detector detects that no passenger is present in an automobile, when a door switch detects that a door opens, or when an engine key switch detects that an engine key is pulled out or is in an off state. Thus, the seat belt can be positively retracted. Therefore, when a passenger gets off or is going to get off, the seat belt can be securely retracted to thereby prevent the seat belt from being caught by a projection in a compartment or by the door of the automobile.

Seat belt control device

A drive circuit for an ultrasonic motor includes a DC power source, a transformer for applying to the ultrasonic motor two phase high frequency voltage alternating currents having a predetermined phase difference for driving the ultrasonic motor, a switching device interposed between the DC power source and the transformer for allowing a direct current from the direct DC power source to flow to the transformer at a predetermined timing, and a CPU connected to the switching device for controlling the switching device at the predetermined timing. Thus, the alternating current having an optimum frequency can be reliably and easily obtained. The drive circuit may include a vibration attenuating device operated when the ultrasonic motor is stopped. As a result, vibration of a stator of the ultrasonic motor is gradually reduced.

Drive circuit for ultrasonic motor

A residue circuit takes weights of even number bits of a dividend as 1 and weights of odd number bits of the dividend as 2. The circuit includes a plurality of adders for summing bits having weight 1 to output weight 1 at a summing output and weight 2 at a carry output, and a plurality of adders for summing bits having weight 2 to output weight 2 at a summing output and weight 1 at a carry output. With these adders, summing of respective bits of the dividend bits are performed taking the weights into account to repeat summing until the number of bits finally becomes 3 bits. Depending upon the pattern of this 3 bits, a remainder is output by a modulus 3 generation circuit.

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Tokyo, Japan

Hitoshi Fujita