Abstract: A timepiece including an analog display of time and a digital display of time is provided. The analog display includes at least an hour hand and a minute hand with the digital display disposed within the region between the analog dial and the cover glass in a region adjacent to the analog display. In another embodiment of the invention, the digital display of the electro-optical type is inclined at an angle between about 5.degree. and 30.degree. with respect to the analog display dial.

Abstract: A small printer for printing characters on a printing medium especially adapted for use in a portable electronic calculator. The printer includes a frame having a carriage slidably mounted thereon for lateral displacement across the printing medium. An ink jet printing mechanism is carried on the carriage for selectively printing characters at predetermined positions along lines of the printing medium. A crank mechanism couples a motor to the carriage so that the printing mechanism can be translated across the printing medium. A printing position control circuit determines when the printing mechanism is in each predetermined printing position and selectively supplies a printing signal to the printing mechanism so that the printing mechanism will print a character at the selected predetermined positions.

Abstract: A timepiece includes in addition to the conventional timekeeping circuits, high load, that is, high current circuits such as an alarm driving circuit and a lamp driving circuit. Low load, small current systems such as the oscillator, divider, display drivers and display for timekeeping are operated directly from the battery voltage source when the high load circuits are off. When the high load circuits are on, the low load circuits are disconnected from the battery and operate from an electric charge stored in a capacitor connected in parallel with the low load circuits. The high load circuits are driven intermittently at a high frequency to reduce power consumption and to permit recharging of the storage capacitor during off-periods. The drive frequency is sufficiently high such that an illumination lamp shows no flicker and brightness is controlled by duty cycle.

Abstract: A manually operated dot printer designed for use in a pocket sized calculator or a small sized electronic device includes a printing head which is manually movable across a sheet of printing paper in one direction. A pulse generating circuit produces a signal in synchronization with the speed of travel of the printing head. While the printing head is moving in said one direction, the printing head effects electrically controlled printing operations with dots in response to the signal produced by the pulse generating circuit. As the printing head is advanced, spring means store energy which is applied to return the printing head and advance the printing paper.

Abstract: An ink jet head for a printer for ejecting liquid ink as droplets onto a recording medium, comprises a substrate having a nozzle, pressure chamber and passageway which are defined in a surface thereof, and a vibration plate supporting thereon a piezoelectric element, the substrate and vibration plate being formed of the same or substantially the same synthetic resins. The substrate and vibratrion plate have confronting surfaces fused and bonded together by a solvent, a doped cement, or with heat and pressure, or by ultrasonic welding.

Abstract: A spectacle frame holds each lens against a rim by a thin wire, providing a rimless appearance. The wire has at least one enlarged end for engagement in one end of the rim. The wire is secured at the other end of the rim for compressively retaining the lens in the rim. The length of wire supporting the lens is selectively adjustable to accommodate many lens sizes and shapes in the same frame.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device including an opaque reflective electrode on the lower plate of the device is provided. The surface of the electrode is a rugged surface wherein the average angle of inclination of an inclined plane passing through the inclined regions of the rugged surface is 30 degrees or less with respect to a horizontal plane coinciding with the surface of the lower plate. The area where the angle of inclination of the rugged portions is greater than 40 degrees occupies 30% or less of the surface area of the electrode. The average pitch of the rugged regions of the electrode surface is greater than 3 .mu.m and the depth of the rugged region is about 0.2 .mu.m on the average, but less than 5 .mu.m.The opaque electrode is formed from a metal having a reflectance of 80% or more with respect to incident light entering from a direction substantially vertical to the lower plate.

Abstract: A speed control for step motors is provided with a speed control circuit for periodically actuating a motor driving circuit at least in part in response to timing signals representative of the incremental advance of the step motor during acceleration. The time interval between the respective actuations of the motor driving circuit during acceleration is stored in a memory, the speed control circuit actuating the motor driving circuit during deceleration of the step motor at intervals which are a function of the stored acceleration intervals in the memory, applied in reverse order.

Abstract: A matrix liquid crystal display circuit includes a selecting transistor connected to the picture element and a capacitor for each picture element of the matrix. The other picture element and capacitor terminals connect to common electrodes and the transistor gates in each row connect to a common electrode. In each column a common source line connects to the sources of the transistors and a signal sampling circuit periodically applies an image signal to the source line of each column in sequence. No amplification is used between the sampling circuit and the transistor sources. Metallic leads serve as the source lines, but other circuits and components are integrated on a common substrate.

Abstract: A palladium-nickel alloy plating solutions formed from tetramminepalladous chloride is provided. The tetramminepalladous chloride is soluble in aqueous ammonia plating solution and is also water soluble. This permits replenishment of the palladium in a palladium-nickel plating solution during plating operation merely by adding the tetramminepalladous palladius chloride as a solid which is easily dissolved. The palladium-nickel alloy plating solutions contain between about 5 to 30 g/l of palladium and 5 to 30 g/l of nickel.

Abstract: A manually operated dot printer designed for use in a pocket-sized calculator or a small-sized electronic device includes a printing head which is manually driven across the dot printer paper in one direction to store energy in springs. The springs return the printing head in steps intermittently while the printing head effects printing on the printing paper. The springs also feed the printing paper. While the printing head is manually moved, the printing elements are maintained out of contact with the printing paper. During return movement of the printing head, the printing elements are in contact with, or nearly in contact with, the printing paper for printing operations. The actual printing operations of the printing head are performed with electrical control using elements of low power consumption.

Abstract: The display matrix includes a non-linear element with two terminals connected in series with each liquid crystal element in the matrix panel. The matrix uses generalized AC amplitude selective multiplexing driving voltages. Scanning electrode voltage amplitudes and the data electrode voltage amplitudes are both set up as n:1 where n is a simple integer.

Abstract: A multi-layer display device including at least two liquid crystal display cells overlapping along a line of sight is provided. Adjacent display cell layers may share a common transparent plate therebetween. Patterns are displayed by selectively applying a voltage between opposed pattern and common electrodes. The number of signal wires removed from the device is reduced by electrically connecting electrodes in different layers. The connected electrodes may be non-overlapping to increase the number of characters which may be displayed simultaneously, or may be overlapping for independent displays.

Abstract: An electronic analog timepiece having an illustration on the dial provides animation by including a portion of the illustration on the second hand and by giving the second hand an erratic motion. Logic circuitry combines a plurality of frequency signals from the divider circuits such that periodic but erratic second hand motion is achieved between moments when the second hand is accurate. Normal second hand motion is also selectively provided.

Abstract: A vessel for storing fluid and a device for detecting remaining fluid in the vessel is provided. The vessel is maintained at a pressure less than atmospheric, but in a range not sufficient to overcome the surface tension of fluid remaining in a nozzle. This prevents fluid from escaping out from the nozzle when the tank is maintained at a height equal to or higher than the nozzle orifice. The tank may be formed from an elastic material or may include a biasing member for maintaining the negative pressure. An ink jet printer including an ink tank maintained at a pressure less than atmospheric main include a device for detecting ink remaining in the tank. Opposing walls of the tank may be conductive and upon consumption of ink therein collapse causing a circuit to short for indicating lack of ink in the tank. Alternatively, the device for detecting the remaining ink may include a conductive member mounted on the periphery of the tank which is displaced as the tank collapses.

Abstract: A quartz crystal oscillator including a quartz crystal plate defining a tuning fork having a base, two vibratory tines extending from the base and a frame integrally extending from the base and surrounding the tines is provided. The quartz crystal plate is disposed between two cooperating case members in the region of the base and frame. Thin metallic electrodes are disposed on the opposed planar surfaces of the quartz crystal plate. A through-hole or opening is formed in the base region of the vibrator plate for electrically connecting an electrode from one planar surface of the plate to the opposed planar surface for providing two external terminals on one surface case member. The electrical connection through the through-hole or opening is a thin metal film disposed by sputtering or deposition.

Abstract: An ink jet printer head for printing dots on demand on a recording medium has ink flow paths formed in a substrate. The ink paths include a pressure chamber, supply path and nozzle for discharging ink droplets, the nozzle terminating in an external front face of the printer head. A piezoelectric element acting on the pressure chamber to reduce chamber volume, causes an ink droplet to be ejected. Ink flow in the paths is perpendicular to the displacement of the piezoelectric element. The front face of the printer head is adapted to contour the ink layer which forms on the front face at rapid printing rates to assure that the droplets are ejected along a line which is a linear, parallel extension of the longitudinal nozzle axis. The design principles are applicable to printer heads having single or double rows of nozzles.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a display element containing a liquid crystal display composition for operating in the twisted nematic mode and a two-frequency matrix-addressing circuit for driving the display element. The liquid crystal composition has a critical frequency f.sub.c such that at lower frequencies, the dielectric anisotropy of said composition is positive and at higher frequencies is negative, f.sub.c lying between the low frequency and high frequency components in the output of said circuit. The arrangement of the device is such that a selected picture cell in said display element can be turned off by applying the high frequency component of said output. Other embodiments include a device in which a dichroic dye is incorporated in the composition and an embodiment which contains means for detecting the temperature of the liquid crystal composition.

Abstract: A miniaturized face-shear mode quartz crystal vibrator and method of manufacture is provided. The vibrator is formed from a Y-cut quartz crystal plate less than 500 .mu.m thick which has been rotated between 45.degree. to 55.degree. about the X-axis. A plurality of vibrators are formed by depositing a thin metallic film on the two opposed planar surfaces of the plate, selectively etching portions of the metallic films and dissolving the uncoated portions of the plate. The metallic films become the vibrator electrode.