Abstract: A timepiece is equipped with a hand shaft display portion having hands and driving shafts for the hands, and a liquid crystal display portion situated above a substrate. A liquid crystal display portion support frame is situated above the substrate for supporting the liquid crystal display portion. The liquid crystal display portion support frame includes a shaft insertion hole for allowing the driving shafts to pass therethrough, a penetration window located away from the shaft insertion hole and facing the liquid crystal display portion, and a light transmission member formed at least around the shaft insertion hole. An EL element is situated under the liquid crystal display portion support frame relative to the hands. The EL element illuminates the liquid crystal display portion and the hand shaft display portion through the light transmission member when the EL element is illuminated.

Abstract: A world time watch has a liquid crystal display device including a time zone display and a time display. The time zone display is provided to display the time difference between a selected place and the Greenwich Mean Time, and the time display is provided to display the time of the place corresponding to the time difference displayed in the time zone display. A printed place name list is provided around the liquid crystal display device. The place name list includes a plurality of numbers each of which represents the corresponding time difference of a particular place.

Abstract: A ball throwing machine for hitting out tennis balls or the like at predetermined time intervals, in which a lock cover is rotatable or slidable into engagement with a switch which is capable of making and breaking an electric current to a drive motor. Said lock cover is mounted in a position adjacent to a rotating trace of a hitting lever. In the event an object other than ball, for example, a hand, a finger or a rod, should be drawn into the interior of the machine together with the hitting lever while this lever is rotated by a motor to expand a biasing spring, the lock cover will rotate or slide to break the electric current to the motor and stop the motor immediately, thereby preventing the occurrence of injury.

Abstract: In an analog type of electronic timepiece provided with an alarm function, means are provided whereby the timepiece hands are rapidly rotated into positions indicating a preset alarm time, when changeover from a normal operating mode to an alarm time mode is designated, and are rapidly rotated back to indicate current time when return to the normal operating mode is designated. Signals for controlling these rapid rotations of the hands are generated using only two counter circuits, for measuring and storing the difference between the alarm time and current time, and the system differs from prior art arrangements in that no errors are introduced into the time information during the intervals in which changeover between current time display and alarm time display takes place.

Abstract: A solid state complementary electrochromic display device in which electrochromic display elements comprising a first electrochromic material layer of a reduction coloration type consisting essentially of tungsten trioxide, a second electrochromic material layer of an oxidation coloration type consisting essentially of iridium oxide or rhodium oxide, and an ion permeable insulating layer disposed between both layers are formed on one surface and on the opposite surface of a transparent substrate.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display cell of annular form is provided with a central aperture to accommodate an analog time display section having time indicating hands. The annular liquid crystal cell is characterized in that a plurality of common electrodes are provided on one substrate of the cell, to enable multiplexed drive of the display elements of the cell. Each of the plurality of common electrode comprises a plurality of separate common electrode portions which are electrically connected by connecting lead portions. Half of the connecting lead portions can be arranged to be outside the display area of the cell, thereby enabling the available display area to be maximized.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece of analog display type is provided with at least one other additional function mode such as an alarm mode in addition to a current time mode of operation. When changeover from one function mode to another is performed, by actuation of an external operating member, information indicated by the timepiece analog display is rapidly changed over to correspond to information for the new function mode, e.g. is rapidly changed over to indicate an alarm time when changeover from the current time mode to the alarm time mode is performed, and rapidly changed to indicate current time when the reverse mode changeover is performed.

Abstract: An analog display type of electronic timepiece is provided with an alarm function, whereby changeover can be rapidly performed between display of current time and of a preset alarm time, by rapid rotation of the timepiece hands, and features means whereby the hands are advanced in steps of less than one minute during the current time display state but are advanced by steps of precisely one minute while setting of an alarm time is being carried out, so that the alarm time is precisely set with the minutes hand positioned at a minutes graduation on the dial.

Abstract: A battery unit for an electric timepiece is disclosed in which disclosed the battery compartment is formed in the member provided in the timepiece for supporting other parts of the device and wall means of the compartment is constructed to serve as a part of the container of the battery. The supporting member of the timepiece includes a watch case such as a middle, edge portion, back, and casing ring, and an inside supporting member such as a base, base plate, bridge, substrate.

Abstract: An electronic timepiece having a compound display comprising an electro-optical display portion and an analog display portion having time indicating hands and a dial, with the electro-optical display portion being provided by an electro-optical display cell having a central aperture in which at least a portion of the movement of the analog display portion and the analog display dial are accommodated. Information such as seconds indication is provided peripherally around the analog display portion by the electro-optical display portion.

Abstract: In the lead electrodes which connect to the display electrodes of a liquid crystal display device having lead electrodes which are of extremely narrow width and are spaced very closely together, the resistance of each lead electrode is reduced by means of a multi-layer structure of relatively low resistance, and leakage current is prevented from flowing between adjacent lead electrodes by providing a transparent insulating layer over and between the lead electrodes, thereby eliminating the deleterious effects upon display appearance of a high lead electrode resistance and leakage currents between lead electrodes.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display cell for use in an electronic timepiece having an analog display of time by time indicating hands combined with a digital display, said liquid crystal display cell being of polygonal profile in plan, with one internal angle of said profile being in the range 180 degrees to 360 degrees.

Abstract: In a liquid type display cell wherein a liquid crystal or an electrochromic substance is poured into the space between a pair of substrates through a pouring port of a spacer ring, the pouring port is sealed by an inorganic substance such as solder. Where the cell is provided with display electrodes and electrochromic layers on the electrodes, the display electrodes and the electrochromic layers are etched in one step to have the same pattern.

Abstract: An electronic optical display device comprising two substrates and an electronic optical substance sealed in a gap formed between said substrates and displaying when an electric voltage is applied thereto is disclosed. The device comprises two upper and lower substrates which are the same in plane configuration and a lead electrode extending along the side surface of said substrates and is most suitable for use in a thin type digital watch.

Abstract: A driver circuit for an electrochromic display device which includes segment electrodes and a common electrode. The driver circuit has a power source, switching means connected between the power source and the segment electrodes, and circuit means disposed between the common electrode and the power source. The circuit means is operative to couple the common electrode to either a positive terminal or a negative terminal of the power source, whereby an electric current will flow through the segment electrodes in bleaching and coloring directions with the use of a single power source.

Abstract: A driver circuit for an electrochromic display device for an electronic timepiece. In a first preferred embodiment, drive signals are applied through a plurality of source follower first and second metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors to segment electrodes of the electrochromic display device. The first and second transistors have source electrodes connected together and also connected to the segment electrode to lower the voltage being applied across the segment electrode and a common electrode to drive the display device at a lower voltage. In a second preferred embodiment, the common electrode of the display device is alternately coupled to the high and low potentials of the battery by means of an inverter circuit composed of source follower transistors, which function to reduce the voltage being applied across the segment electrodes and the common electrode.

Abstract: A driver circuit for an electrochromic display device having segment electrodes and a common electrode adapted to display information in response to a display information signal. The driver circuit comprises a storage means for generating first and second output signals delayed in phase from the display information signal. A bleaching signal generating means is responsive to the first output signal, and a coloration signal generating means is responsive to the second output signal. First and second switching means are coupled to receive a bleaching signal and a coloration signal, causing an electric current to flow each of the segment electrodes in directions to induce bleaching and coloration, respectively. An auxiliary signal is applied to the first and second switching means to cause a segment to remain in its previously activated state for an extended period of time.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display wrist watch is disclosed which comprises a supporting frame secured to a wrist watch substrate. The frame has two perpendicularly crossing supporting surfaces which cooperate with two corresponding reference sides of a liquid crystal cell to determine the position of exterior electrodes of the liquid crystal cell and segment electrodes of an electronic circuit. A holding frame plate is used for detachably urging the liquid crystal against the suppporting frame. A boundary plate and color filter are each sandwiched between a movement and a protective glass cover. A portion is provided for determining the position of the holding frame plate, with respect to either to the movement or an outer case.

Abstract: A photoelectric display device having an electrically controlled optical means for indicating one of the 7 days of the week by means of a combination of two letters selected from alphabetical letters is disclosed. The device comprises a first display element composed of a plurality of segments arranged in such pattern that all of the letters positioned in the first place of the seven combinations expressing the 7 days of the week can be indicated, and a second display element composed of a plurality of segments arranged in such pattern that all of the letters positioned in the second place of the above mentioned seven combinations can be indicated. Each segment of each of the display elements is electrically controlled to indicate any desired days of the week.