Background Art In general, clocks are divided into wall clocks, desk clocks, wrist watches, or others according to their function. Also, the clocks are divided into digital type clocks for indicating time in Arabic figures and analog type clocks for indicating time by needles according to their indication methods. Clocks driven by springs has almost disappeared, and presently, there is mainly used electronic clocks driven by electric power, and most of the clocks driven by electric power use a dry cell as power source.

However, the conventional electronic clocks have shortcomings in that it is difficult to promptly replace an old dry cell with a new one when the operation of the clock is stopped due to complete consumption of the dry cell or the clock is operated abnormally due to lack of electric power because the clock has only a dry cell holder for mounting a dry cell as the power source and does not inform the time of the complete consumption of the dry cell. Furthermore, most of the clocks use only one dry cell as the power source of the clock, but the dry cells are sold in a package unit of two or more dry cells. So, it is not easy to keep the rest of the dry cells after the dry cell package is unpacked and a completely wasted dry cell is replaced with one of new dry cells contained in the dry cell package.

Disclosure of Invention Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a clock having dry cell cases, which are mounted on a rear surface, a side surface or a front surface of an electronic clock, driven by a dry cell, to keep spare dry cells except the dry cell driving the clock therein, thereby providing a convenience of promptly replacing a completely consumed dry cell with a new one kept therein.

Brief Description of the Drawings Further objects and advantages of the invention can be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: FIGs. 1 and 2 are schematic rear and front views, respectively, showing an embodiment that dry cell cases are mounted on right and left sides of a clock body and a transparent window for seeing the dry cells from the front is mounted according to the present invention; FIGS. 3 to 10 are schematic views showing the dry cell cases and states in which the dry cell cases are mounted on a clock driving body of the rear portion of the clock according to the present invention ; FIG 11 is a front view of a conventional clock having a pendulum; FIG 12 is a rear view showing a state in which the dry cell case is mounted on the rear portion of the pendulum of the clock of FIG. 11 according to the present invention; FIG 13 is a front view of the clock according to an embodiment having a transparent window formed on a portion of the pendulum of the clock of FIG. 12 according to the present invention; FIGS. 14 and 15 are rear and front views of the clock according to an embodiment having the dry cell cases and transparent windows mounted on other

portions of the clock according to the present invention; and FIG. 16 is a front view of a clock according to an embodiment having the dry cell cases mounted on the front thereof and various ornaments, such as animal figures or plant figures, attached on the front of the dry cell cases according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention The present invention includes dry cell cases mounted on a driving body, a body or an accessory body (for example, a clock pendulum) of the clock, or combined with a portion of each part of the clock for keeping one or more spare dry cells in the dry cell cases, so as to allow a user to promptly replace a completely wasted dry cell with a new one, and to solve an inconvenience of separately keeping the remaining dry cells after the user unpacks a new package consisting of two or more dry cells and replaces the completely wasted dry cell with one of the new dry cells contained in the dry cell package, due to a difference between the number of a package unit of dry cells and the number of dry cells required for driving a clock. Herein, the term"body"refers to a portion of the clock other than the driving body and the accessory body of the clock, i. e. , a frame of the clock for supporting the driving body and attached with the accessory body.

The term"driving body"refers to an essential part of the clock which includes a power supply for operating the hour and minute hands of the clock and indicating time on a display window, an electronic circuit, toothed wheels, a shaft, etc. Also, the term"accessory body"refers to a sub-part of the clock, such as a pendulum, an accessory attached on the clock for use as an ornament, etc. , except the driving body and the body of the clock.

The present invention will now be described in detail in connection with preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. For

reference, like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout several views.

Referring to FIG. 1, dry cell cases 6 are mounted on right and left sides of the rear portion of a clock body 1 and transparent windows 5 or through holes are formed above the dry cell cases 6 to allow a user to see the dry cells from the front.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a state in which a dry cell is kept in the dry cell case according to present invention.

Referring to FIG 3, the dry cell 4 is inserted into the dry cell case 6 in a vertical direction so that it is vertically kept therein, and the dry cell case 6 has a circular inner peripheral surface and a semi-elliptical outer peripheral surface in a horizontal section.

Referring to FIG 4, the dry cell cases 6 of FIG 3 are mounted on right and left sides of a clock driving body 2 of the clock.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a state in which a dry cell is kept in the dry cell case according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5, the dry cell 4 is inserted into a dry cell case 7 in a vertical direction so that it is vertically kept therein, and the dry cell case 7 has a quadrangular shape in horizontal section.

Referring to FIG 6, the dry cell cases 7 of FIG 3 are mounted on right and left sides of a clock driving body 2 of the clock.

In FIG 7, the dry cells are inserted into a dry cell case 8 in a horizontal direction thereof so that they are horizontally piled one on another in the dry cell case, and in FIG 8, the dry cell case 8 of the FIG 7 is mounted beneath the bottom surface of the clock driving body 2.

As shown in FIG 9, a dry cell case 9 for keeping dry cells and other small- sized articles (for example, a small-sized driver) together therein is mounted beneath the bottom surface of the clock driving body 2.

FIGS. 3 to 10 are schematic views showing the dry cell cases and states in which the dry cell cases are mounted on a clock driving body of the rear portion of the clock; Referring to FIG 10, the dry cell case 8 of FIG 7 is mounted on the top surface of the clock driving body 2.

As shown in FIG 12, the dry cell case 6 is mounted on the rear surface of the pendulum of the clock of FIG 11.

In FIG 13, a transparent window 12 is mounted on the front surface of the pendulum of the clock of FIG 12.

Referring to FIGs. 14 and 15, the dry cell cases 6 and transparent windows 13 are mounted on other portions, i. e. , left and right sides of the top portion of the clock.

Referring to FIG 16, the dry cell cases 6 or 7 are mounted on left and right sides of the front surface of the clock and various ornaments 14 and 15, such as animal figures or plant figures, are attached on the front surface of the dry cell cases.

Industrial Applicability As described above, because the dry cell cases according to present invention are mounted on each portion of the clock or combined with a portion of each part of the clock so that spare dry cells can be kept in the dry cell cases, a user can promptly replace a completely wasted dry cell with a new one, and solve an inconvenience of separately keeping the remaining dry cells after the user unpacks a new package consisting of two or more dry cells and replaces the completely wasted dry cell with one of the new dry cells contained in the dry cell package, due to a difference between the number of a package unit of dry cells and

the number of dry cells required for driving a clock.

While the present invention has been described with reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not to be restricted by the embodiments but only by the appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in the art can change or modify the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.