DE29503831U1 - Plug-in calendar - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates in the narrower sense to a plug-in calendar, in the broader sense to a mechanical display device with the further features of the preamble of claim 1.

There are numerous applications in everyday life in which the individual elements of two data series have to be assigned to one another, whereby the order of the elements of a data series does not change their positions in the series. Examples of this are conversion tables in which division and multiplication are represented in a logarithmic manner like a slide rule; or the assignment of days of the week to a specific date.

The latter assignment changes from year to year by at least one day. A certain date that was a Monday in 1994, for example, will be a Tuesday in the following year. In the case of leap years, there is also a shift of two weekdays. Up to now, the assignment of weekdays to calendar dates has been in a rigid, i.e. unchangeable, form, for example in the form of a printed calendar. This

Theodor-Heuss-Straße 1 D-38122 Braunschweig Federal Republic of Germany

Telephone 0531 / 8 00 79
Telex 0-9 52 620 gramm d Fax 0531 / 8 12 97

This means that a calendar designed for 1994, for example, is worthless in 1995 and the following years. This is annoying, especially with elaborately designed calendars, since the relatively limited period of use of a maximum of one year often makes the effort for particularly high-quality calendars not seem economically viable.

The invention is therefore based on the object of creating, in the broadest sense, a mechanical display device, in particular a "perpetual" calendar, which can be adapted to ever-changing circumstances by simple manipulation, so that permanent use is possible.

The solution to the problem is characterized by a mechanical display device with the following features:

- the display device comprises a housing which is surrounded by a

rear wall and a front wall, 20

The rear wall and front wall are connected by webs in such a way that a slot-shaped compartment is formed between two webs and the front and rear walls,

- in the area of each compartment, the front wall has at least one window-like opening,

- in each compartment, a display element carrying a series of printed data is arranged so that it can be moved in its longitudinal direction,

A second row of data is printed on the edge of each window-like opening in the front wall, and

- Spacer elements, the height of which corresponds to the space required by a data item, determine the position of the display element relative to the space on the outer edge of the window.

star-like breakthrough printed data series.

Such a device can be used advantageously in particular as a calendar, whereby the display elements in a vertically standing calendar can be held in place either by gravity or - for example in the case of horizontally arranged bars and compartments - by the force of a spring arranged on the bottom of the compartment and a corresponding locking element.

A plug-in calendar can be designed in particular so that it has twelve compartments, twelve window-like openings in the front wall and twelve display elements, whereby the display elements are each optionally divided into 30, 31 or 28 units, which represent all days. An additional element is provided for the month of February in order to extend the display element with 28 units to 29 units, so that leap years can also be recorded. The length of a window-like opening is advantageously 37/31 of the length of a display element with 31 units, so that a total of seven different positions of the display element in the window are possible, corresponding to the seven days of the week. The names of the days of the week are printed on the edge of each window-like opening or marked in another form, for example by an engraving in high-quality calendars. Clamping spring tabs can be used advantageously to mark the current date on the bars formed between two window-like openings in the front wall, or to mark commemorative dates or other dates on the display elements.

The invention is explained below with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

The example shown in the drawing is explained in more detail:

Figure 1 - a view of a plug-in calendar according to the invention,

Figure 2 - a section along the line II-II in Figure 1,

Figure 3 - a section along the line III-III in Figure 1, 10

Figure 4 - a view of a display element, and

Figure 5 - a top view of the display element shown in Figure 4 .

A plug-in calendar 10 according to the invention has a back wall 12 and a front wall 14, which are connected to one another by means of webs 16 in such a way that compartments 18 arranged vertically between the front wall 14 and the back wall 12 are formed. A total of thirteen webs 16 are provided, so that twelve compartments 18 are formed, one for each month. In each compartment 18, a display element is arranged so that it can be moved lengthwise. Each display element 20 is divided by printed or engraved markings into sections 22 of equal height, each of which represents a day. Seven display elements are 31 units long, corresponding to 31 calendar days. Four display elements have a length of 30 units, corresponding to the four months with 30 calendar days. A display element for the month of February has a length of units, in addition, an additional element is provided for leap years, which extends the display element provided for the month of February by one day, so that February 29th can be displayed in leap years.

The front wall 14 has twelve vertically arranged window-like openings 24, the length of which in the vertical direction is 37 units, i.e. six units longer than the 31 unit long display elements for the months with 31 calendar days.

The width of each window-like opening 24 is dimensioned such that a web 16 and a web 26 formed between two window-like openings 24 and forming part of the front wall 14 form a guide edge 28. 5

The position of a display element 20 relative to the window-like opening 24 can be adjusted by means of spacer elements 30, which each have the height of one unit, i.e. the display element 20 is displaced by one day.

The days of the week are printed or engraved on the webs 26 and thus on the border of a respective window-like opening 24 in a continuous repeating manner. The series of days of the week is six units longer than the number of days in a long month, i.e. 31 days. This ensures that any day of the week can be assigned to any calendar day by packing a corresponding number of spacer elements 30 under the display element 20. Access to each compartment 18 is from above, whereby after the spacer elements 30 and the respective display element 20 have been filled into a compartment 18, the display element 20 is held in place by gravity.

Each display element 20 has units 22 in the form of fields that can be written on. The fields 22 are coated in such a way that they can be written on with special writing instruments, i.e.

Notes can be added to the respective calendar day.

The writing can be removed using an appropriate cleaning fluid so that the calendar can be used again in the following year.

As Figure 3 shows, a horizontal compartment 32 is provided above the vertical compartments 18, into which, for example, a data carrier with the calendar year can be inserted. 35

A movable rider 34 can be attached to the webs 26 of the front wall 14 formed between the window-like openings 24.

·

arranged, which can be used to mark the current date, for example. The rider can be designed in the form of a spring clip so that it is held to the essentially vertically aligned web 26 by friction forces. 5

In the same way, colored marking tabs 36 can be provided, which can be attached to a display element 20 to mark, for example, commemorative days, birthdays, etc.

An additional compartment 38 can be used to hold a labeled board or the like to display the current holidays, vacation dates, etc. of the respective year. These boards can be produced and supplied as accessories by the calendar manufacturer, for example.

The inventive design of a "perpetual" plug-in calendar justifies for the first time the production of an elaborately designed calendar, for example in the form of a designer object made of stainless steel or similar, since use beyond the current year is guaranteed.

Fu/ro

List of reference symbols

10 plug-in calendars

12 Rear wall

14 Front wall

16 Bridge

18 compartment

20 Display element

22 Unit (of 20)

24 window-like opening (in 14)

26 Bridge (formed between two windows 24)

2 8 Leading edge

30 Spacer element

32 horizontal compartment

34 springy rider (on 26)

36 springy riders (on 20)

38 Additional subject

Fu/ro

Claims (8)

1. Mechanical display device (10) for displaying the mutual assignment of the individual data of two data series, in particular for use as a perpetual calendar for displaying the assignment of weekdays to calendar days, characterized by the following features the display device has a housing which is formed by a rear wall (12) and a front wall (14), The rear wall (12) and front wall (14) are connected to one another by webs (16) in such a way that a slot-shaped compartment (18) is formed between two webs and the front and rear walls, in the area of each compartment (18), the front wall (14) has at least one window-like opening (24), in each compartment (18) a display element (20) carrying a series of printed data in its longitudinal direction is arranged so as to be displaceable, Theodor-Heuss-Straße 1 D-38122 Braunschweig Federal Republic of Germany Telephone 0531 / 8 00 79
Telex 0-9 52 620 gramm d Fax 0531 / 8 12 97 - a second data row is printed on the border of each window-like opening (24) of the front wall (14), and - Spacer elements (30), the height of which corresponds to the space required by a data item, determine the position of the display element (20) relative to the data series printed on the outer border (26) of the window-like opening (24).
10 2. Mechanical display device according to claim 1, in particular for use as a perpetual calendar, characterized in that the front and rear walls (12, 14) and the webs (16) connecting them are arranged substantially vertically in the operating state of the mechanical display device, so that gravity holds the display elements in place. 3. Mechanical display device according to claim 1, in particular for use as a perpetual calendar, characterized in that the display elements (20) are displaceable against the spring force of a spring arranged at a closed end of each compartment (18), and that locking means are provided to hold each display element in place. 4. Mechanical display device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it has twelve compartments (18), twelve window-like openings (24) in the front wall (14) and twelve display elements (20), that the display elements (20) are each optionally divided into 30, 31 or 28 units representing calendar days, that an additional element is provided for the month of February in order to extend a display element having 28 units to 29 units, that the length of each window-like opening 37/31 corresponds to the length of a display element (20) with 31 units, and that the names of the days of the week are printed on the border (26) of each window-like opening (24) (plug-in calendar). 5. Plug-in calendar according to claim 4, characterized in that spring-clamping tabs are provided on the webs (16) formed between two window-like openings (24) of the front wall (14). (34) are arranged displaceably. 6. Plug-in calendar according to one of claims 4 and 5, characterized in that displaceable tabs (36) are arranged in a spring-clamping manner on the display elements (20). 7. Plug-in calendar according to one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the display elements (20) have freely inscribable surfaces (22). 8. Plug-in calendar according to claim 7, characterized in that the freely writable surfaces (22) are coated in such a way that the inscription can be removed when using a writing instrument provided for this purpose. Fu/ro