DE8701133U1 - Time display - Google Patents

Description

German Patent Office

8000 Munich 2

March 1987

Applicant: Dr. Norbert Roder , Fontanepromenade 2 ,

1000 Berlin-61

Title of the utility model: Time display

The innovation relates to the time display of the classic pointer clock (analogue clock).

This time display, which has been known for centuries, is characterized by its easy and quick readability, but does not allow the two halves of the day to be visually distinguished, since two points in time 12 hours apart are represented by the same hand position.

The innovation is based on the task of creating an analogue time display that is based on the well-known hand clock, but visually distinguishes the two halves of the day. The basic solution consists in dividing a circular disk into two differently colored sectors ( S ₁ , S ₂ ), with one leg of the sectors ( r, ) being held at the 12 o'clock position, while the other leg ( r ₂ ) executes the movement of a conventional hour hand, so that

one sector (S ₁ ) grows proportionally with time and the other (S ₂ ) decreases to the same extent. The two halves of the day are distinguished by the fact that the colours (F-, , F ₂ ) of the two sectors are swapped every 12 hours. Figure 1 serves as an illustration with the two times "7 a.m." (FIG. 1 a) and ^"M 7 p.m." (FIG. 1 b).

The representation of the elapsed time by means of a growing surface is an aesthetically pleasing and perceptually psychologically advantageous solution.* A suitable combination of colors also ensures that the display disc appears light at midday and dark at midnight, which further increases the aesthetic effect. A particularly preferred color combination is the choice of "white" for F ₁ and "black" for F ₂ , but any other combination of a light and a dark color is also suitable.

When we speak of "white" and "black discs" in the following, this is only to simplify the linguistic representation; the generality of the choice of color is not intended to be limited.

The minute indication, which is not the subject of this innovation, is made by the usual minute hand, which is preferably made in a color that stands out clearly from both colors F ₁ and F ₂ * Figure 2 shows the new time indication with minute hands at six different times, each pair of which differs by 12 hours. This time indication can also be provided with the classic edge scale with or without numbers, depending on the desired

aesthetic effect and the required reading accuracy. For the technical realization of the problem, two different solutions are presented below.

A first solution results from the features of subclaim 2:

Two circular disks (1,2) made of flexible, smooth material, each provided with a radial cut and a circular central hole (3), are each connected by a radial spoke (6,7) to two coaxial tubes (4,5) of the

drive shaft of a suitably designed clockwork so that they can be separated and rotated independently of each other. Both discs are made in such a way that the cuts overlap by a few degrees, i.e. that the full angle

angular dimension of the disk circumference is slightly larger than 360. The disk ( 1 ) that is driven by the inner tube ( 4 ) is attached to the spoke ( 6 ) on the left edge of its cut, while the other disk ( 2 ), which is driven by the outer tube ( 5 ), is attached to the spoke ( 7 ) on the right edge of its cut. This spoke is angled in a special way so that it is not in the disk plane near the axis, which ensures a particularly low-friction movement. Figure 3 shows both disks with their spokes, whereby the free edge of the cut has been folded forward for a better overview and the overlap has been indicated by dashed lines. Figure 4 shows the drive axle in detail with the two coaxial tubes and the spokes.

,

The functioning of the mechanism is clear from Figure 5, in which the axis has been omitted for better clarity. From 8 o'clock to 12 o'clock the black disc ( 2 ) is locked and the white disc ( 1 ) slides from behind through the cut of the locked disc in front of it (FIG. 5 a,

* b ). At 12 o'clock, when they have completely covered the black disk,

covers j the white disk is locked and the black disk begins its rotation, being pushed in front of the white disk from behind by the cut until it has completely covered the white disk again at 24 o'clock. (FIG. 5 c, d ) Then the cycle starts again from the beginning*

A second solution results from the features of subclaim 3 s

Essentially the same disks are used as in the first solution, with the difference that the disks have a narrow radial slot instead of an overlapping cut. The white disk (11) is driven by a central drive shaft (4) via a spoke (6) on the left edge of the slot. The black disk (12) has no connection to the axle and is connected to a switching mechanism (9) on the right edge of its slot (10) via a switching rod (8), which enables this slot to be adjusted.

Figure 6 shows the two discs with spoke ( 6 ) and shift rod ( 8 ).

Figure 7 shows how this mechanism works: From 0 o'clock to 12 o'clock, the white disc slides through the appropriately adjusted slot from behind in front of the black

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ze disc until it completely covers it. (FIG. 7a , b ). At 12 o'clock the right edge of the slot is pushed forward by the switching rod, so that the white disc now moves behind the black one until it has completely disappeared behind it again at midnight and the slot is returned to its starting position by pulling back the switching rod. (FIG. 7 c , d ) The switching mechanism is symbolically indicated in the figure as a "box". It works either mechanically or electromagnetically and is suitably coupled to the clockwork. The switching rod, which is also only shown schematically, also serves as a suspension for the black disc or is coupled to a suitable suspension.

In order to ensure that the moving disc "threads" as smoothly as possible after switching, the two slots are cut in such a way that the left edge of the slot ( 6 ) of the moving disc and the right edge of the adjustable slot ( 10 ) do not run exactly parallel, but rather in such a way that in the first minute after switching they slide past each other like the blades of a pair of scissors, with the intersection point moving from the edge of the disc towards the axis. This "cutting" is further supported by a sharp wedge-shaped profile of the two edges of the slot. The minute hand is so wide that it covers the slot during the switching time.

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Claims (3)

1.. Analogue time display by time-varying, differently coloured sectors on a circular disk, characterised in that that two differently colored circular disks, each with a radial cut and a central hole, are arranged directly one behind the other and concentrically around a drive axis in such a way that they can penetrate each other and slide over each other through the slots when rotating. 2. Time display according to claim 1, characterized, that both circular discs are independently rotatably connected to the two-part drive axle (4,5), namely one disc (1) by a spoke (6) at its left cutting edge with the inner axle tube (4) and the other disc (2) by an angled spoke (7) at its right cutting edge with the outer axle tube (5). " * · 1 . IYY ··· J 111 »1 3. Time display according to claim 1, characterized, that one of the discs ( 11 ) is connected by a spoke ( 6 ) to
its left slot edge is connected to the one-piece drive axle, while the other disc ( 12 ) is connected by a shift rod ( 8 ) at its right slot edge to a
Switching mechanism (9) which allows this edge to be positioned in front of or behind the drive spoke of the first disc.