FR2557326A1 - Hire counter - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to the hire of sailing vessels, whether motorised or not. The counter precisely computes the hire time as soon as the apparatus, on which it is fixed, is put in the water. It thus allows any seaside tourist establishment, or individuals to let sailing vessels be hired out by a third party on account, without having to remain on the beach and to be able to monitor the hours in use, by reading the meter, from one evening to the next. It is triggered by a conduction probe, whose first element is linked to the quartz of the counter (contact A), and the second element to the integrated circuit (contact B) controlling the liquid crystal display. The probe is in series in the circuit, an electrical link is established, at its ends, by the water during immersion. The form of the support varies according to the type of vessel for which it is intended.

Description

The rental coaptor
The present invention relates to the rental of nautical vehicles, motorized or not, such as: windsurfing, catamaran, dinghy, zodiac, pedal boat, etc.

It allows precise accounting of the rental time for any device.

 There is no prior technique to resolve the technical problem.

 The rental counter according to the invention makes it possible to accurately account for the time taken out of any nautical device as soon as it is launched. Its practical interest in use is that it allows any tourist establishment by the sea (hotels, campsites, holiday villages, bars, etc.) or private individuals to hire nautical devices from yours. for their own account and thus remain fully available for their main activity. Indeed, it suffices only to raise the rental meter from one evening to the next and make the difference between the two times to know the number of hours of exit from the machine. No need to be present yourself all day on the beach to control the rental.

 EXAMPLE: On the evening of June x the rental counter for the windsurf board n01 indicated 1Gh 15mn; if the evening of the next day it says 6:45 pm we will know that the board has been rented for 8:30 minutes.

 The attached diagram shows the process of the electronic circuit of the meter.

The attached photos show the prototype of the invention as we made it for its bladder and its presentation. It is inserted here in a fin.

windsurfing; seen on the front side and on the battery side.

Presented here in a laminated resin fin, it is intended to be used for windsurfing; drowned in the material it is perfectly waterproof. When in the water the counter records the time of im
-mersion. When out of the water the counter stops, the display disappears, saving the battery.

 Its triggering is ensured by a brass conduction probe, embedded in the material and only the two ends of which are in the air. The first element of the probe is connected to the quartz of the counter (contact A), the second element of the probe is connected to the integrated circuit (contact B) controlling the liquid crystal display. The probe is in series in the circuit; the connection is re-established at the ends of the probe by water during an immersion, the circuit is closed: the current flows.

 The meter operates on a 1.5 volt miniaturized battery, easily replaceable by opening the housing cover sealed with a silicone seal.

 Very low consumption, the battery can last about three years.

The counter, depending on the model, will have a renewable hourly cycle every 12 or 24 hours. To read the time out of the water, it will suffice to re-establish contact at the ends of the probe with any electrical conductor.

Its method of use is therefore very simple and does not require any manipulation, since no reset is useful or otherwise possible, which prevents cheating on time (for the hired employee5,
The model presented here is, I remind you, only a prototype; improvements will be made to it for marketing
modification series
The time display will be larger so more readable.

2nd modification
Battery access will be simpler, more convenient and safer for
sealing. It will be made by a circular opening made in the
case cover, perpendicular to the location of the battery and
slightly larger in diameter than this. The cover will be tota
- only covered by the material, with the exception of this opening.

A flat rubber stopper, screwed or forced in and glued with silicone
will close the opening tightly. To change the battery, just
remove the plug and push the fin down so
to drop the battery.

 For its industrial application, the rental counter will be inserted directly into its support, during molding; which was not the case for the prototype where we used a finished support, the fin, which we had to "machine".

Claims (8)

 1. Rental meter for nautical equipment, characterized in that it comprises in combination, on the one hand, a clock circuit (4) and display means (5), and on the other hand, at least one probe (1,2) with water-activated conduction, this conduction probe being disposed in a permanently wetted part during the operation of said nautical vehicle.  2. Rental counter according to claim 1, characterized in that a quartz (3) is arranged in series between said probe (2) and the clock circuit (4).  3. Rental counter according to any one of claims 1, 2, characterized in that the clock circuit (4) does not include a reset contact for the time.  4. Rental meter according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least part of these members (3,4,5) except said probe (1,2) is mounted in a waterproof case.  5. Rental counter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said conduction probe comprises two probe elements (1,2).  6. Rental counter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said conduction probe (1,2) is made of brass.  7. Nautical craft, in particular windsurfing, characterized in that it comprises a rental counter according to one of any of claims 1 to 6.  8. Aileron, in particular for windsurfing, characterized in that it comprises a rental counter according to any of claims 1 to 6.