GB2135482A - Timer - Google Patents

Abstract

A timer for use in conjunction with a road vehicle tachograph, in particular for personal use by the driver as means (12a-c) for measuring the respective time periods for the activities monitored by a conventional tachograph, and means (10a-f) for actuating an alarm (46) for signalling the ends of the regulatory periods of individual activities or combinations of activities. The alarm may be arranged to operate as a warning before a regulatory period terminates. The timer can be a portable unit and may incorporate a clock time display (22) with which an adjustable alarm circuit (44) may be associated. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Timer This invention relates to timers.

The operation of commercial road vehicles is subject to detailed regulatory control as regards the working time of drivers. To this end it is now mandatory to install and operate tachographs in most commercial vehicles so that a time record of the driver's activities is available for inspection.

It is essential that such tachographs should be tamper-proof and the chart records therefore cannot be removed in the course of a working period for the driver to examine. In any case, much of the information recorded can only be understood by detailed analysis. If information could be made more readily accessible, it could be useful to the driver himself.

According to the present invention, there is provided a timer comprising means for measuring at least two separate time periods from respective starting points and means for signalling the end of a predetermined limit for at least one of said time periods individually and for both or at least two of said time periods cumulatively.

Such a timer can thus operate in parallel with the tachograph record to monitor the time spent on each specified activity and provide the driver with a warning of the end of any regulatory period, whether for a single continuous activity or for a number of different activites occupying a given total period.

While a timer according to the invention can be an integral part of a tachograph, it is preferably in the form of a separate, easily portable device. This allows the driver to take it with him if he moves from one vehicle to another and to employ it for other functions, e.g. as a clock time alarm.

Such a separate timer can have a piurality of manual setting elements for initiating the timing of said periods of activity selectively, conveniently matching the manual setting elements on the tachograph so that it is simple to operate both together.

Preferably, the timer according to the invention has means for indicating the elapsed time in a timer period being measured, and means to indicate the current activity being monitored.

A timer according to the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Fig. 1 is a schematic and simplified flow chart illustrating some of the functions controlled by the timer, Fig. 2 shows the front panel of the timer.

The flow chart in Fig. 1 illustrates four main control switches which are provided as pushbuttons 2,4,6,8 in the front panel of the timer and which represent, respectively, the activities of driving, loading, other unspecified working duties and rest. These control switches correspond to the activity switches operated by the driver on a standard commercial road vehicle tachograph.

Associated with the control switches are a series of alarm level circuits 1 Oa to 1 Of operated through timing circuits 12a, 12b, 12e which can be enabled and disabled by the operation of successive control switches. A clock pulse generator 14 provides an input which, if the "driving" button 2 has been depressed is fed to all three timing circuits until one of the other pushbuttons is depressed. The "loading" and "other duties" buttons 4,6 are equivalent to each other, and whichever is depressed it actuates the timing circuits 1 2b and 12c. The "rest" button will correspondingly actuate only the timing circuit 12c.

On the front panel there is a display area 20, preferably of the liquid crystal type, on which time displays are presented in two distinct sections, the smaller 22 having a conventional continuous clock time display and the larger 24 having an elapsed time display giving the total time of driving, loading, and other duties as determined by the operation of the associated control switches 2-8.

Thus, if while the "driving" button 2 is operative it is pressed, the display section 24 will show the elapsed time recorded in the timing circuit 12a. Either of the buttons 4,6 will provide the elapsed time recorded in the timing circuit 1 2b and the button 8 will similarly give the current value in the timing circuit 12c. Also in the display area are indicators 26 which are illuminated to show which of the four control switches is currently operative.

The front panel also contains a light switch 28 for illuminating the display area at night, a reset control 30 for setting the elapsed time to zero at the start of a working period, an alarm cancel switch 32, a switch 34 for use in conjunction with "hours" and "minutes" buttons 36 to adjust the times displayed. When the switch 34 is used, a setting logic circuit 38 controls the operation of the buttons 36 so that they act on a timing circuit 40, driven by the generator 14, to step the clock display forwards. The switch 34 has an alternative operative position in which the elapsed time in the currnet control mode is stepped forwards, so that a driver can make the necessary correction if he has failed to press the appropriate control switch at the beginning of an operational period.

The timing circuit 40 is also provided with an alarm setting control button 42 which can be used to switch the function of the setting logic circuit in order to use the buttons 36 to set a clock alarm circuit 44. When this is done, the device thus functions also as a conventional alarm clock.

In use, the device is intended to be operated in parallel with the vehicle tachograph, in each instance the driver pressing the corresponding control switches of the tachograph and the timer at the same time, so that the periods measured by the timer correspond to those measured by the tachograph. As each regulatory time limit is reached, the time alarm sounds to inform the driver, but can then be stopped using the cancel switch 32 (or it may switch off automatically after a predetermined period). It can of course be arranged that the alarm first sounds some short interval before the regulatory limit as a preliminary warning to the driver.

Thus, in accordance with the current driving regulations, the device indicates to the driver when he has completed four hours continuous driving (measured from the initial operation of the control switch 2 by the alarm level circuit 1 Oa) or when a total continuous period of duty including driving (the switch 2) and other duties (the switches 4 and 6) reaches five and half hours (the alarm level circuit 1 Ob). In more general terms the alarm is sounded, dependent upon the circumstances, to signal the end of a period of time which may have been occupied by the continuous exercise of one form of activity or which may be made up from an accumulation of shorter periods of one form of activity or two or more different forms of activity.

As shown in Fig. 1 the particular arrangement illustrated has alarm signals operated also as eight hours (normal maximum driving time), nine hours (extended maximum driving time for two days per week), eleven hours and twelve and half hours (two distinct periods for the total driving and other duties time spent in a working day). It will be understood that the device can be adapted to time other combinations of activity periods as may be requierd from time to time by the regulations.

The device is preferably battery-powered and easily portable so that the driver can carry it with him when he leaves the vehicle, in particular so that he can continue to use it if he changes to another vehicle during a working day. For use with devices according to the invention, carriers are preferably provided that can be fixed to a vehicle dash to mount the device securely but removably in the vehicle.

It is also possible to arrange device according to the invention so that it is an integral part of a tachograph. This would require the tachograph itself to have electronic control circuitry from which the driver's display and the alarm functions would be actuated.

While the invention has been described above with particular reference to its use as a monitor of vehicle tachograph parameters, it will be understood that it may be adapted for other purposes.

Claims (12)

1. A timer comprising means for measuring at least two separate time periods from respective starting points and means for signalling the end of a predetermined limit for at least of said time periods individually and for both or at least two of said time periods cumulatively.

2. A timer according to claim 1 comprising means for measuring at least three separate time periods.

3. A timer according to claim 1 or claim 2 having respective manual setting elements for initiating the timing of said periods selectively.

4. A timer according to any one of claims 1 to 3 comprising a display panel arranged to display elapsed time in individual separate timer periods.

5. A timer according to any one of the preceding claims comprising display means to indicate which of said time periods is currently being measured.

6. A timer according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said signalling means comprises an audible and/or visible time alarm.

7. A timer according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a clock time display.

8. A timer according to any one of the preceding claims wherein an audible and/or visible alarm is provided for adjustable clock time settings.

9. A timer according to any one of the preceding claims in the form of a portable batterypowered unit.

10. A timer according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said separate time period measurements correspond to the measurement functions of a road vehicle tachograph.

11. A timer according to claim 10 in combination with a mounting arrangement to be permanently secured in a vehicle and to hold the timer detachably.

12. A road vehicle tachograph provided with a timer according to any one of claims 1 to 6 arranged for signalling the end and/or the approach of the ends of said time periods to the vehicle driver.

1 3. A timer constructed and arranged for use and operation substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.