GB2265731A - Dual alarm analogue clock - Google Patents

Abstract

An analogue clock that has two adjustable alarms that can be adjusted, activated and disabled independently of each other. Each alarm hand 11, 12 revolves around the central hour/minute spindle as in Figure 5. By utilization of additional gearing inside the clock, both alarms can be adjusted, set and disabled by the same simple operations presently found on most single alarm analogue clocks. <IMAGE>

Description

DUAL ALARM ANALOGUE COCK This invention relates to a dual alarm analogue clock.

Presently dual alarm clocks are exclusive to the digital type where the-time is displayed in numerical form through the use of either LED or LCD. By their nature these clocks are relatively expensive and camplicated to "set". By contrast a dual alarm analogue clock can be "set" very easily by turning the appropriate alarm hand and should be less expensive to produce. The presence of two indendant alarms allows for a totally flexible "snooze" facility. For example a person may set the primary alarm for 7.00am and the secondary alarm for 7.30am allowing him/her a 30 minute "snooze". Also this alarm clock will be useful for couples living together and requiring different awakening times i.e. 7.00am and 9.00am respectively.

According to the present invention there is provided a dual alarm analogue clock comprising a standard clock face with hour and minute hands and two independant alarm hands. The clock body houses two separate alarm on/off buttons together with two turn knobs for adjustment of the primary and secondary alarms.

The clock movement itself, including the appropriate gearing is not part of this invention and thus has not been described here. This invention relates to the unique mechanisms utilised in order to allow two independant alarms to operate from a single central spindle.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 - shows a coss-section of the gears housed within the clock that enable the setting/adjusting of either or both alarms independently.

Figure 2 - shows a plan of the two hour gears including the positioning of the cut outs (slots).

Figure 3 - shows both the section and underside of the alarm gears including the positioning of the locating lugs.

Figure 4 - shows a plan of the metallic spring mechanism required to activate and disable both alarms independantly.

Figure 5 - Illustrates the clock face including the two separate alarm hands and buttons.

N.B. For the purposes of clarity ALL gear teeth have been omitted from figures 1 to 4.

A combination of gears (not shown in Fig 1) ensure that the hour gear 1 makes one complete revolution in twelve hours. This gear sits on top of a central spindle (not shown) which rotates twelve times as fast as the hour gear. On this spindle is located the minute hand 17 (Fig 5).

Cut into this gear 1 are slots 14 that accomodate the lugs 15 from the alarm gear 2 that is sitting on top. The hour hand 13 is attached to the top of gear 1.

Alongside the central spindle is a second fixed spindle 8 around which rotates a secondary hour gear 4. This gear rotates at the same rate as gear 1 but in the opposite direction. The profile of gear 4 is stepped to avoid interference with the other gear column.

The position, shape and size of the slots present in the secondary gear 4 are the same as in gear 1 (Fig 2).

Atop gear 4 sits the secondary alarm gear 5 with its lugs 15. The orientation of this gear is transmitted back to the central clock spindle through a transfer gear 3 which sits on top of alarm gear 2.

Both gear columns are held in place by a metallic spring mechanism 9 & 0 (Fig 4) which doubles up as a circuit breaker/maker when the alarms are activated/disabled.

How the primary alarm is adjusted and activated.

The primary alarm is operated in a conventional manner i.e most single alarms on the market use a very similar mechanism. However in order to clarify the whole workings this movement is described as follows in conjunction with Fig 1.

The primary alarm hand 12 is moved to the required time by use of the turn knob 7 located typically on the reverse of the clock body.

By turning 7 clockwise, the alarm gear 2 rotates anticlockwise along with the alarm hand 12.At the predetermined time the slots 14 (Fig 2) present on gear 1 align with the lugs 15 (Fig 3) present on the underside of gear 2 and as a result the primary alarm gear 2 drops down into the slots. This downward movement enables the metallic spring device 10 to drop onto an electrical contact 16 (Fig 4)complete an electrical circuit and thus trigger the alarm signal. The alarm is disabled by depressing 18 (Fig 5) which lifts the spring 10 away from the electrical contact.

How the secondary alarm is adjusted and activated.

The hour gear 1 drives a parallel secondary hour gear 4. This gear is of a stepped profile so as to avoid interference with the primary gear column. This gear also has slots present as in Fig 2 but will rotate in the opposite direction to gear 1. On top of gear 4 sits a secondary alarm gear 5, which in principal is the same as gear 2, i. e lugs present on the underside of this gear drop down into the slots on gear 4 at the predetermined time.

Because of the different direction of rotation,the lugs on gear 5 are angled in the opposite direction to those on gear 2 (Fig 3).

Adjustment to the secondary alarm is provided by turn knob 6 and this is registered to the secondary alarm hand 11 through a "transfer" gear 3.

Activation of the alarm is accomplished in a similar fashion to the primary alarm, i.e. the metallic spring device drops down onto the carton electrical contact 16. Again the secondary alarm can be disabled by depressing button 19 (Fig 4 & 5).

The slanted lugs on both gear 2 and 5 allow the gears to ride up and out of the slots as both hour gears 1 and 4 continue to rotate with the passage of time. In their raised position gears 2 and 5 hold the metallice spring device 9 & 0 off the electrical contact,thus disabling the alarms.

Claims (8)

1. A dual alarm analogue clock comprising clock body, clock face, two alarm on/off buttons, two alarm hands, hour and minute hand all located on a single central spindle.

2. A dual alarm analogue clock as claimed in Claim 1 wherein both alarm hands revolve independently around the central clock spindle.

3. A dual alarm analogue clock as claimed in Claim 1 and Claim 2, wherein both alarms can be adjusted independently with manually operated turn knobs.

4 A dual alarm analogue clock as claimed in Claim 2 and Claim 3, wherein each alarm can be activated/disabled independ antly of each other.

5. A dual alarm analogue clock as claimed in Claim 4 ,wherein the secondary alarm gearing forms an adjacent secondary column,driven by the primary column.

6. A dual alarm analogue clock as claimed in claim 5 ,wherein movement from the secondary gear column is transferred to the central spindle by use of another gear.

7. A dual alarm analogue clock as described in previous claims wherein a single metallic spring device is utilized to activate/disable either or both alarms fran a ccmnon electrical contact.

8. A dual alarm analogue clock substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1-5 of the acconpanying drawings.