US3280547A - Alarm control mechanism - Google Patents

Description

.Oct. 25, 1966 s, Po o s ETAL 3,280,547

ALARM CONTROL MEGHANI SM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 25, 1965 INVENTORS L POLONSKY BARTLEY E. KING THEIR ATTORNEY w wE SAMUE 1966 s. POLONSKY ETAL 3,280,547

ALARM CONTROL MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1965 AUTO RADIO FIG. 3

INVENTORS SAMUEL POLONSKY BARTLEY E. KING THEIR ATTORNEY Oct. 25, 1966 s. POLQNSKY ETAL 3,

ALARM CONTROL MECHANISM Filed May 25, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent 3,280,547 ALARM CONTROL MECHANISM Samuel Polonslry, Medway, and Bartley E. King, Nor- Wood, Mass, assignors to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Filed May 25, 1965. Ser. No. 458,639 9 Claims. (Cl. 5822.5)

facing surfaces of both the hour hand gear and the L alarm gear so that the hour hand gear is cammed axially away from the alarm gear at the alarm time. This axial motion of the hour hand gear is employed to trigger the alarm. Once the rotational position of the alarm gear has been established by the alarm set pinion, it cannot thereafter be changed without establishing a completely new alarm time. Suppose, for example, that the user is in the habit of arising at 7:00 a.m. and that his clock radio is set for such time. If, for one morning only, he desires to arise at 6:30 am, it is necessary for him to set the alarm gear to the new time with the alarm set pinion and, thereafter, to reset the gear to its original position.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for permitting a semi-permanent predetermined variation in the alarm setting of a clock structure. Other objects are to provide such a mechanism which is simple and easily adjustable and which employs a lever and detent arrangement of improved construction.

The manner in which the foregoing objects are achieved will be more apparent from the following description, the appended claims, and the figures of the attached drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a portion of a clock structure in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a portion of the face of a clock radio embodying this invention;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a clock radio mechanism with the front face removed and other portions broken away to illustrate the internal construction, the alarm mechanism being in the cocked position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, but with the alarm mechanism in the released position;

FIG. 5 is a cross section taken along the line 5--5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a cross section taken along the line 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIGS. 7-9 are views similar to FIG. 6 illustrating the operation of the lever and detent.

In the present invention there is provided an alarm set lever which is operatively connected to the alarm gear by means of a friction clutch. A detent associated with the lever permits the alarm gear to be adjusted to vary the alarm time by preselected increments, without necessitating adjustment of the alarm set pinion.

The drawings illustrate portions of a clock assembly as found in a clock radio. However, it will be understood that this is solely for purposes of illustration. The invention is usable with any type of timer mechanism. A,

3,230,547 Patented Get. 25, 1966 is cut away to form an arcuate edge 18 concentric with the shaft opening 12 and interrupted by radial recesses 2011-2202. A shaft and sleeve stack extends through the shaft opening 12, as is shown most clearly in FIG. 5. The stack includes a central sweep second hand shaft 22, having a sweep second hand 24 mounted at its ends; a minute hand sleeve 26 surrounding the sweep second hand shaft and carrying at its outer end the minute hand 28; an hour hand sleeve 36 surrounding the minute hand sleeve and carrying hour hand 32 at its outer end and an hour hand gear 34 at its inner end; and an alarm hand sleeve 36 carrying an alarm hand 38 at its outer end and an alarm gear 44 at its inner end. The central portion of alarm hand sleeve 36 includes an annular recess forming a shoulder 46, against which is seated the small end of a conical compression spring 42. The alarm gear 44- is similar to the hour hand gear 34 but in reversed relationship on their respective shafts. Each gear is cut and formed to provide a pair of raised cam surfaces designated by the letters a and b. The two cam surfaces of each gear are diametrically positioned on the gear and the cam surfaces 34a, 44a are positioned greater radial distances from the centers of their respective gears than the cam surfaces 34b, 44b.

Positioned between the front plate and the alarm gear 44 is a washer-like clutch disc 46 which includes an axially extending tab 48 which extends through the guideway 14. An alarm set lever 50 having a circular opening 51 in one end is mounted to rotate about the alarm hand sleeve 36 on the outer surface of the front plate 10. The alarm set lever 5d includes an offset portion 52 so that the inner end or" the lever bears directly against the front plate 10. The lever 54 is of resilient metal and its outer end 54 is bent inwardly to engage the front plate 10 adjacent the arcuate edge 18. The inner end of the lever 56 includes a rectangular opening 56 which is aligned with guideway 14 to receive the end of tab 48 therein. Positioned against the alarm set lever 50, and also encircling the alarm hand sleeve 36, is a washer 58. The larger end of the conical spring 42 is seated against the washer 58 so that it is compressed between this washer and shoulder of the alarm hand sleeve 36. The outer end of the alarm set lever includes a control pin 60 and knob 62 designed to project from the front of the clock face. In addition, the outer end 54 includes a detent arranged to interact with the radial recesses 26a- 208. This detent is formed by the removal of two portions of the outer end 54 to leave a central web 64. The web 6 4 is narrower than the recesses 20a-20e and is shaped to provide an inwardly directed projection 66. Pressed from the metal of the alarm set lever 50 at either side of the projection 66 is a left boss 68 and a right boss 70.

The hour hand gear 34 and the alarm gear 44, together with the remaining gear train (which is not illustrated) are mounted in the conventional manner between the front plate 10 and aback plate 72. The front and back plates are secured in parallel spaced relationship by means of screws 74 and spacers 75. An alarm set pinion 76 is rotatably positioned to mesh with the alarm gear 44 and is manually controlled by a shaft 78 which extends to the rear of the clock assembly.

A pin 80 extends between the front plate 10 and back plate 72 and includes a collar 82 (FIG. 5) upon which is pivotally mounted an alarm latch member 84. Also pivotally mounted on pin 80, but forward of collar 82 and behind a cylindrical spacer 86, is an alarm trip plate 88. A stud extends from the alarm lat-ch member 84 and supports one end of a tension coil spring 92. The other end of coil spring 92 is secured to an car 94 formed in the trip plate 88. The pivot opening 81 in trip plate 88, which surrounds the pin 80, is enlarged so that the extreme outer end 96 tends to bear resiliently against the inner surface of front plate 10. A projection from this outer end 96 forms a catch 98 which is arranged to extend through the latch opening 16 in the front plate 10. Intermediate the outer end 96 of the trip plate 88 and pin 80 is another extension which forms a trigger 100. The trigger 100 bears resiliently against the face of the hour hand gear 34, as shown in FIG. 5. The alarm latch member 84 also includes an alarm latch projection 102 which extends through an opening 104 in back plate 72 in line with an car 106 on a resilient vibrator arm 108. One end of vibrator arm 108 is fixed to the back plate '72 while the free end is adjacent a pole piece 110 extending from the core 112 of the clock motor which includes a field coil 114.

In a clock of this type, the alarm is prevented from sounding by rotating the alarm latch member 84 clockwise (as seen in FIG. 3) about the pin 80, so that the alarm latch projection 102 bears upwardly against the ear 106, thus raising the vibrator arm 108 away from the pole piece 110. The alarm latch member 84 and the alarm trip plate 88 rotate as a single unit and, when in this clockwise position, the catch 98 on the outer end 96 of the alarm trip plate extends through the latch opening 16. The natural resiliency of vibrator arm 108 exerts a downward force tending to retain the catch 98 within the latch opening. It will also be seen from FIG. that the trigger 100 bears against the inner surface of the hour hand gear 34.

The alarm time is conventionally set by manually rotating the shaft 78 which turns the alarm set pinion 76. This, in turn, rotates alarm gear 44, the alarm hand sleeve 36, and the alarm hand 38. The alarm hand is set for the alarm time desired as shown in the clock face. The hour hand gear 34 of the clock mechanism rotates in the usual manner until the cams 34a, 34b intercept the cams 44a, 44b. As rotation continues, these cams retract the hour hand gear 34 and its associated sleeve 30. This forces the trigger 100 of the alarm trip plate inwardly, tilting alarm trip plate 88 about pin 80 against the force of spring 92. This motion continues until the catch 98 is released from the latch opening 16. The normal resiliency of the vibrator arm 108 then forces the alarm latch projection 102 downward, displacing the latch assembly as shown in FIG. 4 and freeing the vibrator arm 108 to vibrate against the-pole piece 110 giving an alarm.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an additional mechanism for varying the alarm time without adjusting the alarm set pinion 76. As will be seen from FIG. 5, the spring 42 exerts an outward force against the alarm hand sleeve 36 which, in turn, is secured to the alarm gear 44. The alarm gear is thus caused to bear against the clutch disc 46. Assume, further, that the alarm time has been previously adjusted by means of the alarm set pinion 76 in the usual manner with the alarm set lever 50 positioned with its projection 66 in the central radial recess 200. When the alarm gear 44 is so rotated, the alarm set lever remains in position, as does the clutch disc 46. The alarm gear rotates against the friction of the clutch disc. If it is now desired to cause the alarm to sound thirty minutes, for example after its normal time, the lever 50 is moved until the projection 66 engages the recess 20b. As the lever is thus advanced clockwise, the tab 48 on the clutch disc 46 is also forced clockwise within guideway 14 by reason of its engagement in opening 56. The spring-created friction between the clutch disc 46 and the alarm gear 44, thus causes the alarm gear to be rotated by an equal amount. In the disclosed embodiment, the are between adjoining ones of recesses 20a-20e corresponds to a time variation of thirty minutes. In this manner, a variation of thirty minutes in the alarm time has been achieved without adjusting the alarm set pinion. The advantage of this is that by merely moving the alarm set lever 50 back into engagement with recess 200, the alarm time is returned to its original setting.

The construction of the detent portion of the alarm set lever 50 is illustrated in FIGS. 6-9. From these illustrations it will be noted that, when the lever is at rest, the bosses 68, 70 bear against the outer face of the front plate 10. When the control pin 60 is forced in either of two opposite directions, one of the bosses 68, 70 will act as a fulcrum while the lever 50 is twisted to raise the projection 66 out of the recess. For example, in FIG. 7 the pin 60 is illustrated as force-d to the right, causing the lever 50 to twist and rotate about the boss 70. The lever is then free toslide as shown in FIG. 8 until the resiliency of the lever causes the projection 66 to enter the adjacent recess 20d.

FIG. 2 illustrates the way the alarm control of the invention might appear when applied to a clock radio having a front panel 116. In this embodiment, arcuately positioned indicia indicate alarm variations of plus or minus thirty and sixty minutes, in conformity with the disclosed embodiment. Other intervals may, of course, be built into the mechanism if desired.

A number of advantages accrue from the present invention. For example, when built into a clock radio, in addition to merely changing the alarm setting, the sounding of the alarm can be delayed for a preselected period of time after the radio is energized by the automatic switch. Another use would be as a secondary alarm. When one person is awakened he can advance the lever so as to automatically aw-aken'another person at a later time. Other uses and advantages will readily suggest themselves.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that a number of variations and modifications may be made in this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. For example, while the mechanism has been described and illustrated as a control for a vibrator type alarm, it may also be employed to control other functions, such as the actuation of an alarm controlling electrical switch. Furthermore, in practice the timer may be incorporated into a clock radio control and operate to initially energize the radio and, thereafter, the vibrator. Accordingly, the foregoing description is intended to be illustrative only rather than limiting. The purpose of the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A function control mechanism for a timing device comprising: a function gear selectively rotatable about an axis and having first camming means on one face; a timing gear adjacent said function gear and substantially continuously rotatable about said axis, said timing gear having second camming means on one face thereof for engagement with said first camming means at a function time to axially displace said timing gear relative to said function gear along said axis; response means; response actuating means operable by axial displacement of said timing gear to actuate said response means; lever means mounted for pivotal rotation about said axis; detent means releasably engaging said lever means in at least a first pivotal position; and friction clutch means intermediate said lever means and function gear to permit rotation of said function gear by said lever means but preventing rotation of said lever means by said function gear when said detent means is engaged.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said response means is an alarm.

3. The mechanism of claim 1 wherein said timing gear is an hour hand gear.

4. An alarm control mechanism for a timing device comprising: an alarm gear selectively rotatable about an axis and having first camming means on one face; an hour hand gear adjacent said alarm gear and substantially continuously rotatable about said axis, said hour hand gear having second camming means on one face thereof for engagement with said first camming means at an alarm time to axially displace said hour hand gear relative to said alarm gear along said axis; an alarm; means operable by axial displacement of said timing gear to actuate said alarm; alarm set lever means mounted for pivotal rotation about said axis; detent means releasably engaging said lever means in at least a first pivotal position; and friction clutch means intermediate said lever means and alarm gear to permit rotation of said alarm gear by said lever means but preventing rotation of said lever means by said alarm gear when said detent means is engaged.

5. An alarm control mechanism for a timing device comprising: a supporting plate having front and back surfaces and defining a shaft opening therethrough; an alarm hand shaft rotatably mounted within said shaft opening and including a first end and a second end; an alarm hand fixedly mounted on the first end of said alarm hand shaft spaced from the front surface of said plate; an alarm gear fixedly mounted on the second end of said alarm hand shaft, spaced from the back surface of said plate; clutch means intermediate and in contact with both the back surface of said support plate and said alarm gear, said clutch means being rotatable about said shaft opening in frictional driving relationship to said alarm gear; alarm set pinion gear means in meshing engagement with said alarm gear; alarm set lever means selectively rotatable about said shaft opening, said lever means being operatively connected to rotate said clutch means about said shaft opening; spring means positioned to force said alarm gear into frictional engagement with said clutch means; and detent means intermediate said support plate and lever means to retain said lever means and clutch means in one of a plurality of preselected positions during rotation of said alarm gear by said alarm set pinion gear means.

6. An alarm control mechanism for a timing device comprising: a support plate having front and back surfaces and defining a shaft opening therethrough and an arcuate slot adjacent said shaft opening; an alarm hand shaft rotatably mounted within said shaft opening and including a first end and a second end; an alarm hand fixedly mounted on the first end of said alarm hand shaft, spaced from the front surface of said plate; an alarm gear fixedly mounted on the second end of said alarm hand shaft, spaced from the back surface of said plate; annular clutch dis-c means rotatably mounted on said alarm hand shaft adjacent the back surface of said plate and in frictional driving engagement with said alarm gear; alarm set pinion gear means in meshing engagement with said alarm gear; alarm set lever means selectively rotatable about said shaft opening; linkage means extending through the arcuate slot in said support plate and operatively interconnecting said lever means and said clutch disc means; and detent means intermediate said support plate and lever means to retain said lever means and clutch disc means in one of a plurality of preselected positions during rotation of said alarm gear by said alarm set pinion gear means.

7. An alarm control mechanism for a timing device comprising: a support plate having front and back surfaces and defining a shaft opening therethrough and an arcuate slot adjacent said shaft opening; an alarm hand sleeve shaft rotatably mounted within said shaft opening,

said sleeve shaft including a first end spaced from said front surface, a second end spaced from said back surface, and a shaft encircling recess intermediate said first end and said front surface; an alarm hand fixedly mounted on the first end of said alarm hand shaft; an alarm gear fixedly mounted on the second end of said alarm hand shaft and included first cam means thereon; annular clutch disc means rotatably mounted on said alarm hand shaft adjacent the back surface of said plate; tab means extending from said clutch disc means through said arcuate slot; alarm set pinion gear means in meshing engagement with said alarm gear; alarm set lever means mounted against said front surface for selective rotation about said alarm hand shaft; compression coil spring means encircling said alarm shaft and extending between said recess and said alarm set lever to force said alarm gear into frictional engagement with said clutch disc means; an hour hand shaft axially slidable, and rotatably mounted, within said alarm hand shaft and extending outwardly from both ends thereof; an hour hand fixedly mounted on one end of said hour hand shaft adjacent said alarm hand; an hour hand gear fixedly mounted on the other end of said hour hand shaft adjacent said alarm gear and including second cam means thereon positioned to contact said first cam means at an alarm time to axially displace said hour hand gear from said alarm gear; an alarm; means operable by axial displacement of said hour hand gear to actuate said alarm; and detent means between said alarm set lever and said support plate to selectively engage said lever in each of a plurality of positions.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein said support plate defines a plurality of arcuately spaced detent recesses, wherein said alarm set lever means is resiliently twistable about its longitudinal axis, and wherein said detent means comprises: a projection extending from said lever means and engageable with any selected one of said detent recesses; first and second bosses extending outwardly from said lever means to engage said support plate at either side of said selected recess; and control pin means extending outwardly from said lever means and away from said support plate to pivotally twist said lever means about one of said bosses to release said projection from said selected recess.

9. A detent mechanism which comprises: a support plate defining a plurality of 'arcuately spaced recesses therein; lever means resiliently twistable about its longitudinal axis, said lever means being pivotally mounted at a first end and having a second end movable along said recesses; a projection extending from said lever means and engageable with any selected one of said recesses; first and second bosses extending outwardly from said lever means to engage said support plate at either side of said selected recess; and control pin means extending outwardly from said lever means and away from said plate to pivotally twist said lever means about one of said bosses to release said projection from said selected recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,086,407 4/1963 Reece 74533 3,152,229 10/1964 Sears 20038 RICHARD B, WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A FUNCTION CONTROL MECHANISM FOR TIMING DEVICE COMPRISING: A FUNCTION GEAR SELECTIVELY ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS AND HAVING FRIST CAMMING MEANS ON ONE FACE; A TIMING GEAR ADJACENT SAID FUNCTION GEAR AND SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUSLY ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS,SAID TIMING GEAR HAVING ING SECOND CAMMING MEANS ON ONE FACE THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID FRIST CAMMING MEANS AT A FUNCTION TIME TO AXIALLY DISPLACE SAID TIMING GEAR RELATIVE TO SAID FUNCTION GEAR ALONG SAID AXIS; BY AXIAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING MEANS OPERABLE BY RESPONSE MEANS; LEVER MEANS TIMING GEAR TO ACTUATE SAID RESPONSE MEANS; LEVER MEANS

Images