US3400233A - Mechanism to provide a one button battery operated clock radio timer - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 3, 1968 T. F. RING MECHANISM TO PROVIDE A om; BUTTON BATTERY OPERATED CLOCK RADIO TIMER Filed Sept. 21, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 gm-M m Sept. 3, 1968 T. F. RING 3,400,233

MECHANISM TO PROVIDE A ONE BUTTON BATTERY OPERATED CLOCK RADIO TIMER Filed Sept. 21, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 M/VE/VTOE.

7201113: F 5 kg,

Sept. 3, 1968 T. F. RING 3,400,233

MECHANISM TO PROVIDE A ONE BUTTON BATTERY OPERATED CLOCK RADIO TIMER Filed Sept. 21, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet I5 14 z! i M 51 710mm A Fay,

Sept. 3, 1968 T. F. RING 3,400,233

MECHANISM To PROVIDE A ONE BUTTON BATTERY OPERATED CLOCK RADIO TIMER Filed Sept. 21, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 M/VE/VTOF.

United States Patent MECHANISM TO PROVIDE A ONE BUTTON BATTERY OPERATED CLOCK RADIO TIMER Thomas F. Ring, Bowling Green, Ky., assiguor to General Time Corporation, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Sept. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 580,953 3 Claims. (Cl. 200-38) The present invention relates generally to switch controlling timers and, more particularly, to an improved three-position switch controlling timer of the type used on clock radios.

Timers which display the time as does a conventional clock and which also operate a switch have come into widespread use for giving a form of automatic control over a variety of electrically operated devices. One of the best known of such devices is perhaps the clock radio. Such timers, in addition to a clock face with hour, minute and second hands, include a control shaft having on, off and auto positions. In the on and off positions, the timer switch is so operated. In the auto position, the switch is conditioned for operation at a preselected time, as indicated by the clock hand.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved three-position switch controlling timer having a small number of parts assembled in a compact arrangement. A related object is to provide such an im proved switch controlling timer which can be economically manufactured with a high degree of uniformity at high production rates.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved switch controlling timer of the type described above which requires low switch setting torque and provides good detenting action.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an improved switch controlling timer which has a long operating life with a high level of reliability.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be-' come apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevation of the face of a switch controlling timer embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective showing the switch controlling mechanism associated with the timing mechanism in the timer shown in FIGURE 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan of a portion of the mechanism shown in FIGURE 2 in its off position, and with portions broken away;

FIGURE 3a is a vertical section along line 3a-3a in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a top plan of the mechanism shown in FIG. 3 in the on position;

FIG. 4a is a vertical section along line 4a4a in FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a top plan of the mechanism shown in FIG. 3 in the auto position;

FIG. 5a is a vertical section along line 5a5a in FIG- URE 5.

While the invention will be described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to that particular embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Turning now to the drawings, and referring first to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is shown a switch controlling timer embodying the invention and having a timing train including an hour wheel 11 mounted on a sleeve and shaft assembly 12 carrying an hour hand 12a. The timing 3,400,233 Patented Sept. 3,, 1968 mechanism also includes a minute hand 13, and both the hour hand and the minute hand are typically driven by a synchronous motor through conventional timing train gearing not shown.

For the purpose of actuating the switch being controlled by the timer, a pair of normally open switch contacts 14a, 1411 are positioned for cooperation with a shiftable operator 16 mounted on a frame post 16 for pivoting and rocking movement. The switch contacts depend from one arm of an insulating yoke 17, which also has a rib 18 on the inner side thereof to support the outboard portion of the operator 15 the same distance away from the frame plate 19 as the inboard portion supported by the post 16. The mounting post 16 is secured to a front frame plate 19, which in turn is connected to a rear frame plate 20 by means of a plurality of interconnecting posts 21. Thus, the two frame plates 19 and 20 define the space within which the mechanism of the switch controlling timer must be assembled, and for certain application, especially in battery operated devices, this space must be extremely small.

The three positions of the illustrative switch controlling time mechanism are marked on the clock face shown in FIGURE 1 as on, off and auto at angular spaced positions around a control knob 22. The control knob 22 is keyed to a shaft 23 connected to a camming mechanism for controlling the operating mode of the device in response to the manual setting of the knob 22 at one of the three alternate positions.

In the off position illustrated in FIGURES 2, 3 and 3a, the operator 15 is held in its retracted position so that a switch actuating finger 24, formed as an integral part of the operator, is spaced away from the normally open switch contacts 14a, 14b in the counterclockwise direction, as viewed from the rear side of the device in 'FIG. 2. The operator 15 is held in this retracted position by means of the aforementioned camming mechanism which restrains the operator against the continuous clockwise biasing action of a coil spring 25. To provide the desired biasing action, the biasing spring 25 is fitted over the rear end of the shaft 23 with the fixed end of the spring being anchored to the rear frame plate 20 as at 26, and the movable end of the spring engaging the operator 15 in an aperture 27 to continuously urge the operator 15 in the clockwise direction. The movable end of the biasing spring 25 is also provided with a dogleg bend 28 so as to engage the rear surface of the operator 15 adjacent the aperture 27 and bias the operator toward the front frame plate 19.

When the knob 22 is set to the on position, illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 4a, the camming mechanism releases the operator 15 to permit the biasing spring 25 to pivot the operator in the clockwise direction, thereby advancing the switch actuating finger 24 into engagement with the switch contact 14b. The advancing movement of this finger 24 bends the flexible contact 14b into engagement with a transverse bend formed on the other contact member 14a, thereby closing the switch being controlled by the timer. When the operator 15 is made of a conductive metal, it will be appreciated that insulation may be provided on the actuating finger 24 to insulate the timer mechanism from the electrical circuit, if required.

When the control knob 22 is set to the auto position, the camming mechanism operated by the shaft 23 is disassociated from the operator 15 to permit the advancing movement of the operator to be controlled by the timing mechanism, as described in more detail below. The timing mechanism closes the switch contacts automatically at a preselected time, after which the contacts may be opened by manually returning the knob 22 to the off position.

In accordance with the present invention, the camming mechanism. for controlling the switch operator in the different modes of operation comprises a unitary control cam rotatably mounted in the space between the frame member and the switch operator for cooperation with a cut-out in the central portion of the switch operator. More particularly, the unitary control cam and the cut-out portion of the operator form a first pair of cooperating cam surfaces for holding the operator in the off mode in one position of the control cam, and a second pair of cooperating cam surfaces for releasing the operator for advancement to the on mode in a second position of the control cam. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 2, a unitary control cam 30 is mounted on the shaft 23 for rotational movement in the space between the operator 15 and front frame plate 19. This unitary cam member 30 cooperates with a cut-out 31 in the central portion of the operator 15 to provide three alternate positions corresponding to the on, off and auto operating modes of the switch controlling timer.

In the .off position, the control cam 30 is turned so that an integral abutment 32 formed thereon engages the outboard edge 33 of the cut-out 31 and cams the operator 15 in a counterclockwise direction, viewed from the rear of the device, to its retracted position. With the cam in this position, the operator 15 cannot be advanced even if it is tilted along its path of rocking movement, as will 'be apparent from the ensuing description.

In order to switch the mechanism to the on mode, the control cam is turned in a counterclockwise direction to the on position illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 4a. This advances the abutment 32 into a recessed portion 33a of the outboard edge of the operator cut-out to permit advancing movement of the operator, and at the same time tilts the operator 15 rearwardly about its pivot point (post 16) by means of a camming ramp 34 engaging the inboard edge 35 of the operator cut-out. This rearward tilting movement of the operator 15 raises the inboard portion of the operator sufficiently to clear the top of a latch stud 36 anchored to the front frame plate 19. As soon as the leading edge 37 of the operator clears the top of the latch stud 36, the biasing action of the spring 25 advances the operator in the clockwise direction so that the switch actuating finger 24 closes the switch contacts 14a, 14b, thereby actuating the switch. The advancing movement of the operator 15 is limited by an integral stop finger 38 engaging one of the frame posts 21, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 4a.

When the control knob 22 is turned to the auto position the control cam 30 is rotated to the position shown in FIGURES and 5a, where both the a'butment 32 and the ramp 34 are clear of the edges of the operator cut-out 31. More particularly, the cam is rotated in the counterclockwise direction so as to rotate the abutment 32 into a side recess 39 clear of the outboard edge 33 of the operator cut-out, while the inboard edge of the cut-out, which rides back down the camming ramp 34 when the cam is turned from the on to the off position, remains on a plateau at the lower end of the ramp.

In this auto position, the advancing movement of the operator 15 is controlled by camming surfaces associated with the timing mechanism, rather than 'by the manually controlled cam 30, so as to automatically operate the controlled switch at a preselected time. More particularly, the hour wheel 11 included in the timing train is formed with cam abutments 41 which cooperate with abutments 42 formed on a positionable alarm gear 43. The alarm gear 43 is mounted on a sleeve 44 which also carries an alarm indicator hand 45. In the illustrated clock, a setting knob 45a is mounted for rotational and axial movement in the clock frame and is arranged to be rotationally coupled via a pinion 45b with either the hour gear 11 or the alarm gear 43. By utilizing the knob 45a to rotate the hour gear 11, the angular position of the cams 41 and the setting of the hour and minute hands 12a, 13 are adjusted. By utilizing the knob 45a to rotate the alarm gear 43, the angular position of the cams 42 and the setting of the indicator hand 45 are adjusted.

At the preselected time determined by the setting of the knob 45a, the a-butments 41, 42 come together so as to cam the hour wheel 11 axially away from the alarm gear 43, the hour hand sleeve sliding within the alarm gear sleeve 44, with the result that the hour wheel 11 engages a finger 46 on the operator so as to tilt the operator 15 away from the front frame plate 19 to clear the latch stud 36. From this point on, the operation of the switch operator is the same as described above for the on mode. That is, with the manual control cam 30 in the auto position of FIGURE 5, axial shifting movement of the hour wheel 11 at the preset alarm time causes the leading edge 37 of the operator to clear the latch stud 36, whereupon the biasing spring shifts the operator 15 to the broken line (advanced) position shown in FIGURE 5 to thereby colse the switch contacts 14a, 14b.

In accordance with a further aspect of this invention, the same unitary control cam which is used to manually set the switch controlling mechanism in the on, off or auto position, also includes detent notches which cooperate with a spring detent element to provide click stops at the three alternate positions. Thus, the periphery of the forward portion of the control cam 30, adjacent the front frame plate 19, is designed to form three successive notches 47a, 47b and 470 which cooperate with a spring detent element 48 to establish three click stops corresponding to the three positions of the control c'am illustrated in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5. The spring detent element 48 is secured at one end to the post for the latch stud 36, while the other end is biased against the base of the yoke 17. The central portion of the spring 48 is bent to form a projection 48a designed to snap into alternate ones of the detent notches 47a, 47b, 470 as the cam 30 is turned to its three alternate positions. This gives the operator the feel of switching the control cam from one position to another.

It will be appreciated that the unitary control cam 30 not only permits an extremely compact construction for the switch controlling timer so that it can be assembled between small and closely spaced frame plates, but also permits economical manufacture and assembly of the camming arrangement. Thus, in one commercial embodiment of this invention, the control cam is made of nylon in a single molding operation. The assembling operation involves nothing more than slipping the unitary cam down over the control shaft 23 until it rests on the front frame plate 19. Moreover, the unitary control cam provides good detenting action, and it cooperates with the cut-out operator 15 to provide low switch setting torque, thereby satisfying the two most diificult design requirements for timers of this type. With this construction, the center of the selector shaft can be located ideally relative to the pivot point of the switch operator, and the pressure angles of the various camming surfaces may be made very low to achieve low switch shaft torque. Furthermore, the cut-out operator 15 is also a one-piece part in which all of functional dimensions can be pierced or blanked in one stage of tooling. Consequently, the dimensions can be repeated with a high degree of accuracy even for large production quantities.

I claim as my invention:

1. A switch controlling timer comprising the combination of a frame member, a pair of switch contacts anchored relative to said frame member, a switch operator spaced away from said frame member and mounted for movement along a first path to open and close said contacts and along a second path toward and away from said frame member, biasing means for urging said operator both toward said frame member and toward one end of said first path, means for latching said operator when the latter is urged toward the frame member at the other end of said first path, clock controlled means for shifting said operator away from said frame member at a pre selected time so as to unlatch the operator, and a unitary control member mounted for angular movement in the space between said frame member and said operator to provide three alternate positions, said operator having a cut-out for receiving said control member with the cutout forming cam surfaces cooperating with said control member, said cam surfaces formed by said cut-out cooperating with said control member in one position of the latter to hold the operator in said other end of said first path, said cam surfaces formed by said cut-out cooperating with said control member in a second position of the latter to shift the operator away from said frame member so as to un'latch the operator.

2. A switch controlling timer as defined in claim 1 which includes a spring detent member anchored relative to said frame member and in which said unitary control member includes detent notches cooperating with said spring detent member to provide click stops at said three alternate positions of said control member.

3. A switch controlling timer comprising the combination of a pair of frame members held in spaced apart relationship, a pair of switch contacts in the space between said frame members and anchored relative thereto, a unitary switch operator mounted between said frame members and spaced away from both frame members, said operator being pivoted for angular movement between advanced and retracted positions to open and close said contacts and for tilting movement toward and away from said frame members, said operator including a cutout defining cam surfaces for controlling the movement of said operator, biasing means for urging said operator toward one of said frame members and toward said advanced position, latching means for restraining the operator against the urging of said biasing means, clock controlled means for tilting the operator away from said latching means so that the operator is pivoted to the advanced position by said biasing means, and a unitary control cam mounted between the operator and one of the frame members for angular movement relative to both the operator and the frame members, a portion of said control cam extending into the cut-out in said operator for cooperation with the cam surfaces defined by said cut-out to provide three alternative positions: (1) a first position where the operator is held in the retracted position against the urging of said biasing means independently of said latching means, (2) a second position where the operator is tilted away from said latching means so that the operator is pivoted to the advanced position by said biasing means, (3) and a third position where the operator is controlled by said clock controlled means independently of said control cam.

No references cited.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

FRED E. BELL, Assistant Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A SWITCH CONTROLLING TIMER COMPRISING THE COMBINATION OF A FRAME MEMBER, A PAIR OF SWITCH CONTACTS ANCHORED RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME MEMBER, A SWITCH OPERATOR SPACED AWAY FROM SAID FRAME MEMBER AND MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ALONG A FIRST PATH TO OPEN AND CLOSE SAID CONTACTS AND ALONG A SECOND PATH TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID FRAME MEMBER, BIASING MEANS FOR URGING SAID OPERATOR BOTH TOWARD SAID FRAME MEMBER AND TOWARD ONE END OF SAID FIRST PATH, MEANS FOR LATCHING SAID OPERATOR WHEN THE LATTER IS URGED TOWARD THE FRAME MEMBER AT THE OTHER END OF SAID FIRST PATH, CLOCK CONTROLLED MEANS FOR SHIFTING SAID OPERATOR AWAY FROM SAID FRAME MEMBER AT A PRESELECTED TIME SO AS TO UNLATCH THE OPERATOR, AND A UNITARY CONTROL MEMBER MOUNTED FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBER AND SAID OPERATOR TO PROVIDE THREE ALTERNATE POSITIONS, SAID OPERATOR HAVING A CUT-OUT FOR RECEIVING SAID CONTROL MEMBER WITH THE CUTOUT FORMING CAM SURFACES COOPERATING WITH SAID CONTROL

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