US3786626A - Digital watch - Google Patents

Digital watch Download PDF

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Publication number
US3786626A
US3786626A US00348174A US3786626DA US3786626A US 3786626 A US3786626 A US 3786626A US 00348174 A US00348174 A US 00348174A US 3786626D A US3786626D A US 3786626DA US 3786626 A US3786626 A US 3786626A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
watch
cover plate
numerals
prism
outside
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00348174A
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English (en)
Inventor
Z Hurt
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Agon Uhrenfabrik Robert Triebold AG
Original Assignee
Agon Uhrenfabrik Robert Triebold AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Agon Uhrenfabrik Robert Triebold AG filed Critical Agon Uhrenfabrik Robert Triebold AG
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3786626A publication Critical patent/US3786626A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B19/00—Indicating the time by visual means
    • G04B19/20—Indicating by numbered bands, drums, discs, or sheets
    • G04B19/202—Indicating by numbered bands, drums, discs, or sheets by means of turning discs
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G04—HOROLOGY
    • G04B—MECHANICALLY-DRIVEN CLOCKS OR WATCHES; MECHANICAL PARTS OF CLOCKS OR WATCHES IN GENERAL; TIME PIECES USING THE POSITION OF THE SUN, MOON OR STARS
    • G04B39/00—Watch crystals; Fastening or sealing of crystals; Clock glasses
    • G04B39/008—Watch crystals; Fastening or sealing of crystals; Clock glasses with means for magnified reading

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a new and improved construction of a digital watch or timepiece, especially a digital wrist watch, wherein the numerals move beneath suitable windows of a cover plate.
  • Such digital-indicating wrist watches are known to the art for quite some time. Just as is the case for watches with time indicators in the form of minute and hour hands, these digital watches are also very practical and quite attractive in shape. Reading of the time occurs however in a direction perpendicular to the dial or dial plane, which sometimes is not very comfortable. For instance, one need only consider the situation encountered with a person driving a vehicle where it is first of all necessary to rotate the arm in a cumbersome manner and in so doing oftentimes release control of the steering wheel when it is desired to look at the watch. Looking at the watch real quickly is not readily possible, and the fact that the driver is required to divert his attention from the traffic for a number of seconds can lead to dangerous accidents when considering the present day traffic conditions.
  • the invention contemplates a digital wrist watch which is equipped with a reflecting element for reading the time in a direction which is at least approximately parallel to the cover plate of the watch.
  • An advantageous construction contemplates providing as the reflecting or mirror element an optical inverting prism, the reflecting surface of which can be coated with a metal.
  • this prism can be equipped with a cover hood.
  • the prism can also be designed in such a way that it simultaneously hermetically seals the watch. With a somewhat simpler construction of the watch of this development, it is possible to mount over the numerals a protective covering having a refleeting, planar inner surface inclined at an angle of 45 with respect to the plane containing the numerals, so that such images the numerals towards the outside.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the watch depicted in FIG. 1, on a different scale, and taken substantially along the line IIII thereof;
  • FIG. 3 is a view analogous to the showing of FIG. 2 but only in fragmentary illustration, and of a different exemplary embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 likewise is a fragmentary view, corresponding to the showing of FIG. 2, of a further embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 1 the exemplary embodiment of watch depicted in FIG. 1 will be understood to comprise a housing 1 possessing a suitable design as concerns the demands of consumers at the particular time in question and this housing 1 will be seen to possess a rectangular cutout portion or window 2 at its central region. Through the cutout or window 2 there is visible the cover plate 3 situated therebelow together with both of its windows 4 and 5. Beneath the cover plate 3 there are arranged in conventional manner the numeral disks 6 and 7 for indicating the hour and minute respectively. In this case, however, the numerals are shown upside down, since they will of course be again inverted by the reflecting element so that they can be readily read.
  • an optical inverting prism 8 which functions as the reflecting element, and here is shown as a rightangled prism, bears by means of one of its shorter sides directly over the windows 4 and 5 upon the cover plate 3.
  • This optical inverting prism 8 has a cross-section in the form of an isoceles right-angle triangle, in other words, an isoceles triangle with perpendicular legs.
  • the prism 8 the bundle of light rays emanating from the numerals are deflected through an angle of 90 and simultaneously inverted, so that the numerals appear correctly positioned right side up and thus can be comfortably read in a direction parallel to the watch.
  • a cover'hood 9 which is connected with the housing lot can also be fabricated directly as one-piece with the housing 1, which is here the case.
  • the variant embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 3 shows a somewhat modified form of the deflecting prism 80.
  • the prism possesses two additional surfaces 80a which are parallel to the cover plate 3 and which engage in a groove 2a formed at the housing 1.
  • the prism 80 can also be coated with a thin metal coating 10.
  • FIG. 4 A particularly simple construction of watch has been depicted in FIG. 4.
  • the recess 2 is covered at three sides by the cover hood 90, so that light can depart from the fourth open side.
  • the cover hood possesses as the reflecting element a suitably machined planar inner surface 90a which is inclined at 45 with respect to the cover plate 3 and which reflects or images towards the outside the numerals.
  • the recess 2 is covered by a thin, planar and transparent disk 20, so
  • the advantages of the different exemplary embodiments can be randomly combined with one another as desired, so that for each situation of use there can be attained a favorable and comfortable reading of the digital wrist watch.
  • the inventive watch not only satisfies the requirement of ease in reading the watch, but also considerably contributes to prevention of traffic accidents.
  • a digital wrist watch comprising a cover plate with windows beneath which move past the numerals of the watch, and a reflecting element for reading the time in a direction at least approximately parallel to-the cover plate.
  • the reflecting element comprises an optical inverting prism having a surface bearing directly upon the cover plate.
  • said inverting prism includes a surface which is visible from the outside, and at least a part of said surface having a metallic coating.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Electric Clocks (AREA)
US00348174A 1972-05-10 1973-04-05 Digital watch Expired - Lifetime US3786626A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH692372 1972-05-10

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3786626A true US3786626A (en) 1974-01-22

Family

ID=4317169

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00348174A Expired - Lifetime US3786626A (en) 1972-05-10 1973-04-05 Digital watch

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US (1) US3786626A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS4949667A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4006587A (en) * 1975-01-10 1977-02-08 Ebauches Electroniques S.A. Wrist-watch with wristlet end secured to top of case
US4043116A (en) * 1976-01-29 1977-08-23 Metallprodukte A.G. Grenchen Timepiece comprising a flat display device exposed through an opening in a case
US4105287A (en) * 1975-07-30 1978-08-08 Lothar Gross Optical reading system for electronic pocket calculators
US4268985A (en) * 1978-06-05 1981-05-26 Lecznar Joseph F Desk name plate
US5280385A (en) * 1989-04-25 1994-01-18 Wybrow Brian R A Container including a viewing aid
USD523355S1 (en) * 2004-10-26 2006-06-20 Lorenzo Pozzan Watch
USD608224S1 (en) * 2009-04-24 2010-01-19 Swatch Ag (Swatch Sa) (Swatch Ltd.) Watch
USD919451S1 (en) * 2019-03-11 2021-05-18 Luxury Goods International (L.G.I.) SA Wristwatch
USD919453S1 (en) * 2019-07-22 2021-05-18 Luxury Goods International (L.G.I.) SA Wristwatch
USD991795S1 (en) * 2021-10-28 2023-07-11 Turlen Holding Sa Watch

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5211365U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1975-07-12 1977-01-26
JPS53147166U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1977-04-22 1978-11-20

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2430616A (en) * 1945-08-06 1947-11-11 Rohm & Haas Instrument lens and dial

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2430616A (en) * 1945-08-06 1947-11-11 Rohm & Haas Instrument lens and dial

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4006587A (en) * 1975-01-10 1977-02-08 Ebauches Electroniques S.A. Wrist-watch with wristlet end secured to top of case
US4105287A (en) * 1975-07-30 1978-08-08 Lothar Gross Optical reading system for electronic pocket calculators
US4043116A (en) * 1976-01-29 1977-08-23 Metallprodukte A.G. Grenchen Timepiece comprising a flat display device exposed through an opening in a case
US4268985A (en) * 1978-06-05 1981-05-26 Lecznar Joseph F Desk name plate
US5280385A (en) * 1989-04-25 1994-01-18 Wybrow Brian R A Container including a viewing aid
USD523355S1 (en) * 2004-10-26 2006-06-20 Lorenzo Pozzan Watch
USD608224S1 (en) * 2009-04-24 2010-01-19 Swatch Ag (Swatch Sa) (Swatch Ltd.) Watch
USD919451S1 (en) * 2019-03-11 2021-05-18 Luxury Goods International (L.G.I.) SA Wristwatch
USD919453S1 (en) * 2019-07-22 2021-05-18 Luxury Goods International (L.G.I.) SA Wristwatch
USD991795S1 (en) * 2021-10-28 2023-07-11 Turlen Holding Sa Watch

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
JPS4949667A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-05-14

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