Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G04—HOROLOGY
  • G04C—ELECTROMECHANICAL CLOCKS OR WATCHES
  • G04C17/00—Indicating the time optically by electric means
  • G04C17/02—Indicating the time optically by electric means by electric lamps
• • 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
  • G04B19/34—Position of the hands projected optically

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a watch with an analog display by means of a time-dependent, closely bundled light beam that fulfills a pointer function, with a light source for generating the closely bundled light beam and with a rotating device driven by a clockwork for generating the time-dependent rotation of the Light beam according to the preamble of claim 1.
• Typical clocks such as those used as grandfather clocks, have a dial, behind which a clockwork is arranged, which rotates at least one pointer by means of an axis extending through the dial. The viewer can read the time by comparing the position of the hands with the dial serving as a reference surface.
• the light pointer made visible in this way rotates, as in conventional clocks, in an essentially vertical dial plane, the angular position of the light beam representing the time information for the viewer by comparison with the underlying reference surface in the form of the dial.
• this watch differs from common clocks only in that in this watch the pointer is formed by a light pointer element in the colored liquid.
• the present invention is based on the object of creating a watch with such a technique that the technique gives the designer greater freedom in the design of the watch.
• the invention for the first time frees itself from the compulsory idea given in the state of the art that a watch with an analog display must have a pointer element with a fixed size, which represents the time due to its angular position relative to a reference surface with a dial function.
• the invention provides a watch in which a rotating light beam emanates from a rotating device which essentially rotates about a vertical axis, so that the light beam rotates in a substantially horizontal plane and without being considered necessary in the prior art
• a reference surface with a dial function on surfaces of the room surrounding the clock such as the walls of the room, a time-dependent wandering light mark is generated.
• the viewer can recognize the current time from the local position of the light spot that moves on the wall depending on the time. This is possible, however it is not essential that reference marks are attached to the wall of the room in which the clock according to the invention is installed.
• no dial belonging to the watch forms the reference surface for determining the position of the hands, but elements, surfaces or walls of the space surrounding the watch, on which the light mark generated by the light beam migrates assume a dial function.
• Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a first embodiment of the clock according to the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through a second embodiment of the clock according to the invention.
• the clock according to the invention which is designated in its entirety by reference number 1, comprises a fixed housing part 2 in which a light source in the form of a halogen illuminant 3 is arranged.
• the halogen illuminant 3 is arranged such that its light is emitted in the direction of a vertical axis through a cylindrical opening 5 in the fixed housing part 2.
• the cylindrical opening 5 is enclosed by a collar-shaped extension 6, which symbolizes a rotary guide device for a tubular housing part 7 which can be rotated about the vertical axis 4. It is obvious to the person skilled in the art that any suitable rotary connection between the fixed housing part 2 and the rotatable, tubular housing part 7 can be used instead of the rotary bearing shown.
• the rotatable, tubular housing part 7 is surrounded by a ring gear 8 which meshes with a drive pinion 9 of an electric stepping motor 10. It is obvious to a person skilled in the art that any other clockwork can be used instead of the electric stepping motor 10.
• a mechanical spring mechanism is only mentioned here, for example.
• an optical system 11 Arranged within the rotatable, tubular housing part 7 is an optical system 11, which converts the light emitted by the halogen illuminant 3 into a narrow, narrowly bundled light beam, which leaves the optical system 11 in a vertical direction upwards.
• the shape of the optics 11 is immaterial for the purposes of the present invention. Typically, however, the optics comprise lenses 12, 13, a filter disk 14, an aperture 15 and a closing part 16.
• the mirror 18 can also be replaced by other deflecting devices, such as a prism.
• the light beam emanating from the mirror 18 extends from it in a substantially horizontal direction without striking a reference surface of the clock with a dial function, and therefore runs through the room in which the clock 1 is set up. up to areas of the room, which can be, for example, the walls 19 of the room. Therefore, the light beam rotating around the vertical axis 4 in the essentially horizontal plane of the room forms an essentially punctiform light mark on surfaces or walls 19 of the room which moves over the surfaces or walls 19 of the room as a function of time.
• the space in which the viewer is located forms a reference surface which enables the position of the light mark generated by the light beam to be assigned to a time.
• reference elements 20 are attached to the walls, which, for example, indicate the local position of the light mark generated by the light beam every hour on the hour.
• reference elements 20 consist of a light-conducting material, such as a colored plastic film body, so that such a plastic film body serving as reference element 20 glows at least in the area of its film contours when the light beam hits it .
• FIG. 2 A second embodiment of the watch 1 according to the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to FIG. 2.
• Those elements of the embodiment according to FIG. 2 which correspond to those according to FIG. 1 are designated with the same reference numerals, so that a renewed description of these elements can be omitted.
• the light source which is formed in FIG. 1 by a halogen illuminant 3 with associated optics 11, is replaced by a laser light source 21.
• a laser light source emits a closely bundled, coherent light beam without the need for optics 11 for bundling purposes.
• the laser light source 21 is arranged such that the laser beam emitted by it in rieh device of the vertical axis 4 is delivered.
• the deflecting mirror 18 is replaced by a prism 22.
• This embodiment of the invention is suitable for a particularly compact implementation of the clock 1.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Electric Clocks (AREA)
• Illuminated Signs And Luminous Advertising (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=6429490

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (2)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1991
  • 1991-04-12 DE DE4112043A patent/DE4112043A1/de active Granted
• 1992
  • 1992-04-03 WO PCT/DE1992/000282 patent/WO1992018914A1/de active IP Right Grant
  • 1992-04-03 EP EP92907414A patent/EP0577673B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1992-04-03 DE DE59200544T patent/DE59200544D1/de not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (3)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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