US3686879A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital clock with alarm
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-12-28
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Granted: 1972-08-29
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Expires: 1990-12-28
Abstract
Abstract An alarm clock with coaxial digit wheels for one-minute, tenminute and hour indications has a pair of contact-carrying disks, rotatable about the same axis, mechanically coupled with the 1minute wheel and with the hour wheel, respectively, for entrainment thereby. Each disk confronts an associated selector drum bearing minute and hour indications, respectively, these disks being independently settable to display the time when the alarm is to ring. Each drum consists of insulating material and carries a terminal of an alarm circuit positioned to engage a contact near the periphery of the associated disk whenever the latter occupies a position corresponding to the selected drum setting; the disks are always conductively interconnected, by a contact spring on one disk engaging a metallic track on the other disk, so that the alarm circuit is completed when both disks occupy their preselected positions. With the digit wheels and the drums stepped intermittently, at 1-minute intervals in the case of the wheel of lowest denomination, the alarm circuit is reopened after a minute.
Inventors
- 👤 Gunter Hummel
- 👤 Erich Scheer
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 12:14
CPC Classifications
G; G04; G04C; G04C21/00; G04C21/16; G04C21/20
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
232 words
A timepiece comprising: a set of operatively interconnected digit wheels including a first wheel provided with time indications of a relatively high denominational order and a second wheel provided with time indications of a relatively low denominational order; drive means for rotating said first wheel at a relatively slow rate and said second wheel at a relatively fast rate; a first contact carrier and a second contact carrier juxtaposed for independent rotation about a common axis; transmission means positively linking said first and second contact carriers with said first and second wheels, respectively, for rotary entrainment thereby; a first rotary selector and a second rotary selector centered on said axis and confronting said first and second contact carriers, respectively, said selectors being independently settable to any one of a multiplicity of angular position; retaining means for holding each of said selectors in a chosen angular position; co-operating first contacts on said first contact carrier and said first selector making in a predetermined relative position thereof; co-operating second contacts on said second contact carrier and said second selector making in a predetermined relative position thereof; conductor means maintaining a continuous conductive connection between the contacts on said contact carriers; and a load circuit including a source of current and a controlled device connected across the contacts of said selectors for actuation of said device upon simultaneous making of said first and second contacts.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
232 words
A timepiece comprising: a set of operatively interconnected digit wheels including a first wheel provided with time indications of a relatively high denominational order and a second wheel provided with time indications of a relatively low denominational order; drive means for rotating said first wheel at a relatively slow rate and said second wheel at a relatively fast rate; a first contact carrier and a second contact carrier juxtaposed for independent rotation about a common axis; transmission means positively linking said first and second contact carriers with said first and second wheels, respectively, for rotary entrainment thereby; a first rotary selector and a second rotary selector centered on said axis and confronting said first and second contact carriers, respectively, said selectors being independently settable to any one of a multiplicity of angular position; retaining means for holding each of said selectors in a chosen angular position; co-operating first contacts on said first contact carrier and said first selector making in a predetermined relative position thereof; co-operating second contacts on said second contact carrier and said second selector making in a predetermined relative position thereof; conductor means maintaining a continuous conductive connection between the contacts on said contact carriers; and a load circuit including a source of current and a controlled device connected across the contacts of said selectors for actuation of said device upon simultaneous making of said first and second contacts.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 1 wherein said digit wheels are mounted alongside said selectors and contact carriers for rotation about said axis.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 2 wherein said transmission means comprises shaft means parallel to said axis and gear means on said shaft means, said first and second wheels and said first and second contact carriers being provided with peripheral teeth meshing with said gear means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
88 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 3 wherein said shaft means comprises a first inner shaft in driving engagement with said first wheel, a first tubular outer shaft freely rotatable on said first inner shaft in driving engagement with said second wheel, a second inner shaft in driving engagement with said first outer shaft and with said second contact carrier, and a second tubular outer shaft freely rotatable on said second inner shaft and in driving engagement with said first inner shaft and with said first contact carrier.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
A timepIece as defined in claim 1 wherein the time indications of said first wheel are hour markings and the time indications of said second wheel are the units digits of minutes, said digit wheels including a third wheel with time indications constituting the tens digits of minutes, said second wheel being rotatable by said drive means at a rate of one-tenth revolution per minute, said transmission means interconnecting said second wheel and said second contact carrier with a step-down ratio of 6:1 whereby said second contact carrier performs one revolution per hour.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
55 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 5 wherein said first wheel is rotatable by said drive means at a rate of one revolution every n hours, said transmission means interconnecting said first wheel and said first contact carrier with a step-down ratio of 24:n whereby said first contact carrier performs one revolution per 24-hour period.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 6 wherein said first wheel is provided with n peripherally mounted rotatable bodies each having 24/n faces and bearing said hour markings, each of said bodies being provided with tripping means operative upon passage of said first wheel through a predetermined rotary position for displaying different faces during successive revolutions.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive means comprises a stepping mechanism for intermittently advancing said first and second wheels through successive indicating positions corresponding to the multiplicity of angular positions of said first and second selector means, respectively, whereby said load circuit remains closed for a period equaling the residence time of said second wheel in any of its indicating positions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 8 wherein said residence time is one minute.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
85 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 1 wherein each of said selectors comprises a manually rotatable insulating element and a juxtaposed fixed element with an at least partly conductive face confronting said insulating element, the latter being provided with a peripherally located discontinuity in its insulation, each of said contact carriers confronting the associated insulating element on the side opposite said fixed element and bearing an axially projecting contact spring engaging said insulating element for galvanic contact with said face upon registering with said discontinuity.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 10 wherein said fixed element is a resiliently deformable plate provided with an eccentric formation projecting toward said insulating element, the latter having a corrugated surface co-operating with said formation for indexing said insulting element in any selected angular position.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 11 wherein said insulating element is generally cup-shaped and surrounds said plate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
32 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 12 wherein said insulating element has a toothed outer peripheral zone, further comprising a setting wheel for said insulating element with teeth engaging said peripheral zone.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 11 wherein said formation is part of a terminal post connected to said load circuit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 10 wherein said discontinuity comprises a metallic rivet with a first head bearing upon said face and with a second head engageable by said contact spring.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 10 wherein each of said contact carriers is a peripherally toothed disk of dielectric material provided with conductive facings on opposite surfaces and with throughgoing metallic connectors for said facings, said contact spring being part of one of said facings.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
59 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 16 wherein both facings of one of said contact carriers form respective contact springs extending in opposite axial directions, the facing of the other of said contact carriers confronting said one of said contact carriers being an annular track in constant engagement witH one of the contact springs of the last-mentioned contact carrier.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 17 wherein said other of said contact carriers is provided with an annular recess, said track being a metal ring lodged in said recess.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
30 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 18 wherein said ring is provided with integral lugs, said other of said contact carriers having slots alongside said recess traversed by said lugs.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
21 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 16 wherein said metallic connector is part of a tongue integral with said contact spring.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
A timepiece as defined in claim 1 wherein said controlled device is an alarm-signal generator.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-08-29 | 1976-02-28 | 1976-08-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-08-29 | 1980-02-28 | 1980-08-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-08-29 | 1984-02-28 | 1984-08-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |