Horology: time measuring systems or devices – Displays or display device details – Dial or hand
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-18
2002-04-02
Roskoski, Bernard (Department: 2859)
Horology: time measuring systems or devices
Displays or display device details
Dial or hand
C368S223000, C368S080000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06366540
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention redesigns traditional watches, clocks and the like, in order to provide an unhindered view of the face. The unobstructed area, subsequently created by removing the center shaft from the face of the device along with repositioning the hands, provides a platform that will more prominently exhibit material for personal, artistic and business purposes. Some specific applications that would benefit in having an unencumbered display are pictures, artwork, promotion and advertising, three-dimensional images, and holograms.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Watches, clocks and like apparatus for indicating time are well known. A typical device
115
is illustrated in
FIGS. 1
a
and
1
b.
Commonly, device
115
will comprise a circular dial
110
that is planar and extends to device wall
117
. The obverse of dial
110
is ordinarily called the face
112
. Inscribed on face
112
near the periphery
116
of dial
110
are marks
111
. Typically, twelve marks are inscribed around the dial in equal angular increments of 30 degrees. Each mark
111
denotes an hour of the day, AM or PM. Each mark
111
also denotes a five-minute interval within an hour. A drive mechanism
150
is located beneath dial
110
. Center shaft
113
extends from drive mechanism
150
, vertically, through the center of dial
110
and face
112
and continues upward for attachment with hands
120
and
130
, thus, providing the linkage between the drive mechanism and the hands. Minute hand
120
and hour hand
130
extend radially outward from center shaft
113
above face
112
. Minute hand
120
rotates in a circular path, around center shaft
113
and parallel to face
112
, at a rate of one revolution per hour. Hour hand
130
follows the same course as minute hand
120
but in a parallel plane and rotates at a rate of one revolution every twelve hours. A second hand (not shown) may also be provided, in which case it extends radially from center shaft
113
in still a different parallel plane, and rotates at a rate of one revolution per minute. Drive mechanism
150
may be powered by a battery, wound spring or other means known in the art. Device
115
will typically provide some mechanism (not shown) for setting hands
120
and
130
, to indicate the correct time of day. Once device
115
is set, drive mechanism
150
causes hands
120
and
130
to rotate in a clockwise direction as shown. The basic principals of how the time of day is determined, based on the position of hands
120
and
130
within device
115
, are so well known that further explanation is unnecessary.
The limitation with such devices as described above is that hands
120
and
130
along with the portion of center shaft
113
that is above dial
110
, obscure face
112
thereby hindering the display in the central part of the face. For example, it would be preferable to have a watch, bearing a design on its face, which did not have the central part of the image disrupted by physical parts of the device. Such unimpeded watch displays are particularly advantageous for promotional uses where a logo or advertisement can be imprinted on a watch face. Alternative applications are: forms of artistic expression, pictures, three dimensional sculptures or figures, interior coordinating design work, team and league affiliations, personal unique designs and/or text, etc. What is common to all these applications is the advantage of having an unobstructed face.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention restructures watches, clocks and other time indicating devices to provide an unobstructed central area of the device, such as the dial face, while maintaining the overall traditional perception of the device. Some specific applications that would benefit in having an unencumbered display are time indicating devices used for advertising. These devices may bear pictures, photographs, logos, artwork, three-dimensional images, holograms, or other types of advertising indicia. Similarly, time indicating devices of the present invention may be used for purposes other than advertising, such as keepsakes, souvenirs, and gifts. When used for these purposes the dial face may be used to display photographs, pictures, artwork, three-dimensional artwork, or other non-advertising indicia.
According to one aspect of the invention, the hands of the device are connected to the center shaft on the underside of the dial and the center shaft above the dial is eliminated. The drive mechanism causes the hands to rotate circularly in the same manner as the hands of a conventional timing device as described in the Background section of this specification. Since the hands are positioned under the dial and the center shaft above the face is removed, there is no obstruction to the central viewing area of the face. This aspect of the invention has several preferred embodiments.
In one embodiment, the hands extend from the center shaft below the dial, outward beyond the periphery of the dial, bend upward then inward and parallel with the dial towards the center of the face. The hands extend inward so as to be visible and indicate the position of the hands relative to the marks on the face. In this way, the user of the device can determine the time indicated by the device without the face of the dial, inward of the marks, being obscured by the hands of the device. A modification would be to eliminate all explicit demarcations of time from the face and rely on the position of the hands to estimate the time.
In an alternate embodiment, a bezel extends inward, parallel to and concentric with the dial face but in a higher plane than the face. In this embodiment, the hands extend from the center shaft below the dial, outward beyond the periphery of the dial, bend upward extending higher than the dial face, inward and parallel to the face sufficiently to extend over the outer aspect of the bezel, upward and higher than the bezel, outward and over the bezel to provide the indication of time. The user determines the time of day by the hands pointing to the time demarcations on the bezel, or simply relying on the position of the hands to establish the time without any time demarcations on the bezel. Additionally, patterns, design work, etc. can be incorporated on the bezel.
A variation to the alternate embodiment above is to present the bezel in a plane that is below the face instead of above it. In this variation, the hands extend horizontally outward from the center shaft and over the bezel to provide the indication of time. The face, being at a higher plane, is unobscured by any aspect of the device.
Still another variation to the alternate embodiment above is to present the bezel in a coincident plane to the face. In this variation, the hands extend horizontally outward from the center shaft, upward above the bezel, and outward over the bezel to indicate the time.
In a third embodiment is a projection that is circumferentially positioned around the device walls and parallel to the dial of the device. The projection is at a higher plane than the dial and extends inward to overlap the dial. The center shaft stretches from the drive mechanism to the underside of the dial. In this embodiment, the hands extend from the center shaft below the dial, outward beyond the periphery of the dial, bend upward extending higher than the dial face, inward and parallel to the face sufficiently to extend over the outer aspect of the projection, upward and higher than the projection, outward and over the projection to provide the indication of time. The user determines the time of day by the hands pointing to the time demarcations on the projection, or simply relying on the position of the hands to establish the time without any time demarcations. Additionally, patterns, design work, etc. can be incorporated on the projection.
A variation to the third embodiment above is to present the projection in a plane that is below the face instead of above it. In this variation, the hands extend horizontally outward from the center shaft and over the projection to provide the in
Cobrin & Gittes
Roskoski Bernard
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