Apparatus for manual adjustment of a clock

• US 4,253,177 A
• Filed: 12/10/1979
• Issued: 02/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diehl GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: Diehl GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Hafner, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackmon, Edith S.
• Application Number:
  US06/102,250
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 58/23 R, 58/23 D, 58/85.5, 58/91, 368/187, 368/188, 368/294
• US Class Current: 368/187
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 27/08 by using parts of the case winding by using parts of the case G04B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G04C 3/007 Electromechanical contact-making and breaking devices acting as pulse generators for setting

Abstract

An actuating element for the manual adjustment of a clock comprises a rotating collar face which is arranged around the time indicating device of the clock. In a mechanical or electromechanical clock, the rotating movement of the rotating collar face is transmitted through gearing to the dial train of the clock. In an electronic clock pulse-producing elements are arranged on the collar and pulse-receiving elements are fixed in the clock to produce individual pulses or pulse trains which can be counted in according to the backward counting input of the time storage which is in operative connection with the indicating element of the clock.

Claims

1. In a clock having time indicating means and adjusting means for adjusting said time indicating means, the improvement wherein said adjusting means comprises a rotating collar plate arranged around said time indicating means and operably connecting said collar plate with said time indicating means, said adjusting means further comprising pulse generating means connected to said rotating collar plate, a counter having forward and backward counting inputs and connected to said time indicating means, and pulse receiving means connected to said counting inputs and interacting with said pulse generating means for generating pulses that are counted into the forward counting input or the backward counting input depending upon the direction of rotation of said collar plate.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said collar plate includes internal gear teeth, a toothed wheel mounted in meshing engagement with said teeth and connected to said pulse generating means.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pulse generating means being mounted directly on said collar plate.

4. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said pulse generating means being defined by a plurality of cams on an inside surface of said collar plate.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said pulse generating means being capable of producing at least two out-of-phase, overlapping pulses.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said clock comprises a wristwatch.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said clock includes a transparent cover overlying said time indicating means, said collar plate means comprising an annular ring surrounding said cover.

8. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said pulse generating means comprises a pair of contact strips mounted on a disc, said disc being rotatably connected to said toothed wheel.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein said pulse receiving means comprises a flexible contact engaged by said cams to repeatedly contact a fixed contact.