Food consumption monitor
First Claim
1. A register comprising:
- manually operable rotary dial having a manipulable dial surface;
base for said dial, including means for rotatably mounting said dial to said base, whereby said dial is mounted to rotate abut an axis of rotation;
finger stop which is attached to said base in a stationary position in close proximity to said dial surface such that said finger stop limits the maximum rotary travel of a finger rotating said dial;
set of numerals representing a mathematical sequence of numbers, wherein the individual numerals in said set of numerals are disposed on said base approximately equidistant from said axis of rotation and approximately equiangularly spaced around said axis of rotation in consecutive order; and
a scale pointer permanently coupled with said dial in close proximity to said set of numerals, wherein said scale pointer rotates along with said dial and highlights the numeral in said set of numerals which is closest to said scale pointer, whereby said scale pointer and said set of numerals in combination function as a simple numeric display;
wherein said dial is disposed such that said dial surface is accessible for manual rotation of said dial, and wherein said set of numerals and said scale pointer and said dial are disposed in positions such that said set of numerals and said scale pointer and said dial surface are all viewable.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Food consumption monitor comprising a simple mechanical calculator integrated into a diet guidebook. The calculator includes a manually operable rotary dial with a scale pointer on it, a base for the dial, a means for rotatably mounting the dial to the base, a finger stop attached to the base near the dial, and a set of numerals which are printed in consecutive order on the base near the dial and which are equidistant from the dial'"'"'s rotary axis. The dial has a set of finger holes or dimples which are equidistant from the dial'"'"'s rotary axis. The dial'"'"'s scale pointer is a visually distinctive feature on the dial, such as an annular rim around one of the holes, which rotates with the dial in close proximity to the set of numerals. The base includes a molded plastic casing which partially encloses the dial. This casing includes an axle, a stationary hub, and a support arm for rigidly coupling the hub to a wall of the casing, wherein these three components are the means for rotatably mounting the dial. The calculator'"'"'s plastic casing is attached to the interior face of the guidebook'"'"'s hardbound cover. This diet guidebook includes data related to some food parameter, such as grams of fat. The user registers his consumption of this parameter by rotating the dial by an amount specified in the guidebook.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A register comprising:
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manually operable rotary dial having a manipulable dial surface; base for said dial, including means for rotatably mounting said dial to said base, whereby said dial is mounted to rotate abut an axis of rotation; finger stop which is attached to said base in a stationary position in close proximity to said dial surface such that said finger stop limits the maximum rotary travel of a finger rotating said dial; set of numerals representing a mathematical sequence of numbers, wherein the individual numerals in said set of numerals are disposed on said base approximately equidistant from said axis of rotation and approximately equiangularly spaced around said axis of rotation in consecutive order; and a scale pointer permanently coupled with said dial in close proximity to said set of numerals, wherein said scale pointer rotates along with said dial and highlights the numeral in said set of numerals which is closest to said scale pointer, whereby said scale pointer and said set of numerals in combination function as a simple numeric display; wherein said dial is disposed such that said dial surface is accessible for manual rotation of said dial, and wherein said set of numerals and said scale pointer and said dial are disposed in positions such that said set of numerals and said scale pointer and said dial surface are all viewable. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A dial register for monitoring an accumulation of quantities up to a total target quantity, which comprises:
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a base having a base surface, wherein said base surface includes a line of figures disposed on a common circumference centered around an axis, wherein each figure in said line of figures represents a number substantially proportional to a unique distance along said common circumference extending in a common direction from said figure to a common origin on said common circumference, and wherein said line of figures comprises numerals which are approximately equidistantly spaced along said line of figures in consecutive order, and wherein one of said numerals in a zero; a disk mounted to rotate about said axis and having a manipulable disk surface, wherein said disk includes a curved row of fingerholds which are disposed on said disk surface approximately equidistant from said axis in close proximity with said common circumference and which are approximately equidistantly spaced along said curved row of fingerholds and which are operatively configured for fingertip rotation of said disk; and a scale pointer coupled with said disk in close proximity to said common circumference, wherein said scale pointer rotates along with said disk and highlights the figure in said line of figures which is closest to said scale pointer, whereby said scale pointer and said line of figures in combination function as a simple numeric display; wherein said base includes means for rotatably mounting said disk whereby said disk rotates about said axis, and wherein said disk functions as a rotary dial which a user manually rotates through a partial revolution to register each of the quantities in said accumulation of quantities, and wherein said scale pointer successively highlights a plurality of the figures in said line of figures as said disk is successively rotated manually. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A dial register for monitoring an accumulation of quantities up to a total target quantity, which comprises:
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a base having a base surface, wherein said base surface includes a line of figures disposed on a common circumference centered around an axis, wherein each figure in said line of figures represents a number substantially proportional to a unique distance along said common circumference extending in a common direction from said figure to a common origin on said common circumference; a disk mounted to rotate about said axis and having a manipulable disk surface in close proximity with said common circumference; a scale pointer coupled with said disk in close proximity to said common circumference, wherein aid scale pointer rotates along with said disk and highlights the figure in said line of figures which is closest to said scale pointer, whereby said scale pointer and said line of figures in combination function as a simple numeric display; and a finger stop which is attached to said base in a stationary position in close proximity to said common origin and in close proximity to said disk surface such that said finger stop limits rotary travel of a finger rotating said disk; wherein said base includes means for rotatably mounting said disk whereby said disk rotates about said axis, and wherein said disk functions as a rotary dial which a user manually rotates through a partial revolution to register each of the quantities in said accumulation of quantities, and wherein said scale pointer successively highlights a plurality of the figures in said line of figures as said disk is successively rotated manually.
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26. A register comprising:
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a manually operable rotary dial having a manipulable dial surface; a base for said dial, including means for rotatably mounting said dial to said base, whereby said rotary dial is mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation; a display scale radially disposed around said axis of rotation, wherein said display scale comprises indicia representing a mathematical sequence of numbers disposed on said base approximately equidistant from said axis of rotation; a scale pointer coupled with said rotary dial in close proximity to said display scale, wherein said scale pointer rotates along with said rotary dial adjacent to said indicia of said display scale, whereby said scale pointer and said display scale in combination function as a simple numeric display; and a finger stop which is attached to said base in a stationary position in close proximity to said dial surface such that said finger stop limits rotary travel of a finger rotating said dial; wherein said rotary dial is disposed such that said manipulable dial surface is accessible for manual rotation of said rotary dial, and wherein said rotary dial and said display scale and said scale pointer are disposed in positions such that said display scale and said scale pointer and said manipulable dial surface are all viewable.
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27. A dial register for monitoring an accumulation of quantities up to a total target quantity, said dial register comprising:
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a base having a base surface, wherein said base surface includes a line of figures disposed on a common circumference centered around an axis, wherein each figure in said line of figures represents a number substantially proportional to a unique distance along said common circumference extending in a common direction from said figure to a common origin on said common circumference; a disk mounted to rotate about said axis and having a manipulable disk surface in close proximity with said common circumference; and a scale pointer coupled with said disk in close proximity to said common circumference, wherein said scale pointer rotates along with said disk and highlights the figure in said line of figures which is closest to said scale pointer, whereby said scale pointer and said line of figures in combination function as a simple numeric display; wherein said base includes means for rotatably mounting said disk whereby said disk rotates about said axis, and wherein said base includes a stop in a fixed position proximal to said common origin and proximal to said manipulable disk surface whereby said stop limits rotary travel of an object temporarily engaged with said manipulable disk surface during rotation of said disk, and wherein said scale pointer successively highlights a plurality of the figures in said line of figures as said disk is successively rotated.
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Specification