Clock

• US 5,642,335 A
• Filed: 09/18/1995
• Issued: 06/24/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Raymond R. Taylor
• Original Assignee: Raymond R. Taylor
• Inventors: Taylor, Raymond R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Miska, Vit W.
• Application Number:
  US08/529,676
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: 368/76, 368/80, 368/223, 368/228, 368/232
• US Class Current: 368/223
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/042 Construction and manufacture of the hands; arrangements for increasing reading accuracy hands with illumination G04B19/305; specially shaped hands, e.g. figures or pictures G04B45/0061; clockwork in the hands G04B45/043; invisible drive of the hands G04B45/046
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 19/06 Dials moving discs G04B19/20; illuminated dials or hands G04B19/30; for time-pieces without clockwork G04B49/04 ; machines and arrangements for the manufacture of dials or hands G04D3/0048
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 45/0007 Light-, colour-, line-, or spot-effects caused by parts or pictures moved by the clockwork disc-shaped indicating parts G04B19/046, G04B19/202; figures or parts thereof for indicating the time, moved by the clockwork G04B25/06

Abstract

A clock useful for instruction in how to read time comprising a face and two sets of numbers, the first set including integers one through twelve and the second set including integers zero through fifty-nine, positioned about the face and contained within differently colored bands first and second distances, respectively, from a center point of the face. The clock includes an hour hand colored the same as the first band and a minute hand colored the same as the second band rotatably attached to the face at the center point and extending to the first and second sets of numbers, respectively, the minute hand being longer than the hour hand. The face is divided into twelve equally sized segments, each of which is further divided into five equally sized sub-segments, beginning at the top center of the face and proceeding in a clockwise direction. The first segment contains the integer one from the first set of numbers, and the remaining numbers in the first set are arranged consecutively in a clockwise direction about the face. The first sub-segment contains the integer zero from the second set of numbers, and the remaining numbers in the second set are arranged consecutively in a clockwise direction. The clock combines the features of analog and digital clocks and allows a person to read the actual time as soon as he or she can recognize numbers and grasp the "passage of time concept" by observing the movement of hands about the face.

Claims

1. A clock useful for instruction in how to read time, comprising:

a face;

two sets of numbers positioned radially about the face at first and second distances, respectively, from a center point of the face, wherein the second distance is further away from the center point of the face than the first distance;

an hour hand and a minute hand attached to the face at the center point and extending therefrom to the first and second sets of numbers, respectively;

the first set of numbers including consecutive integers one through twelve, and the second set of numbers including consecutive integers zero zero through fifty-nine;

wherein the face is divided into twelve equally sized segments, each segment comprising an area defined by a thirty degree angle beginning along a line extending vertically from the center point of the face to a top of the face, representing a zero degree line, and proceeding in a clockwise direction about the face;

wherein the segment defined by the area from thirty degrees to sixty degrees contains the integer one from the first set of numbers and the remaining numbers in the first set of numbers are arranged consecutively in a clockwise direction about the face;

wherein a portion of each of the twelve segments is further divided into five equally sized sub-segments, each sub-segment comprising an area defined by a six degree angle beginning along the zero degree line and proceeding in a clockwise direction about the face;

wherein the sub-segment defined by the area from zero degrees to six degrees contains the integer zero zero from the second set of numbers and the remaining numbers in the second set of numbers are arranged consecutively in a clockwise direction about the face;

the hour hand is sized to have a length sufficient to extend from the center point into a first band containing the first set of numbers, and the hour hand and the first band are colored a first color;

the minute hand is sized to have a length sufficient to extend from the center point into a second band containing the second set of numbers, and the minute hand and the second band are colored a second color different from the first color; and

adjacent colored blocks positioned on the face,

wherein the left-hand block is colored the same as the first band and the hour hand, and the right-hand block is colored the same as the second hand and the minute hand in order to provide a visual association between the hour hand and the corresponding number contained within the first band representing an hour of the day, and between the minute hand and the corresponding number contained within the second band representing a minute of the day for enabling the user to determine the time in digital format.

2. The clock of claim 1 wherein a colon is positioned along the zero degree line with the adjacent blocks on either side of the colon.

3. The clock of claim 1 wherein the word "o'"'"'clock" is positioned vertically along the zero degree line.

4. The clock of claim 3 wherein the word "o'"'"'clock" is positioned between the sub-segments containing the integers zero and fifty-nine of the second set of numbers.

5. The clock of claim 1 further comprising:

a third set of numbers comprising consecutive integers one through twelve positioned radially about the center of the face a third distance from the center point;

wherein each number of the third set of numbers is positioned at a point along a boundary of one of the twelve segments; and

wherein the integer twelve is positioned along the zero degree line, the integer one is positioned along the thirty degree line, and the remaining integers of the third set of numbers are arranged consecutively in a clockwise direction about the face at succeeding segment boundaries.

6. A clock useful for instruction in how to read time, comprising:

a face divided into twelve equally sized segments defined by boundary lines emanating from a center point;

a first set of numbers including integers one through twelve contained within a first band having twelve equally-sized segments having adjacent boundaries corresponding to the boundary lines emanating from the center point;

a second set of numbers including integers zero zero through fifty-nine contained within a second band having sixty equally-sized segments defined by adjacent boundaries;

an hour hand attached to the center point of the face and extending therefrom a distance to a point within the first band;

a minute hand attached to the face at the center point and extending therefrom a distance to a point within the second band;

wherein a boundary of one of the segments of the first band and one of the segments of the second band lies along a line extending vertically from the center point of the face to a top of the face;

wherein the segment of the first band proceeding in a clockwise direction from the line extending vertically from the center to the top of the face contains the integer twelve of the first set of numbers, and the succeeding segments in the first band each contain one of the remaining integers of the first set of numbers, arranged consecutively beginning with the integer one and proceeding in a clockwise direction about the face; and

wherein the segment of the second band proceeding in a clockwise direction from the line extending vertically from the center to the top of the face contains the integer zero of the second set of numbers, and the succeeding segments in the second band each contain one of the remaining integers of the second set of numbers, arranged consecutively and proceeding in a clockwise direction about the face.

7. The clock of claim 6 wherein:

the first and second bands are colored differently;

the hour hand is the same color as the first band; and

the minute hand is the same color as the second band.

8. The clock of claim 7 further comprising:

adjacent colored blocks separated by a colon and positioned on the face of the clock;

wherein the block to the left of the colon is colored the same as the band containing the first set of numbers, and the block to the right of the colon is colored the same as the band containing the second set of numbers enabling a user to associate a number indicated by the hour hand and contained within the first band with the block to the left of the colon, and to associate a number indicated by the minute hand and contained within the second band with the block to the right of the colon in order to read the time in digital format.

9. The clock of claim 8 wherein the colon is positioned along the line extending vertically from the center point of the face to the top of the face, with the adjacent blocks on either side of the colon.

10. The clock of claim 6 wherein the word "o'"'"'clock" is positioned vertically along the line extending vertically from the center point of the face to the top of the face.

11. The clock of claim 10 wherein the word "o'"'"'clock" is positioned between the sub-segments containing the integers zero and fifty-nine of the second set of numbers.

12. The clock of claim 6 further comprising:

a third set of numbers comprising consecutive integers one through twelve positioned radially about the center of the face;

wherein each number of the third set of numbers is positioned at a point along a boundary of one of the twelve segments; and

wherein the integer twelve is positioned at the segment boundary extending vertically from the center point of the face to a top center point of the face, the integer one is positioned at the next succeeding boundary of the twelve segments, and the remaining integers of the third set of numbers are arranged consecutively in a clockwise direction about the face at the remaining boundaries of the twelve segments.

13. A system for determining the time on an analog clock, comprising:

a clock face including

a first set of indicia, representing the hours of a day, positioned about the face a first distance from a center point of the face,

wherein the first set of indicia is colored a first color;

a second set of indicia, representing the minutes of an hour, positioned about the face a second distance from the center point,

wherein the second set of indicia is colored a second color;

an hour hand;

a minute hand; and

a pair of adjacent bounded areas, wherein the left-hand area is colored the same as the first set of indicia and the right-hand area is colored the same as the second set of indicia enabling a user to make a visual color association between indicia representing a given hour of the day and the left-hand area, and between indicia representing a given minute of the day and the right-hand area.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the shapes are separated by a colon.