Time clock breathalyzer combination

• US 6,205,840 B1
• Filed: 01/28/1999
• Issued: 03/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Terry L. Thompson
• Original Assignee: Terry L. Thompson
• Inventors: Thompson, Terry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): LARKIN, DANIEL SEAN
• Application Number:
  US09/238,602
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 73/233, 422/84, 438/132, 438/900
• US Class Current: 73/23.3
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/497 of gaseous biological material, e.g. breath
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 436/90 Breath testing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/204165 Ethanol

Abstract

A combined time clock breathalyzer is provided including a clock for tracking a current time, an inlet port, an alcohol sensor connected to the inlet port for determining an amount of alcohol in an air flow, and a printer. Also included is a controller adapted to calculate an alcohol percentage amount within a user from the amount of alcohol detected by the alcohol sensor. The controller is further adapted to provide an indication upon the alcohol percentage amount being greater than a predetermined amount.

Claims

1. A combined time clock breathalyzer comprising, in combination:

a housing with a rectangular configuration having a front face, a rear face, a top face, a bottom face, and a pair of side faces, the front face having a clock mounted thereon for tracking a current time and visually indicating the same, a first one of the side faces having a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally oriented slots formed therein for storing a plurality of timecards therein, the front face having a flexible bellowed inlet tube with an inboard end coupled to the front face adjacent to the top face and a second one of the side faces, the top face having a slot formed therein for releasably receiving one of the timecards;

an air flow rate sensor situated within the housing and connected to the inboard end of the inlet tube for determining a rate of air flow therethrough;

an alcohol sensor situated within the housing and connected to the inboard end of the inlet tube for determining an amount of alcohol in the air flow;

a printer positioned within the housing adjacent to the slot of the housing for printing characters on the timecard when inserted therein; and

a controller situated within the housing and connected to the air flow rate sensor, alcohol sensor, and printer, the controller adapted to calculate an alcohol percentage amount within a user from the amount of alcohol detected by the alcohol sensor upon the detection of a sufficient air flow rate by the air flow rate sensor, the controller further adapted to print the alcohol percentage amount and a time of beginning work upon a first insertion of one of the timecards within the slot of the housing and print the alcohol percentage amount and a time of ending work upon a subsequent second insertion of the timecard within the slot of the housing, wherein alert indicia is printed on a top of the timecard upon the alcohol percentage amount being greater than a predetermined amount.

2. A combined time clock breathalyzer comprising, in combination:

a clock for tracking a current time;

an inlet port;

an alcohol sensor connected to the inlet port for determining an amount of alcohol in an air flow;

a printer;

a controller adapted to calculate an alcohol percentage amount within a user from the amount of alcohol detected by the alcohol sensor, the controller further adapted to provide an indication upon the alcohol percentage amount being greater than a predetermined amount; and

a housing with a having a front face, a rear face, a top face, a bottom face, and a pair of side faces, the clock being mounted to the front face of the housing, a first one of the side faces having a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally oriented slots formed therein for storing a plurality of timecards therein, the front face having a flexible bellowed inlet tube with an inboard end coupled to the front face adjacent to the top face and a second one of the side faces, the top face having a slot formed therein for releasably receiving one of the timecards.

3. A combined time clock breathalyzer as set forth in claim 2 wherein the indication is in the form of printing indicia on one of said timecards via the printer.

4. A combined time clock breathalyzer as set forth in claim 2 and further including an air flow rate sensor connected to the inlet port for determining a rate of air flow therethrough.

5. A combined time clock breathalyzer as set forth in claim 2 wherein the controller is adapted to print the alcohol percentage amount on one of said timecards.

6. A combined time clock breathalyzer as set forth in claim 2 wherein the controller is adapted to print the alcohol percentage amount on one of said timecards along with a current time.

7. A combined time clock breathalyzer comprising:

a housing having a front face, a rear face, a top face, a bottom face, and a pair of side faces, the front face having a clock mounted thereon for tracking a current time and visually indicating the same, a first one of the side faces having a plurality of slots formed therein for storing a plurality of timecards therein, a flexible bellowed inlet tube with an inboard end coupled to the housing, a slot formed in the housing for releasably receiving one of the timecards;

an air flow rate sensor situated in the housing and connected to the inboard end of the inlet tube for determining a rate of air flow therethrough;

an alcohol sensor situated in the housing and connected to the inboard end of the inlet tube for determining an amount of alcohol in the air flow;

a printer positioned in the housing adjacent to the slot of the housing for printing characters on the timecard when inserted therein; and

a controller situated in the housing and connected to the air flow rate sensor, alcohol sensor, and printer, the controller adapted to calculate an alcohol percentage amount within a user from the amount of alcohol detected by the alcohol sensor upon the detection of a sufficient air flow rate by the air flow rate sensor, the controller further adapted to print the alcohol percentage amount and a time of beginning work upon a first insertion of one of the timecards in the slot of the housing and print the alcohol percentage amount and a time of ending work upon a subsequent second insertion of the timecard within the slot of the housing, wherein alert indicia is printed on a top of the timecard upon the alcohol percentage amount being greater than a predetermined amount.