MULTI-FUNCTION ORGANIZER FOR SMART WATCHES AND WRIST WATCHES
A multi-function organizer includes a holder coupled to a magnifying lens and base. The base defines a plane of stability. The holder is attached to the base and configured for supporting a wristwatch or smart watch while orienting the watch face generally perpendicular to the plane of stability, at a home location above the base. The magnifying lens is attached to the base at a location and positioned so that the lens magnifies the face when a watch is placed on the holder with its body at the home location. The holder may be configured for holding an inductive charger for a smart watch, so that when inserted into the holder, the charger is held adjacent to a rear surface the smart watch. The organizer may include a night light oriented to radiate light towards the home location, controlled by a sensor for detecting motion or touch.
The present disclosure concerns organizers for holding portable articles, and more particularly to an organizer for holding smart watches, wristwatches, or other wearable articles when not in use.
BACKGROUNDWristwatches have been a practical and popular accessory for over a century, originally as purely mechanical devices for telling time, and later also as electronic or electro-mechanical devices. More recently, makers of electronic portable accessories, such as smart phones, have begun to develop and sell smart phone accessories having the form factor of a wristwatch, referred to herein as “smart watches.” Besides telling time, smart watches can perform many other functions in cooperation with a linked smart phone, using a wireless connection. However, smart watches consume power at a much higher rate than regular electronic watches, and require frequent charging, e.g., daily. While being charged, the smart watch cannot be worn, but is still functional. Often, users will charge their smart watches at night, while the users are sleeping. Many users may keep their smart watches near them while sleeping, such as on a bedside table.
Bedside tables are often used to hold other accessories worn earlier in the day by someone sleeping in an adjacent bed. For example, jewelry boxes or stands are often found on such tables, sometimes holding conventional wristwatches as well as jewelry.
With so many compact timekeeping appliances residing on beside tables while their owners rest a few feet away, some watches are inevitably consulted for the time during moments the owners' of wakefulness. Many, however, are not. Many owners may find it difficult to see a watch dial or display with sleepy eyes in a dark room. The watch face may be too small or poorly illuminated to function well as a bedside clock. Some owners invest in a bedside clock with a larger display, which may be illuminated or glow in the dark. Others find illuminated clocks to be disruptive of their sleep habits, and simply go without any sort of timepiece in view that is actually useful for telling time.
It is evident, therefore, that millions of wristwatches and smart watches are underutilized the world over, in a sense. These timekeeping appliances sit languishing on bedside tables, keeping perfectly good time while their owners cannot see them. It would be desirable to overcome these and other limitations of wristwatches and smart watches somehow, while retaining their advantages in other circumstances.
The present disclosure describes a multi-function organizer 10 that increases the utility of wristwatches and smart watches, while organizing these and other objects in a tidy and convenient fashion. Referring generally to
The holder 200 may include a cup-like receptacle, shown holding a pen 40 for illustrative purposes; the pen is not part of the multi-function organizer 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the holder 100 has an overall shape of a tapered cylinder, having an upper diameter suitable for supporting a smart watch wristband, for example in the range of about 1 to 2 inches, or sufficient to accommodate timepieces with both small and/or large bands. Other shapes and sizes may also be suitable.
While a smart watch 30 is illustrated, it should be appreciated that the holder would function similarly for holding a traditional watch. With either type of watch, the wristband fits around an outer perimeter of the holder 200, and is prevented from falling to the base by a pair of protruding ears 206 (at least one or more ears) to capture laterally and stops 208 to capture vertically, indicated in
Referring again to
In an aspect, the holder 200 is configured for holding a inductive charger 20 for the smart watch adjacent to the home location. The charger cable shown in the accompanying illustrations is shown to have a short length in order to illustrate both ends of the cable. Charging cable lengths typically vary from 2 feet to 6 feet in length. As shown in
Referring to
In an aspect, the holder 200 is releasable from the base 100. While mechanical fasteners may be used, in the illustrated embodiment, magnetic fasteners are used to releasably secure the holder to the base 100. As shown in
Referring to
In an alternative embodiment shown in
Referring to
In other alternative embodiments including but not limited to the multi-function organizers 500, 10 or 400, the organizer may include a night light oriented to radiate light towards the home location (where the watch face is located). The night light may be useful for illuminating a traditional watch, which lacks a light, as shown in
Claims
1. A multi-function organizer, comprising:
- a base configured for stable resting on a flat surface, defining a plane of stability;
- a holder attached to the base at a first location, configured for supporting a wristwatch while orienting a face thereof generally perpendicular to the plane of stability defined by the base at a home location above the base; and
- a night light; and
- a controller connected to the night light for detecting at least one of motion or touch and for controlling the night light in response to the sensor.
2. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, further comprising a magnifying lens attached to the base at a location spaced apart from the holder, oriented so that the lens magnifies the face when a watch is placed on the holder with its body at the home location.
3. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein the holder is cylindrical with sidewalls surrounding a perimeter of an upwardly open central receptacle.
4. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, further comprising in at least one of the base or the holder one or more magnets positioned for attaching the holder to the base.
5. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein the holder is configured for holding an inductive charger for the smart watch adjacent to the home location, so that the inductive charger, when inserted into the holder, can be held adjacent to a rear surface of a body of the smart watch.
6. The multi-function organizer of claim 5, wherein the holder includes a slot passing through an exterior wall thereof, for admitting a cord of the inductive charger.
7. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein the holder has an overall shape of a tapered cylinder, having an upper diameter in the range of 1 to 2 inches.
8. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein at least one of the base or the holder includes one or more magnets for attaching the holder to the base.
9. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein the holder includes at least one or more protruding stops spaced around an outer perimeter of the holder, configured for preventing a wristband of the wristwatch or smart watch from sliding past the protruding stops.
10. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein the holder is releasable from the base.
11. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein an interior of the holder comprises a cup-like receptacle.
12. The multi-function organizer of claim 2, further comprising a pivoting frame supporting the magnifying lens.
13. The multi-function organizer of claim 12, further comprising a magnet in at least one of the pivoting frame or the base, for holding the pivoting frame in an upward position.
14. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein the base includes a tray-like receptacle in an upper surface thereof.
15. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, further wherein the night light is oriented to radiate light towards the home location.
16. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, further comprising a user interface device enabling user input to the controller, including user selection of at least “always off” and “sensor responsive” modes for controlling the night light.
17. The multi-function organizer of claim 16, wherein the user interface device further enables user selection of an “always on” mode for controlling the night light.
18. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein the night light and the controller are packaged in a module that couples to an upper surface of the base.
19. The multi-function organizer of claim 18, wherein the module is removable from the base.
20. The multi-function organizer of claim 1, wherein the holder is further configured for supporting the wristwatch in a horizontal position wherein a wristband of the watch is parallel to the plane of stability.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 14, 2019
Publication Date: May 16, 2019
Inventors: Neal Rosenblum (Hollywood, FL), Mark Presser (Los Angeles, CA), Jonathan Jaech (Los Angeles, CA)
Application Number: 16/247,534