Of Drum Or Plate Type Patents (Class 368/235)
  • Patent number: 9218114
    Abstract: This application describes, in part, systems and methods for rotating a graphical representation of a three-dimensional object, such as a clock, to expose a side surface area and display time dependent information on the side surface area. For example, a displayed clock may be graphically rotated such that a side surface area adjacent to the times between 6:00 and 12:00 are exposed. If the current time is between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. time-dependent items between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. are obtained and displayed at positions on the side surface area to correspond with the scheduled time for those time-dependent items. If the current time is between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. time-dependent items for the upcoming hours between 6:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. are obtained and displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Timothy T Gray, Keela N Robison
  • Publication number: 20130070573
    Abstract: A dial assembly is held inside a timepiece case together with a movement that supports an hour hand and minute hand to be able to rotate. The dial assembly includes a plate shaped dial, and at least one decorative structure having a decorative member which can be visually recognized from the front side of the dial and a support member by which the decorative member is supported on the dial. The dial has a fixing member for fixing the decorative member, which is constituted with through holes that pierce the dial in the thickness direction. In a state in which the decorative member and the support member are assembled, the decorative structure is inserted in the fixing part from the front side of the dial to be fixed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Publication date: March 21, 2013
    Applicant: SEIKO EPSON CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takumi OSHIO
  • Publication number: 20130051198
    Abstract: A dial plate structure includes first and second dial plates and a rotary indicator. The first dial plate has a first opening or a first cutout. The second dial plate is arranged under the first dial plate and has a plurality of function display portions exposed through the opening or the cutout. The rotary indicator is arranged between the first and second dial plates and has a function indicator to selectively indicate one of the function display portions by rotation. The rotary indicator is partially exposed through the opening or the cutout. The rotary indicator has, on the surface thereof, a plurality of index markers respectively corresponding to the function display portions. The first dial plate has a second opening or a second cutout to expose one of the index markers when the function indicator indicates one of the function display portions corresponding to the indicated function display portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 29, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junichi Sato, Shunya Shiraishi
  • Publication number: 20130051197
    Abstract: A dial plate structure includes first and second dial plates, a rotary indicator and a cover member. The first dial plate has a cutout portion. The second dial plate is arranged under the first dial plate and has a plurality of function display portions exposed through the cutout portion. The rotary indicator is arranged between the first and second dial plates and has a function indicator to selectively indicate one of the function display portions by rotation. A part of the rotary indicator is exposed through the cutout portion. The cover member is arranged on the second dial plate. The plurality of function display sections are arranged radially outward than the rotary indicator. The cover member is arranged to face the outer periphery of the rotary indicator and to prevent the outer periphery of the rotary indicator from visually contacted through the cutout portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: CASIO COMPUTER CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junichi SATO
  • Patent number: 7961561
    Abstract: A clock assembly FIGS. 1.a. (1) and 1.b. (6), comprising a normal clock mechanism FIG. 2. (10), having numbers one to twelve equidistantly placed around the perimeter of a wheel FIG. 2. (11) in ascending order, that is affixed to the hour spindle of the clock mechanism FIG. 2. (13), and this wheel is visible through a window FIG. 1.a. (3) and FIG. 1.b. (7) in a case FIGS. 1.a. and 1.b. holding the clockworks that tells time in a horizontal or vertical manner that architecturally fits in with its rectilinear surroundings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Inventor: Daniel Charles Moeder
  • Patent number: 7609589
    Abstract: A perpetual calendar clock includes an outer case that has a month window, a date window, a day-of-the-week window, and a clock window formed on the surface thereof. The clock includes a rotatory wheel set, a driving apparatuses, a clock-control unit, and a battery set, which are all fixed within the hollow outer case. The rotatory wheel set has a month wheel, a date wheel, and a day-of-the-week wheel, which, respectively, are aligned to the month window, the date window, and the day-of-the-week window of the outer case. Also, the clock-control unit is aligned to the clock window. The clock-control unit sends a signal for controlling and actuating deflecting rods, micro switches, and touch switches of the driving apparatuses so that the driving apparatuses act with the buses on a flexible circuit board disposed within one of the wheels; then, another control signal is sent to another wheel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Inventor: Kuei-Wen Sheu
  • Patent number: 6898154
    Abstract: A clock-driving device combined with a conventional core that takes advantage of conventional quartz oscillation comprises providing a magnet on the hand of the conventional core and providing a reed sensing device in the moving path of the magnet. When the magnet enters the sensing region of the reed sensing device, an electric communication path will be generated periodically and trigger the startup of the motor to drive a micro-motive device as well as to rotate the main mandrel to output power. As the motor driving said rotational mandrel to accomplish one action, said micro-motive device will interrupt the electric communication path so as to save electric power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2005
    Inventor: Kuei-Wen Sheu
  • Patent number: 4568197
    Abstract: A time piece comprising a cylindrical casing formed of transparent material which is closed at its bottom end by a bottom cover on which is mounted a clock movement whose output spindles are drivingly connected by plates to respective drum-like members provided on their outer peripheries with indicia, representing time, the drum-like members being concentrically arranged so that their indicia can be viewed through a window provided on a sleeve mounted on the casing, the inner side of the sleeve comprising a non-transparent sheet which is cut-away in the region of the window. The time is read off the drum-like members in a vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 1984
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Inventor: Philip Y. T. Lam
  • Patent number: 4430004
    Abstract: A clock which includes a member which rotates in a time dependent manner and which has a substantially cylindrical periphery about the axis of generation which has disposed thereabout two axially spaced sets of clockwise sequenced indicia indicative of the time, the two sets being out of phase about the periphery by the angle .alpha. with one set having the indicia inverted relative to the other, the member being so arranged within a housing that a sight element disposed about the periphery can indicate on the appropriate indicia the particular time. Ideally the angle .alpha. is 180.degree.. The invention also consists of a device to convert a conventional clock to such a multi-faceted display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 1982
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1984
    Inventor: Noel N. Nitschke
  • Patent number: 4423965
    Abstract: An elongated clock includes a pair of adjacent, cylindrical, rolls providing one roll with five minute segments indicated and a second roll with twelve hours of morning and evening indicated. These rolls are mounted about a shaft connected with a constant speed motor which rotates the minute cylinder at a constant rate. A gearing arrangement at the end of the shaft couples the shaft with the roll indicating hours and turns the hour roll once every hour. A segmented drive gear is coupled to the shaft and includes a pair of teeth which engage a pinion which in turn has every tooth meshing with a gear attached to turn the hour roll. Thus, one complete rotation of the shaft produces one-twelfth of a full rotation of the hour roll. The pinion gear is prevented from overriding after indexing because a locking rim of the segmented drive gear nestles into gear teeth extensions of every other tooth of the pinion gear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: January 3, 1984
    Inventors: Johannes F. J. M. Muller, Joannes A. M. Van Dongen
  • Patent number: 4193256
    Abstract: Various digit display units and digit shift means disposed between adjacent digit display units are mounted on two parallel supporting shafts extending between opposing side walls of a frame. A motor for driving the least significant digit is mounted on the outside of one side wall, and a time switch mechanism comprising a timer setting wheel, a cam gear and a timer lever is disposed between the other side wall and a sub-plate spaced therefrom. Cams are secured on the opposite ends of a shaft which supports the digit shift means, one of the cams engaging the timer lever, while the other cam engaging a buzzer operating member vibrated by the leakage flux of the motor. The operation of the timer lever is transmitted to the buzzer operating member through the digit shift means supporting shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 1978
    Date of Patent: March 18, 1980
    Assignee: Tamura Electric Works, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kanji Tobeta, Shuji Otsuka
  • Patent number: 4192136
    Abstract: A digital readout apparatus includes a housing, a plurality of members providing, respectively, a presentation of units-of-minutes, tens-of-minutes, and hours, a shaft for supporting the members within the housing for movement in rotation imparted either by a timed or manual setting input to the member of lowest order. The digital readout apparatus also includes an endshake element received on the shaft between the hours member and the housing. The endshake element includes cam structure on a side surface which cooperates with cam structure similarly contoured on the housing thereby through selective rotational adjustment of the endshake element relative to the shaft, both the hours and tens-of-minutes members are moved axially along the shaft relative to the units-of-minutes member which is fixed to the shaft for varying clearance between the members.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1977
    Date of Patent: March 11, 1980
    Assignee: General Time Corporation
    Inventor: Ralph C. Robinson