US 4,885,731 AGranted

Child's easy-to-read timepiece

OwnerDominic W. Massaroinventor

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An analog timepiece face that contains a smaller hour portion (A) concentrically positioned within a larger minute portion (B). The hour portion has a hour hand (C) and hour division marks (F) marking each interval of time on the peripheral hour track (E). The minute portion has a minute hand (G) and minute division marks (J) marking each interval of time on the peripheral minute track (I). Hour numerals (D) and minute numerals (H) are provided on the respective hour and minute tracks of the timepiece. Spatial location, size, type font, and color are used to key the components of one portion together and to keep the hour and minute portions distinct from one another. The hour and minute hand are made to differ in spatial location, size, and color. The hour numerals and the minute numerals are made to differ in spatial location, size, and color. In addition, correlated visible cues of spatial location, size, and color are used to specify the correspondence between the hour hand and the hour numerals and the minute hand and the minute numerals. the proposed timepiece can also include a digital portion (M) placed near the center. The correspondence between the analog and the digital representations of time is highlighted by making the size, font, or color of the digital numbers the same as the size, font, or color of the corresponding numbers on the analog clock. In addition, an analog timepiece with a clockface with at least one elongated hand that is made translucent to preclude the occlusion of numerals on the clockface.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An analog timepiece for indicating the time for use with children, mentally-disadvantaged persons, and the like comprising:

a clockface having a center portion and an outer portion,
said outer portion surrounding said center portion,
each of said portions having a series of spaced division marks and numerals around a periphery thereof,
the division marks and numerals around said center portion representing successively cumulative intervals of one size,
the division marks and numerals around said outer portion representing successively cumulative intervals of a different size,
a pair of elongated hands, each of said hands having two opposite ends, one end of each hand being pivotably mounted in the center of said clockface, one of said hands being relatively short and the other hand being relatively long such that the other end of said short hand points to said division marks and numerals in said center portion and the other end of said long hand points to said division marks and numerals in said outer portion, and
means for rotating said hands at different speeds such that said other end of each of said hands will move between adjacent division marks and numerals in its corresponding portion in respective time intervals of the size represented by such portion,
each of said hands and its corresponding periphery, marks, and numerals of said clock face having at least two visual characteristics in common,
each of said hands and its corresponding periphery, division marks, and numerals of said clockface having said at least two common visual characteristics different from those of the visual characteristics of the other of said hands and its corresponding periphery, division marks, and numerals.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.