JP7648841B1 - Analog Clock - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention aims to improve the division of time intervals on the face of an analog clock.
A specific time interval is indicated on the dial by an intersection of two adjacent line segments.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to analog clocks, and in particular to divisions of time intervals on the dial.

The methods used to display time on a clock can be broadly divided into "digital" and "analog". Digital clocks display time elements such as hours, minutes, and seconds as numbers, and therefore uniquely display the current time. On the other hand, analog clocks, in which the hands corresponding to each time element (hour, minute, and second hands) rotate as time passes, are suitable for displaying not only the current time, but also the time between two points in the flow of time.

On many typical analog clocks, marker lines or marks indicating one-hour and five-minute intervals are displayed on virtual radial lines extending radially from the center of rotation of the hands at equal intervals of 30°. Also, marker lines or marks indicating one-minute and one-second intervals are displayed on virtual radial lines extending radially from the center of rotation of the hands at equal intervals of 6° (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-148682

The present invention aims to improve the division of time intervals on the face of an analog clock.

To achieve the above object, the analog clock of the present invention is characterized in that the division of specific time intervals is represented on the dial by the intersection of two adjacent line segments.

According to the present invention, by expressing the division of a specific time interval with the intersection of two adjacent line segments, it is possible to express the original literal meaning of an analog clock, that is, "the continuity of the flow of time," in addition to the meaning of a marker of "the division of a specific time interval." This makes it possible to improve the markers that divide time intervals on the dial face of an analog clock.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an analog timepiece according to an embodiment;

The following describes an embodiment of an analog watch according to the present invention with reference to the drawings.

The analog clock 10 according to the embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as "clock 10") can be used in various clocks such as wristwatches, wall clocks, and table clocks, as well as clocks displayed on the displays of smartphones, which are a type of computer, as well as smartwatches, mobile information terminals such as tablets and laptops, or clocks displayed on electronic devices such as desktop computers, televisions, and digital signage.

As shown in FIG. 1, the clock 10 has a circular dial 12. The dial 12 is provided with an hour hand 14, a minute hand 16, and a second hand 18, which rotate around the center point of the dial. The hour hand 14, the minute hand 16, and the second hand 18 are pointers that correspond to the time elements corresponding to hours, minutes, and seconds. The hour hand 14 rotates once in a clockwise direction in 12 hours, as in a typical clock. Similarly, the minute hand 16 rotates once in a clockwise direction in 60 minutes, and the second hand 18 rotates once in a clockwise direction in 60 seconds. The hour hand 14, the minute hand 16, and the second hand 18 each rotate over time to display the current time. The dial 12 also has numbers from 1 to 12 arranged at equal intervals of 30° as one of the elements that assist in displaying the current time indicated by the pointers.

In the clock 10 having the above configuration, the shape of the mark indicating the "division of time intervals", which is another element that assists in displaying the current time indicated by the hands, is configured differently from that of a general clock. That is, in this embodiment, the division of a specific time interval is represented on the dial 12 by the intersection of two adjacent line segments. Specifically, a fold line is displayed along the periphery of the dial 12, and there are 60 inflection points of this fold line. All of these 60 inflection points are the intersection points of two adjacent line segments that make up the fold line, and each of these 60 intersection points (inflection points) represents the division of a one-minute interval and a one-second interval. Note that in this example, all of the intersection points are arranged on virtual radial lines that extend radially from the center point of the dial 12 at equal intervals of 6°, as in a general clock.

In addition, in this embodiment, at the intersections that represent the divisions of 1-hour and 5-minute intervals among the 60 intersections mentioned above, two adjacent line segments intersect with each other. That is, in this embodiment, the two line segments that form the intersections that represent the divisions of 1-hour and 5-minute intervals intersect with each other in an "X" shape, with both ends of the line segments positioned on either side of the intersection. By adopting such a configuration, it is possible to easily distinguish between "divisions of 1-minute and 1-second intervals" and "divisions of 1-hour and 5-minute intervals", just like with a general clock.

In this way, with the clock 10 of this embodiment, by representing the division of specific time intervals with the intersection of two adjacent line segments, it is possible to express the literal meaning of "continuity of the flow of time" that is inherent to analog clocks, in addition to the meaning of marking the division of "specific time intervals". Furthermore, the folded line drawn along the periphery of the dial 12 not only serves as a marking the division of specific time intervals, but also becomes part of the design of the dial 12, thereby contributing to improving the design of the clock 10. This makes it possible to improve the markings that divide time intervals on the dial of an analog clock.

The analog clock according to the present invention has been described above based on an embodiment, but the present invention is of course not limited to the above embodiment, and may be embodied in modified forms, for example, as follows:

<Modification>
(1) In the above embodiment, a fold line that forms an intersection that represents the division of a specific time interval is drawn along the periphery of the dial 12, but this fold line may also be drawn toward the center of the dial (inside the numbers 1 to 12).

(2) In the above embodiment, there are no particular limitations on the thickness of the line segments that make up the fold line or the angle between two adjacent line segments. In addition, in the above embodiment, the dial 12 is circular, but the shape of the dial is not limited to this, and may be other shapes such as a rectangle, other polygons, or an ellipse. These elements can be appropriately modified in design, taking into consideration the overall balance of the dial, the design of the hands, and the like.

(3) In the above embodiment, each of the 60 bending points of the broken line displayed on the dial 12 represents a division of 1-minute intervals and 1-second intervals, and among these, the two line segments that form the intersection points representing the divisions of 1-hour intervals and 5-minute intervals cross each other in an "X" shape, but the opposite shape is also acceptable. That is, the divisions of 1-hour intervals and 5-minute intervals may be bending points of the broken line, and the divisions of 1-minute intervals and 1-second intervals may be 60 intersection points in an "X" shape. It is also possible to implement the embodiment without divisions of 1-hour intervals and 5-minute intervals. Furthermore, the shape of the markings representing the divisions of 1-hour intervals and 5-minute intervals is not limited to the "X" shape exemplified above, and may be represented, for example, by radial division lines (straight lines) in conventionally known watches, points, or other shapes.

(4) In the above embodiment, the numbers 1 to 12 are displayed on the dial 12 as symbols for identifying the time, but it is also possible to display, for example, 12 different symbols. For example, images such as letters, paintings, and photographs representing the 12 zodiac signs may be displayed on the dial as 12 different symbols. Furthermore, the form of the numbers displayed on the dial is not particularly limited. In the above embodiment, Arabic numerals are illustrated, but it is of course also possible to display Roman numerals or Chinese numerals.

The present invention can be implemented in various forms that include improvements, modifications, or variations based on the knowledge of a person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. In addition, the invention can be implemented in a form in which any of the invention-specific features are replaced with other technologies within the scope of the same action or effect.

10: Clock 12: Dial 14: Hour hand 16: Minute hand 18: Second hand

Claims (1)

The intersection of two adjacent lines marks the division of a specific time interval on the dial ,
There are 60 intersections on the dial, each of which represents a division of a one-minute interval and a one-second interval;
Each of the intersections is an inflection point of a bent line displayed on the dial,
An analog clock , wherein the two adjacent line segments intersect at intersections representing divisions of one-hour intervals and five-minute intervals among the 60 intersections .

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