Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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Title: WORLD TIME INDICATOR AND CLOCR FACE
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to time indicator
systems, and particularly clock and graphic devices for
05 indicating the contemporaneous local time in time zones
around the world. More particularly, this invention
provides an improved means for indicating the
' correlation between local world time zones and the
actual local time.
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~ 10 Backaround to the Invention
This invention is directed to an improvement to
the invention described in U.S. patent 5,054,008 the
contents of which are adopted herein by reference.
Another relevant prior art reference is U.S. patent
4,502,789 to Heath.
The first prior referenced patent describes a
modified south polar projection map of the world which
is rotatable within a surrounding 24 hour clock scale
which is printed on a surrounding frame. The individual
time zones of the world are colour-coded on the
geographical portion of the map. Colour is limited to
. land masses for simplification. Around the outer border
of the map itself, the circumference is divided into
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twenty-four annular segments or bands that are colour-
coded with adjacently distinguishable colours that
correspond with the geographic coloured territories.
This earlier time indicator operates by aligning
05 an annular coloured band for an appropriate geographic
' region with the local time for that region, as indicated
Z by the 24 hour clock scale.
A deficiency in that process arises because the
, act of alignment of the coloured band (constituting a
'! 10 1/24th portion of the circle) with an hour on the outertime scale produces an uncertainty in positioning the
world map. This is because the coloured band has a
distinct width which is equivalent to 15 degrees of a
circle, and the user may choose to place any portion of
this band adjacent the hour indicator on the outer time
scale. Alternately, knowing that the actual time is
part way through an hour, say for example at 1330 hours,
the user may position a portion of the coloured band
opposite a point on the time scale that is intermediate
the hour marks on the time scale, e.g. around 1330
hours. However, since the coloured band has a distinct
width, there is still some uncertainty as to which
portion of the band should be aligned with the correct
time.
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This invention corrects this ambiguity. It also
facilitates use of such a time presentation on a clock
that lacks an hour hand.
The invention in its general form will first be
` 05 described, and then its implementation in terms of
!
~ specific embodiments will be detailed with reference to
i~ the drawings following hereafter. These embodiments are
3j intended to demonstrate the principle of the invention,
and the manner of its implementation. The invention in
its broadest and more specific forms will then be further
3 described, and defined, in each of the individual claims
which conclude this Specification.
Summary of the Invention
The invention is based upon rotatably mounting a
circular, south polar map projection of the world within
an encircling 24 hour clock scale, the geographic time
zones of the world being colour-coded with adjacently
distinguishable colours, the circular map projection
being provided around its outer circumference with a
series of 24 indicia, each indicia having:
3 (1) a coloured region that corresponds in colour
with an associated time zone; and
(2) an outwardly pointing indicator portion that is
spaced from adjacent indicia by 15 degrees of
the circumference; each indicator portion being
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positioned within the limits of the
coloured region with which it is associated;
whereby a user may align the indicia with the precise
local time for a geographic region on the map and
05 thereby establish the precise local time around the
world for other geographic regions on the map.
A preferred form for this indicia is that
approximating a triangle having its apex as its pointing
indicator portion. Other possible forms include wedge-
shapes having curved outer edges, so long as thepointing indicator portion is positioned within the
limits of the coloured region, and all such pointing
¦ indicator portions are spaced 15 degrees from each other
around the circumference of the map.
The foregoing summarizes the principal features
of the invention and some of its optional aspects. The
invention may be further understood by the description
of the preferred embodiments, in conjunction with the
drawings, which now follow.
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Summary of the Fiaures
Figure 1 is a plan view of the map of the
invention rotatably overlaid upon a 24 hour time scale.
Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of
Figure 1 showing the detail of an indicia overlying a
portion of the 24 hour clock scale.
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Figure 3 is a side view of a clock mechanism
carrying the time zone system of the invention.
Description of the Preferred Embodiment
In Figure 1 a world map 1 is printed on a
05 rotatable disk 2 positioned above a background surface 3
¦ carrying a 24 hour clock scale 4. If composed of
,~ cardboard, a rivet 5 may permit rotation of the map.
Alternately~ the disk 2 can be coupled to the hour shaft
18 of a 24 hour clock mechanism 6 and the 24 hour clock
scale may be placed on the face 7 of the clock mechanism
6.
~ The map is preferably a modified south polar
¦ projection wherein the continental shapes 8 of the
southern hemisphere are compressed to provide for a
greater visibility for the continental shapes 9 of the
northern hemisphere.
Within each continent various geographic time
zones are colour coded as taught by the prior art. At
the circumference of the disk 2 are carried a series of
24 indicia 10.
The indicia 10 are preferably substantially
'#, triangular in shape, each spanning a 15 degree portion
of the circumference. The apex 11 of each triangle is
shown as being located at the clockwise extremity of
each 15 degree portion. This is optional, and the appex
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11 could be positioned elsewhere across the indicia, so
long as all such apex 11 are evenly spaced, i.e. at 15
degree intervals. To the left of the apex 11 of the
preferred form of triangles, as depicted extends the
05 coloured portion of the triangular indicia 10 to which
it corresponds.
As shown in Figure 3, the apex 11, which serves
as a pointing indicator is aligned to the true local
time, e.g. 1330 hours for a specific geographic region.
This time corresponds to a position that is intermediate
the time marker 12 for the present hour, e.g. 1 pm (or
1300 hours), and the time marker 13, e.g. 2 pm (or 1400
hours) for the next hour to come. The spacing between
these markers 12, 13 may be divided by submarkers 14, as
to indicate quarter hours. For a large device, finer
gradings of submarkers 14 may be employed.
¦ Once the correct time is set for one of the 24
3 indicia, all remaining indicia will also give the
correct local time.
The invention may be used in a cardboard form
wherein a user manually sets the time.
Alternately, it may be utilized in association
with a mechanical clock 16. In this latter case, a
clock mechanism is used to rotate the disk 2 by mounting
the disk 2 on the hour shaft 18 of the clock mechanism.
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No hour hand need be employed as the pointer portion
each of the indicia 10 serves as an hour hand for each
local region.
A minute hand or second hand (not shown) may be
05 optionally provided. However, subdivisions of an hour
can be read from the position of the pointer portion of
each indicia 10 against the submarkers 14.
! ConclusiOn
The foregoing has constituted a description of
specific embodiments showing how the invention may be
applied and put into use. These embodiments are only
exemplary. The invention in its broadest, and more
specific aspects, is further described and defined in
the claims which now follow.
These claims, and the language used therein, are
to be understood in terms of the variants of the
invention which have been described. They are not to be
restricted to such variants, but are to be read as
covering the full scope of the invention as is implicit
within the invention and the disclosure that has been
~I provided herein.
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