US3162008A - Display device - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, 1964 M. z. BERGER ETAL 3,162,008

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed April 2, 1963 INVENTOIE,

GA? BY imggglLMgk EfsTE N ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,162.,G08 DISPLAY DEVlCE Michael Z. Berger, 1500 Grand Concourse, Bronx, N.Y.,

and Joseph Mermelstein, 732 Henry Road, Far Rockaway, N.Y.

Filed Apr. 2, 1963, Ser. No. 269,911 3 Claims. (Cl. 58-126) The present invention relates generally to improvements in display devices and it relates more particularly to an improved time piece aifording a periodically changing visual display.

There have been many forms of displays, both of a stationary and moving character, associated with time pieces such as watches and clocks. Where the display is of the moving type it is a common practice to actuate the display by the watch or clock timing motor. However, in the moving display type time piece either the display was rudimentary or it required a mechanical modification of or complex coupling to the timing motor. Such structural modifications are highly undesirable since they are usually expensive, and interfere with the accuracy of the time piece and otherwise leave much to be desired.

It is thus a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved display device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedtime piece display device.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved time piece aifording a moving visual display.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a periodically changing visual display associated with a time piece and driven by the timing motor thereof.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved time piece display device of the above nature characterized by its simplicity, attractiveness and the unique effect afiorded thereby.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan View of a Wrist watch embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof.

In a sense the present invention contemplates the provision of a display device comprising a base member carrying a visual representation, a first sheet of light polarizing material overlying said representation, a second sheet of light polarizing material overlying said first light polarizing sheet, and a drive motor rotating at least one of said light polarizing sheets to alternately substantially visually mask and expose said representation.

The present display mechanism is advantageously associated with a time piece such as a watch or clock and in its preferred form includes a face plate the front of which carries a visual representation over which is super imposed a layer of a light polarizing material. A timing motor is positioned behind the face plate and includes a central second hand drive shaft and minute and hour hand cannon shafts coaxial with the second hand shaft, the ternary of shafts projecting through the center of the face plate and light polarizing layer. Minute and hour hands are aflixed to the cannon shafts and a second hand is aifixed to the center shaft, and rotating with the center shaft is a disc of a light polarizing material which overlies the minute and hour hands as well as the polarizing layer covered representation. A crystal or transparent window which carries hour designating indicia is associated with the time piece to enclose the time indicating hands, face plate and light polarizing elements. The rotation of the 'ice light polarizing disc brings the light polarizing axis thereof alternately into parallel and perpendicular relationship with the light polarizing axis of the underlying light polarizing layer to thereby successively visually expose and mask the underlying representation every thirty seconds.

Referring now to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thereference numeral 10 generally designates an improved wrist watch display device which includes awatch casing 11, acover 12 and a window plate orcrystal 13. Thecasing 11 is of the usual cup shaped configuration and is provided, along the rim of the opening thereto, with an upstandingperipheral rib 14 having an inwardly downwardly beveled outer face. Housed in thecasing 11 is a conventional timing motor of any desired type having a disc shapedtop wall 16 engaging therib 14 and provided with awinding stem 17 registering with a corresponding opening in thecasing 11 and terminating in afinger piece 18.

The usual ternary of coaxial shafts projects from the timing motor through a central opening in thetop wall 16 and includes a central secondhand drive shaft 19 and inner andouter cannon shafts 20 and 21 respectively for driving the minute and hour hands. A circular mounting plate orframe 22 is superimposed on thewall 16 and is provided withan upstandingperipheral shoulder 23. A disc shapedpicture member 24 is superimposed on and suitably afiixed to theplate 22 and registers with theshoulder 23 and has acentral opening 26 registering with the motor shaft ternary which projects through an opening in theplate 22. Thepicture member 24 may be a photograph, drawing, print or the like and is provided on its front face with any desired representation orsubject matter 27.

A firstlight polarizing disc 28 is superimposed on the picture member and has a central opening registering with the shaft ternary. The polarizingdisc 28 is coextensive with the picture member and registers with theperipheral shoulder 23. It should be noted that theshoulder 23 may be inwardly beaded or upset along the upper edge thereof to engage the upper border of the polarizingdisc 28. The light polarizingdisc 28 may be formed of any suitable sheet material having a light polarizing axis lying in the plane thereof, such as Polaroid or thelike. Positioned above the firstlight polarizing disc 28 and affixed to thecannon shafts 20 and 21 are the usual upper and lower minute andhour hands 29 and 30 respectively.

Afiixed to the secondhand drive shaft 19 is a hub orcoupling member 32 having an upper outwardly directedperipheral flange 33. Asecond hand 34 is provided with an enlargedannular section between its ends which engages thehub 32 directly below theflange 33. A secondlight polarizing disc 36 which may be formed of the same material as the firstlight polarizing disc 24 and has a polarizing axis in the plane thereof, immediately underlies thesecond hand 34 and has acentral opening 37 registering with thehub 32. Also engaging thehub 32 along the underface of thedisc 36 is a washer of about the diameter of theflange 33, thehub 32,second hand 34,disc 36 and the washer being locked into a rigid assembly by a peripheral flange suitably formedon the bottom of thehub 32 and tightly bearing on the underface of the washer. It should be noted that thesecondpglarizing disc 36 is of somewhat smaller diameter than thefirst disc 23.

Thecover member 12 includes acollar 38 surrounding theshoulder 23 and the edge of theplate 16 and tightly releasably engaging the beveled outer face of thecasing rib 14. Thecollar 38 projects above theshoulder 23 and terminates in a bezel defining inwardly upwardly directedflange 39. A pair ofbrackets 40 project from opposite sides of thecollar 38 and support band or strap engaging pins in the usual manner.

Thewatch crystal 13 may be molded of a transparent synthetic organic resin and includes atop disc 41 provided with a dependingperipheral collar 42 which terminates in an outwardly directedlip 43. The lower border of thecollar 42 bears against the upper inner edge of thebezel 39 and thelip 43 complements and is engaged by the confronting faces of thebezel 30 and the upper face of therib 23. Formed in the peripheral under face of thecrystal disc 41 are circumferentially spaced radially extendinghour designating grooves 44 which are suitably inlaid or coated to render them clearly and easily visible.

In operation, the second, minute and hour hands, 29, 30 and 34 are driven in the usual manner to provide an indication of the time. The second polarizingdisc 36 is rotated by the shaft 19 a revolution a minute about its central axis so that the axis of light polarization thereof rotates therewith between positions parallel and at right angles to the light polarizing axis or" the stationary firstlight polarizing disc 28. The interval between parallel and completely crossed axes of polarization of thediscs 28 and 36 is fifteen seconds so that the transmission of light through theoverlying discs 28 and 36 increases from minimum to maximum in fifteen seconds and returns to minimum transmission in the following fifteen seconds. As a consequence, therepresentation 27 is periodically completely masked or substantially invisible for a short period every thirty seconds and is visible between said masking periods. does not abruptly change, the masking and unmasking of therepresentation 27 is gradual, approaching and leaving the position of right angles ofthe light polarizing axes of thediscs 28 and 36, so that therepresentation 27 is slowly periodicallyrendered visible and invisible thereby providing an attractive display. Since the second, minute and hour hands .and the hour indicia are not viewed through both light polarizing discs 28- and 36 these are always completely visible and the reading of the time is thus not interfered with.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

Since the degree of light transmission What is claimed is:

1. A time piece display device comprising an opaque face plate carrying a visual representation on the front face thereof, a layer of light polarizing material directly superimposed upon said visual representation, a disc of light polarizing material overlying said polarizing layer, a timing motor disposed behind said face plate and including a second hand drive shaft passing axially through said face plate and polarizing layer and aflixed to said polarizing disc substantially at the center thereof, a pair of minute hand and hour hand drive cannon shafts coaxial with said second hand drive shaft and driven by said timing motor, and a minute hand and an hour hand atfixed to said cannon shafts and disposed between said polarizing layer andsaid polarizing disc.

2. The time piece display device of claim 1 including a second hand afiixed to said second hand drive shaft and extending radially along the face of said polarizing disc.

3. The time piece display device of claim 1 including a transparent window member overlying said polarizing disc and carrying circumferentially spaced hour designating indicia.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,018,214 10/35 Land 40130 2,506,134 5/50 Burchell 40130 2,763,078 9/56 Graves 40130 2,786,292 3/57 Graves 40130 2,838,864 6/58 Guida 40l30 2,846,799 8/58 Viszlocky et a1. 4013O FOREIGN PATENTS 1,127,795 12/56 France.

659,690 10/51 Great Britain.

319,645 4/57 Switzerland.

322,322 7/57 Switzerland.

LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH P. STRIZAK, LEYLAND M. MARTIN,

Examiners.

Claims (1)

1. A TIME PIECE DISPLAY DEVICE COMPRISING AN OPAQUE FACE PLATE CARRYING A VISUAL REPRESENTATION ON THE FRONT FACE THEREOF, A LAYER OF LIGHT POLARIZING MATERIAL DIRECTLY SUPERIMPOSED UPON SAID VISUAL REPRESENTATION, A DISC OF LIGHT POLARIZING MATERIAL OVERLYING SAID POLARIZING LAYER, A TIMING MOTOR DISPOSED BEHIND SAID FACE PLATE AND INCLUDING A SECOND HAND DRIVE SHAFT PASSING AXIALLY THROUGH SAID FACE PLATE AND POLARIZING LAYER AND AFFIXED TO SAID POLARIZING DISC SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE CENTER THEREOF, A PAIR OF MINUTE HAND AND HOUR HAND DRIVE CANNON SHAFTS COAXIAL WITH SAID SECOND HAND DRIVE SHAFT AND DRIVEN BY SAID TIMING MOTOR, AND A MINUTE HAND AND AN HOUR HAND AFFIXED TO SAID CANNON SHAFTS AND DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID POLARIZING LAYER AND SAID POLARIZING DISC.

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