Setting structure module for timer

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 6826127
  • Patent Number
    6,826,127
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, May 15, 2002
    22 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, November 30, 2004
    20 years ago
  • Inventors
  • Original Assignees
  • Examiners
    • Patel; Tulsidas
    • Phan; Thanh S.
    Agents
    • Troxell Law Office PLLC
Abstract
A setting structure module for a timer including a hollow top housing and a bottom housing, and a time setting apparatus positioned in upper portion of the top housing. A middle cover is located above a middle of the top housing and inserted through an inner hole of time setting apparatus. The left inner side of the bottom housing provides a synchronize electric motor, a power supply connecting apparatus and the gear transmission system connected to the output axle of synchronize electric motor. A right inner side of the bottom housing has a switch dial and micro switch.
Description




FIELD OF THE INVENTION




The present invention is relating to a timer, specifically to a timer movement having an upper plate and a lower plate.




BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION




The time setting apparatus of a conventional mechanical timer usually is divided into two types. The first type requires inserting a pin to the pre-opened ON-OFF holes and the second type requires moving a switch dial which is usually located on an outside of a timer plate, either horizontally or vertically. The disadvantage of the first type is that it uses 30 minutes increments and is not available in 15 minutes increments as a unit and the pins are easily lost. Furthermore, the time setting is limited to the number of pins. The disadvantage of the second type is because the switch dial located outside the timer, it is easily broken by an external force and the position may be changed accidentally causing the settings to be changed. Furthermore, the dimension is larger and the structure is always more complicated.




The current mechanical timer provides no operation indication and whether the timer is in operation depends on voice or long time observation.




The conventional mechanical timer cannot adjust the time difference caused by the difference of a micro switch. Therefore, the time is accurate for only 15 minutes plus minus 5%.




The power supply connecting apparatus of current mechanical timer uses synchronize electricity, usually by printing a circuit board, wherein the voltage decrease resistance is more difficult to install and the reliability is poor.




SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION




The purpose of the present invention is providing a timer movement which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages and enables a convenient operation for the timer, having an operation indicating dial, a synchronized electricity connecting apparatus and a precising time adjust apparatus.




In order to achieve the purpose, the device adapted by the present invention is a timer movement, which includes a hollow but openable top housing


12


and a bottom housing


13


, a time setting apparatus


50


which is positioned in an upper portion of the top housing


12


; a middle cover


9


located above a middle of the top housing


12


and inserted through an inner hole of the time setting apparatus


50


. A left inner side of the bottom housing


13


provides a synchronized electric motor


16


, the power supply connecting apparatus and the gear transmission system which are connected to the output axle of the synchronized electric. A right inner side of the bottom housing


13


has a switch dial


14


and a micro switch


1


, characterized in:




The time setting apparatus has a round pan shape and includes a setting pin base


23


mounted on an exterior circumference of a central extrusion of the top housing


12


and turning around the exterior circumference. On a top portion of setting pin base


23


is a dial ring


8


having 96 setting pins


11


located between the outer edge of setting pin base


23


and dialing ring


23


which can slide along an axle direction. The upper surface of the middle cover


9


has an operation indicating needle


10


, a lower portion of said operation indicating needle is a cylindrical sleeve into which is inserted the upper portion of first grade transmission


17


′ of said gear transmission system and through the upper wall of middle cover


9


. The top of the operation indicating needle is a same height as the middle cover


9


. The power supply connecting apparatus


60


is fixed in one side of the inner chamber of the bottom housing


13


and includes a first electric conducting plate


2


, a second electric conducting plate


3


and a third electric conducting plate


6


and a fourth electric conducting plate


7


extending from the outerwall of bottom housing


13


. Meanwhile, between the first electric conducting plate


2


and the fourth electric conducting plate


7


, and the second electric conducting plate


3


and the third electric conducting plate


6


, is welded a first electric resistance


5


and a second electric resistance


4


.




The lower cylindrical rod of said turnable setting pin base


23


provides the last grade connecting gear


30


of gear transmission system which can mesh transmission gear


21


, the turning speed is 24 hours per turn. An extending plate of setting pin base


23


provides four holes


31


, the outer edge provides 96 positioning grooves


32


and under the outer circumference is a protrusion


33


.




Under said dialing ring


8


are four vertically extending vertical protrusions


34


which corresponding to the four holes


31


of setting pin base


23


. The four protrusions


34


are inserted into the four holes


31


of setting pin base


23


to form the connection between dialing ring


8


and setting pin base


23


. The upper outer circumference of dial ring


8


is printed with 24 hour time indicia


35


, the lower outer circumference has 96 passage grooves


36


which corresponding to the 96 positioning groove


32


and extend downwardly to form


96


shallow grooves


37


.




The setting pin


11


includes: an open groove


38


provided in a middle portion of the setting pin


11


and slideable in the outer circumference of the setting pin base


23


. The upper portion of the setting pin


11


vertically provides a moving head


39


which extends through the passage groove


36


and protrudes from the upper surface. The end portion of setting pin


11


provides tail


40


with a shape corresponding to the shallow groove


37


of dial ring


8


, the sides of tail can touch with the touching rod


41


which is provided vertically from said switch dial


14


.




The switch dial


14


further provides a time setting precise adjustment apparatus. The apparatus includes a micro switch interval switch dial adjust slide


43


mounted and slideable in the upper section of switch dial


14


and an inner side thereof contacts a micro switch touching head


42


that is sloping plane and an outside end has a jaw


44


which meshes with teeth of the upper portion of switch dial


14


.




Because the time setting apparatus includes the setting pin base, dial ring and setting pin, the setting pin can slide In a rail between the setting pin base and dial ring, timely pushing switch dial to connect the micro switch. Therefore, the time setting apparatus is more reliable and more convenient to operate. The operation indicating needle can be easily seen. Because there is a micro switch interval switch dial adjust slide, the error or time difference can be effectively adjusted. The accuracy of each interval is increased to 16 minutes plus and minus 1 minute, the setting error is less than 1 minute. Because of the power supply connecting apparatus is composed of four electric conducting plates and two electric resistances and fixed in one side of bottom housing, the power supply connection is simple and reliable.











BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS





FIG. 1

is the view of overall structure of the timer movement.





FIG. 2

is the top view of the timer movement.





FIG. 3

is the plain view of removing the top housing and locating the transmission system, switch dial and micro switch as well as interval adjustment apparatus.





FIG. 4

is the plain view of removing the top housing and locating the power supply connecting apparatus of synchronized electric motor and micro switch.





FIG. 5

is the longitude sectional view of setting pin base of the time setting apparatus.





FIG. 6

is the longitude sectional view of dial ring of the time setting apparatus.





FIG. 7

is the main view of the setting pin of the time setting apparatus.











DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT




The detail of the present invention is disclosed hereunder by combining the drawings.




As shown in

FIGS. 1

to


7


, the movement of the present invention including a hollow top housing


12


that can be opened or closed, a bottom housing


13


, a time setting apparatus


50


which is located in an upper portion of the top housing


12


, a middle cover


9


mounted and connected in a middle portion of the top housing


12


; the middle cover


9


extruding through an inner hole of the time setting apparatus


50


and a top plane is a top surface of the movement of the present invention. A synchronized electric motor


16


is provided on a left inner side of the bottom housing and has a power supply connecting apparatus, as well as a-gear transmission system which connected with an output axle of the synchronize electric motor


16


. A switch dial


14


and a micro switch


1


are located on an interior left side of the bottom housing


13


. The time setting apparatus


50


has a round pan shape, includes a setting pin base


23


mounted on an exterior circumference of a central protrusion of the top housing


12


and turning along the exterior circumference. The lower portion of pin base


23


has a cylindrical shape with a last connecting gear


30


for gear transmission system. The connecting gear


30


is meshed with a transmission gear


21


speed is 24 hours per circle. The upper part of pin base


23


provides an extruding plane having four holes


31


, a top of the pin base


23


provides 96 positioning grooves


32


which operate as a guide rail, and a lower circumference has a protrusion


33


. A dial ring


8


including four small vertical downwardly extending protrusions


34


(refer to

FIG. 6

) that correspond to the four holes


31


in the pin base


23


. By inserting the small protrusions


34


into the four holes


31


, the pin base


23


is connected with the dial ring


8


. A top circumference of dial ring


8


is printed with 24 hour time indicia


35


, a lower outer circumference of the dial ring


8


is printed with 96 passage grooves


36


corresponding to the 96 positioning grooves


32


. Extending outwardly from a lower surface of passage groove


36


are 96 shall grooves


37


. Between the circumferences of pin base


23


and dial ring


8


, there are 96 setting pins


11


, which can independently slide along a longitude rail, that means the setting pins


11


are slidably within the passage grooves


36


of the dial ring


8


, which is composed of an upper and lower rail. The groove has certain depth and contacting with setting pin


11


side by side, and in addition to positioning also prevents the shaking of the setting pin


11


. A middle part of setting pin


11


provides an open groove


38


which can be mounted with pin base


23


and slideable thereon. The top surface of open groove


38


slides along the positioning groove


32


of pin base


23


, the bottom surface of the open groove has groove


46


which matches protrusion


33


of setting pin base


23


to enable the setting pin


11


to have flexibility and be stability during the operation. The upper part of setting pin


11


vertically extends a moving head


39


which pass through the passage groove


36


and protrudes from its upper surface. The moving head


39


can be moved by hand and slides along a longitude direction. The end of setting pin


11


has a tail


40


and a shape of an upper surface corresponds to the shallow groove


37


of dial ring


8


and is slidable therein. When moving the moving head


39


by hand the moving head


39


selectively touches the touching rod


41


which upwardly extending from the switch dial to achieve the purpose of time setting. The middle cover


9


of top housing


12


passes through the inner holes of time setting pin base


23


and dial ring


8


and the top plane is the top surface of movement of this timer. The top plane of middle cover


9


provides the operation indicating needle


10


and its lower portion has a cylindrical sleeve which can be mounted to the first transmission gear


17


of said gear transmission system and further pass through and with the same height of middle cover


9


. Said synchronize power supply connecting apparatus is fixed in one side of inner chamber of bottom housing


13


(refer to

FIG. 1

) which including a first conducting plate


2


, a second conducting plate


3


, and a third conducting plate


6


and fourth conducting plate


7


extending from bottom housing


13


. These conducting plates are connected with said synchronize power supply connecting apparatus


60


. Furthermore, between the first conducting plate


2


and the fourth conducting plate


7


; and the second conducting plate


3


and the third conducting plate


6


, there are welded with a first electrical resistance


5


and a second electrical resistance


4


, thereby composed a complete synchronize power supply. Beside, there is a time setting precise adjust apparatus


70


(refer to

FIG. 3

) provided in said switch dial


14


, said switch dial


70


including a micro switch interval switch dial adjust slide


43


which is mounted and slideable in switch dial


14


. The inner side of the switch dial


70


which contacts the micro switch touching head


42


is a slopping plane and an outside end has a jaw


44


meshed with teeth in an upper section of the switch dial


14


to prevent slide automatically. In order to achieve the purpose of adjust the switch dial adjust slide


43


, on the bottom side of bottom housing


13


provided a pass hole


45


corresponding to switch dial adjust slide


43


, the switch dial adjust slide


43


can be moved through the pass hole


45


. Because the travel interval of the micro switch is inconsistent, the present invention is not using the switch dial


14


to operate directly with the micro switch but through the switch dial adjust slide


43


to adjust the position. In practice, by having the slopping plane of micro switch dial adjust slide


43


contacting with switch touching head


42


, the precision of time setting is improved to plus or minus 1 minute.




When practicing, the timer movement of the timer is adjusted by, firstly, moving the setting pin


11


outwardly. Because every pin is 15 minutes the setting time be selected by adjusting a desired number of moving pins to obtain the setting time. This number can be the initial for power supply of turning speed 30 r.p.m. of synchronize electric motor


16


. Once the synchronized electric motor is connected to the power supply, the output axle moves the first grade gear


17


and the transmission ratio is 30, then second grade gear


18


, third grade gear


19


, fourth grade gear


40


, and gear


21


are meshed with the last gear


30


of setting pin base


23


which enable the timer apparatus


50


to turn. The outwardly moved and time set tail


40


of setting pin pushes the touching rod


41


of switch dial


14


, and through the micro switch dial adjust slide


43


of switch dial


14


pushing the touching head


42


of micro switch and make the connection, to achieve cut off the circuit in preset time interval. Because the transmission ratio of first grade is 30, the turning speed of gear


17


is 1 r.p.m., and the turning speed of the operation indicating needle


10


which mounted on the upwardly extending axle of gear


17


is 1 r.p.m., which is the turning speed of second dial, therefore the timer operate can be viewed directly.




The foregoing description shows only preferred embodiments of the invention, various modifications and alterations of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments shown and described are only illustrative, not restrictive.



Claims
  • 1. A time setting structure for a timer comprising:a) a top housing having a central protrusion extending from a top thereof; b) a bottom housing including: i) a synchronized electric motor located in an interior of the bottom housing; ii) a power supply connecting apparatus connected to the synchronized electric motor and having first, second, third, and fourth electric conducting plates, a first electric resistance located between the first and the fourth electric conducting plates, and a second electric resistance located between the second and the third electric conducting plates, the third and fourth electric conducting plates extending from a outer wall in the bottom housing; iii) an a gear transmission system connected to an output axle of the synchronized electric motor; iv) a micro switch located in an interior of the bottom housing; and v) a switch dial controlling the micro switch; c) a time setting apparatus located on an upper portion of the top housing and including: i) a setting pin base rotatably positioned on an outer circumference of the central protrusion of the top housing; ii) a dial ring located above the setting pin base; and iii) a plurality of setting pins slidably located between the setting pin base and the dial ring; and d) a middle cover inserted into a center hole in the time setting apparatus and having an operation indicating needle protruding from a bottom thereof and connected to a first grade transmission of the gear transmission system.
  • 2. The time setting structure according to claim 1, wherein the setting pin base includes a last grade connecting gear engaging a transmission gear of the gear transmission system and four holes located on a top thereof, the dial ring includes four protrusions extending from a bottom thereof and engaging the four holes of the setting pin base, the transmission gear having a turning speed selected from the group consisting of twenty-four hours per turn and one week per turn.
  • 3. The time setting structure according to claim 1, wherein the setting pin base includes a plurality of positioning grooves and four holes located on a top thereof, the dial ring includes four protrusions extending from a bottom thereof, a plurality of passage grooves and a plurality of shallow grooves located on the bottom thereof and twenty-four hour indicia located on a top thereof, the plurality of passage grooves correspond with the plurality of positioning grooves and extend downwardly to communicate with the shallow grooves, the four protrusions are inserted into the four holes of the setting pin base.
  • 4. The time setting structure according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of setting pins includes:a) an open groove located in a middle portion thereof and slidably engaging an outer circumference of the setting pin base; b) a moving head protruding from an upper portion thereof and slidably inserted in and protruding through a top of one of the plurality of passage grooves of the dial ring; and c) a tail inserted into one of the plurality of shallow grooves and selectively engaging a touching rod of the switch dial.
  • 5. The time setting structure according to claim 1, wherein the switch dial includes a time setting precise adjustment apparatus includes a micro switch interval switch dial adjust slide slidably connected to an upper section of the switch dial and a jaw meshing with teeth of the switch dial, the micro switch interval switch dial adjust slide selectively engaging a touching head of the micro switch.
  • 6. The time setting structure according to claim 5, wherein the bottom housing includes a pass hole on a bottom thereof corresponding to the micro switch interval switch dial adjust slide.
  • 7. The time setting structure according to claim 1, wherein the synchronized electric motor has a turning speed of thirty revolutions per minute, the first grade gear has a transmission ration of thirty; and the operation indicating needle has a turning speed of one revolution per minute.
US Referenced Citations (3)
Number Name Date Kind
4451159 Tanaka May 1984 A
5933391 Uptegraph Aug 1999 A
6570822 Stekelenburg May 2003 B2