Mechanical time stamp with automatic time correction
By designing a small, portable, intelligent mechanical time stamp, combined with mechanical transmission and an electronic time synchronization system, the problems of time-consuming, labor-intensive, and inaccurate document stamping in the medical field have been solved. It achieves second-level time synchronization and normal use after power failure, reducing costs and improving work efficiency.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- 张荣政
- Filing Date
- 2025-07-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing document stamping methods are time-consuming and labor-intensive in the medical field, and are prone to miswriting and tampering. Traditional mechanical date stamps cannot be accurate to the minute, and hospital PDA systems are costly and cannot generate physical vouchers in the event of a power outage.
Design a small, portable, intelligent mechanical time stamp that combines a mechanical transmission mechanism with an electronic time synchronization system. It uses a large character wheel device composed of four small character wheels, and achieves automatic time synchronization through a micro stepper motor and circuit board. It can also be manually synchronized when the power is off. The outer shell is made of antibacterial copper alloy.
It achieves automatic time synchronization down to the second, and date and time stamping is accurate to the minute, reducing costs, improving work efficiency, making it easy to carry and operate, and ensuring normal use even in the event of a power outage.
Smart Images
Figure CN224375178U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent office equipment technology, specifically to an intelligent mechanical time stamp device that combines a mechanical transmission mechanism with an electronic time synchronization system. Background Technology
[0002] In the use of seals on documents in fields such as finance, judiciary, and healthcare, legally valid timestamps are crucial. This is especially true in healthcare, where nurses frequently need to sign their names and times at various registration and signature points. For example, nurses must conduct ward rounds every two hours and sign their names and times, as well as sign infusion monitoring cards. However, existing technical solutions have the following drawbacks: ① Traditional handwriting is time-consuming, averaging 22 seconds per record (including taking out the pen, checking the time, writing, and putting the pen away). The notes are illegible or prone to miswriting, and paper records are susceptible to alteration later. ② Traditional mechanical date stamps require manual date adjustment before each use and only display the date, not the minute, failing to meet the requirements of the "Requirements for Critically Ill Patient Nursing Records," resulting in significant time consumption and a risk of misoperation. ③ Although the hospital PDA electronic signature system can automatically record time, it has the following drawbacks: high equipment cost (single unit price ≥ 2800 yuan), inability to generate physical vouchers when power is off (violating JCI certification 6th edition MM.3.6 clause), the operation interface requires multiple steps, and it is bulky, heavy and inconvenient to carry. Summary of the Invention
[0003] To address the various problems in the aforementioned background technology, this invention proposes a low-cost, small-sized, lightweight, portable intelligent mechanical time stamp with automatic time synchronization.
[0004] The stamp mainly consists of a rectangular outer shell, no larger than 5cm x 4.5cm x 2cm for easy pocket placement. It can be disassembled into upper and lower parts, connected by screws. The top of the shell has a square Type-C charging port for charging, and a round hole in the center of the front for activation. The bottom left side of the shell has a raised name of the user, allowing for stamping the time and name simultaneously. Inside the shell, at the bottom, is a large decagonal mechanism composed of four small decagonal wheels, the core device for stamping the time. Each of the four small decagonal wheels has raised numbers 0-9 on its face, representing the tens and units digits of the minutes. Each wheel can rotate independently without interfering with the others. Each small decagonal wheel has a round hole inside for a bearing to be inserted, reducing rotational friction. The diameter is further embedded in a 20mm long flat-head locking screw fixed inside the housing, thus fixing the entire character wheel assembly at the lowest center of the housing. Each of the four small character wheels in the large character wheel assembly has a gear at its end, which meshes with four transmission gears fixed inside the housing to drive the character wheel. Each of these transmission gears meshes with the gear heads of four two-phase four-wire micro stepper motors fixed on both sides inside the housing. The control lines of the micro stepper motors are connected to a circuit board fixed at the top of the housing. The main function of this circuit board is to enable Bluetooth connectivity, read the real-time time, and control the stepper motors to drive the character wheels to a specified position. A 3.7V polymer lithium battery is fixedly placed in the space below the circuit board to power the entire circuit board and the micro stepper motors. The entire housing and internal mechanical parts are made of antibacterial copper alloy and other metal materials that are not easily corroded by various pharmaceuticals and chemicals, ensuring high durability.
[0005] The present invention can be further configured such that the number of small character wheels in the character wheel device is increased from the original 4 to 12, and the housing is appropriately widened, and the number of internal transmission gears and stepper motors is also increased accordingly to match their number.
[0006] By using the above technical solution, which increases the number of digits on the lower dial to 12, more detailed and accurate date and time stamping can be achieved, down to the year, month, day, hour, minute, and second.
[0007] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:
[0008] This invention enables the simultaneous stamping of name and time, with automatic time synchronization down to the second, greatly improving work efficiency; it is small and lightweight, only half the size of a palm, making it easy to carry; it can be operated with one hand and one button, making it simple to use; it is inexpensive (cost ≤ 50 yuan), has stable performance, and is accurate to the minute; it can still work normally by manual operation even after a power outage. Attached Figure Description
[0009] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following description of embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure from the upper right perspective of an embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the external structure from the upper left perspective of an embodiment of the present invention;
[0012] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the upper half of the shell according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0013] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the lower half of the housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal three-dimensional structure of an embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Enlarged view of the partial explosion at point A in the middle;
[0016] Figure 7 This is a front view of the internal structure of an embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the shell cover structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] Figure 9 This is a block diagram of the circuit board functional modules according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:
[0020] 1-Upper part of the shell; 2-Lower part of the shell; 3-Button; 4-Type-C charging port; 5-Circuit board; 6-Stepper motor control line; 7-Two-phase four-wire micro stepper motor; 8-No. 1 transmission gear; 9-Fixing column; 10-3.7V lithium battery; 11-Lower part of the support column; 12-Upper part of the support column; 13-User's name; 14-Flat-head locking screw; 15-No. 2 transmission gear; 16-No. 1 small character wheel; 17-Bearing; 18-No. 2 small character wheel; 19-No. 3 small character wheel; 20-No. 4 small character wheel; 21-Flat-head locking screw; 22-Shell cover; 23-Insert ink sponge. Detailed Implementation
[0021] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the appendix. Figure 1The orientations or positional relationships shown are for the purpose of facilitating and simplifying the description of the present invention, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention.
[0022] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0023] An embodiment of the present invention:
[0024] Reference Figures 1-9 This invention provides an intelligent mechanical time stamp. (Refer to...) Figure 1 and Figure 2 The stamp's appearance is primarily a rectangular outer shell composed of shell 1 and shell 2, with dimensions not exceeding 5cm*4.5cm*2cm, for easy pocketing and carrying; see reference. Figure 3 and Figure 4 The outer shell can be disassembled into two parts, shell 1 and shell 2, which can be connected and fixed together by screws; the top of the outer shell has a Type-C square charging port 4 for charging the stamp; the center of the front of shell 1 has a round hole as a button hole for pressing button 3 to start the stamp; the bottom left of the shell has a raised name of the stamp user 13, which can be used to print the time and the name at the same time.
[0025] Reference Figure 5 The lower part inside the housing 2, that is Figure 5 Point A in the diagram consists of a large digit wheel device composed of four small digit wheels (16, 18, 19, and 20), which is the core component used for stamping the time. Each small digit wheel is a regular decagon, with raised numbers 0-9 on each face. Each small digit wheel (16, 18, 19, and 20) represents the tens and units digits of the minutes from left to right, respectively. They can all rotate independently without affecting each other. The specific correspondence is as follows: small digit wheel 16 represents the tens digit; small digit wheel 18 represents the units digit; small digit wheel 19 represents the tens digit; and small digit wheel 20 represents the units digit.
[0026] Reference Figure 6The inner surfaces of the number 2 small type wheel 18 and number 3 small type wheel 19 are circular holes, with internal dimensions perfectly suited to embed a miniature high-speed bearing 17. This reduces frictional resistance during rotation of the number 2 small type wheel 18 and number 3 small type wheel 19. The inner diameter of the bearing 17 is further embedded in a 20mm long flat-head locking screw 14. The flat-head locking screw 14 passes through the fixing post 9 inside the housing and engages with the flat-head locking screw 21 to lock and fix it in place, thus firmly fixing the entire type wheel device to the fixing post 9 at the bottom center of the housing. (Refer to...) Figure 6 The numbered wheels 16 and 4 are respectively fitted around the numbered wheel 2 (18) and numbered wheel 3 (19). There is a slight gap between their installation positions and those of the numbered wheels 18 and 3 (19), allowing them to rotate freely without interfering with each other. The outermost ends of the numbered wheels 18 and 3 (19) are equipped with gears, which, when fitted with the numbered drive gear 15, lock the positions of the numbered wheels 16 and 4 (20) to prevent left and right movement. Furthermore, the numbered drive gear 15 is fixed to the end gears of the numbered wheels 18 and 3 (19), and meshes with the gear head of the micro stepper motor 7 above, specifically for transmitting power to the numbered wheels 18 and 3 (19). The transmission of the other two numbered wheels 16 and 4 (20) is as follows... Figure 6 and Figure 7 Each of the two No. 1 transmission gears 8 has a bearing embedded inside and is mirror-fixed to the housing 2. The upper gear meshes with the gear heads of two two-phase four-wire micro stepper motors 7 fixed on both sides inside the housing, and the lower gears mesh with the gears at the ends of the No. 1 small character wheel 16 and the No. 4 small character wheel 20 to transmit power. In summary, the large character wheel device is driven by the gears at the ends of the four small character wheels 16, 18, 19, and 20 meshing with the four transmission gears 8 and 15 fixed inside the housing.
[0027] Reference Figure 7 The rotation of transmission gear 8 (number 1) and transmission gear 15 (number 2) is controlled by four micro stepper motors 7. The micro stepper motors 7 are symmetrically distributed on the housing 2 in a mirror image. The motor control line 6 is connected to the circuit board 5 to drive and control the stepper motors to stop at a specified rotation position. When the micro stepper motor 7 rotates once, the corresponding individual small number wheels 16, 18, 19, and 20 will rotate 36° through the transmission gears 8 or 15, which means they will rotate one number.
[0028] Reference Figure 5 and Figure 7The circuit board 5 is fixed on three support columns 11 inside the upper part of the housing 2. When the housing 1 and the housing 2 are fixed together, the support column 12 on the housing 1 and the three support columns 11 on the housing 2 fit together perfectly and fix the circuit board 5 tightly in the middle of the stamp. A 3.7V lithium battery 10 is fixedly placed in the space below to power the entire circuit board 5 and the micro stepper motor 7.
[0029] Reference Figure 9 The circuit board 5 mainly consists of the following components: a main control chip STC8H8K64U, a charging module TP4057, a power self-locking circuit, a 3.3V voltage regulator module, buttons, a data storage module AT24C02, a Bluetooth function module, an RTC real-time clock module PCF8563TS, and a stepper motor drive module. The main function of the circuit board 5 is to implement Bluetooth connectivity, read the real-time time, and control the stepper motor to drive the digit wheel to rotate to a specified position.
[0030] Reference Figure 8 The lid 22 is a hollow cuboid that can be perfectly attached to the bottom of the upper half 1 and the lower half 2 of the shell after they are combined, making it easy to carry. There is a rectangular ink sponge 23 at the bottom. After the stamp is set, you only need to dip the ink sponge 23 in the lid 22 to stamp the time and name on the paper.
[0031] In addition, the entire outer shell and internal mechanical parts are made of antibacterial copper alloy and other metal materials that are not easily corroded by various pharmaceuticals and chemicals, making them highly durable.
[0032] Working principle of the stamp: Before the first use, the stamp needs to be connected to a mobile phone via Bluetooth for initial time setting. Subsequent uses do not require external Bluetooth connection. To use the stamp, simply press button 3 to activate it. The main control chip on circuit board 5 reads the current time data (accurate to the minute) from the RTC real-time clock chip and the position data of the last used digit wheel stored in the memory chip. The main control chip then calculates the required rotation angle for each of the smaller digit wheels 16, 18, 19, and 20, and drives the stepper motor 7 to rotate the smaller digit wheels 16, 18, 19, and 20 to the position corresponding to the current time (e.g., 12:30) via transmission gears 8 and 15. Finally, simply dip the ink sponge 23 from the casing cover 22 to imprint the time and name on the paper. The entire time synchronization process is fully automatic and takes only 1-3 seconds, significantly saving manual time. After use, if there is no operation within 30 seconds, the stamp will automatically power off to save power and extend the battery life of battery 10. When the stamp's battery is depleted, it can be recharged via the top Type-C charging port 4. Any Type-C phone charger is compatible. Once charging is complete, the charging indicator light will change from red to green; at this point, unplug the charger. Additionally, if the stamp loses power or the time wheel position becomes inaccurate, the time wheel can be manually adjusted to the correct position.
[0033] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any equivalent substitutions or modifications made by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present invention, based on the technical solution and inventive concept of the present invention, should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A mechanical time stamp with automatic time correction function, comprising a housing, characterized in that: The housing is detachable into an upper part (1) and a lower part (2) and is fixed by screws. The upper part (1) of the housing has a Type-C charging hole (4) at the top. The upper part (1) of the housing has a button (3) in the center of the front. The upper part (1) of the housing has a raised name of the user (13) on the bottom left. The lower part (2) of the housing has a fixing post (9) at the bottom. The fixing post (9) has a large character wheel device composed of four small character wheels (16, 18, 19, 20) fixed on it. The lower part (2) of the housing has four micro stepper motors (7) arranged in a mirror distribution on both sides. The lower part (2) of the housing has a circuit board (5) installed on the top.
2. The mechanical time stamp according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower half of the housing (2) has three support pillars (11) at the top, the circuit board (5) has a button (3) in the center, and a 3.7V lithium battery (10) is placed below the circuit board (5).
3. The mechanical time stamp according to claim 1, characterized in that: The large character wheel device below the lower half of the housing (2) is composed of four small character wheels (16, 18, 19, 20). The small character wheels (16, 18, 19, 20) are equipped with bearings (17). The bearings (17) are fixed on the flat-head locking screw female (14). The flat-head locking screw female (14) and the flat-head locking screw male (21) are fixed together on the fixing post (9).
4. The mechanical time stamp according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control line (6) of the micro stepper motor (7) is connected to the circuit board (5), and the head gear of the micro stepper motor (7) meshes with the No. 1 transmission gear (8) and the No. 2 transmission gear (15) respectively.
5. The mechanical time stamp according to claim 1, characterized in that: The bottom of the housing is fitted with a cover (22) containing an ink sponge (23).