sandglass

Abstract

To provide a rotary sandglass which has a simplified rotation method of a support frame SS having a sand container, for inverting a vertical position of the sand container.SOLUTION: Three sand containers, and a support frame SS for sand containers which has a tube for passing sand therethrough, have a rotation axis which is parallel to a Y-axis of an XYZ three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system. The support frame SS has a form in which multiple action points are provided for adding force MF to its rotation direction TD for rotating the support frame SS. When rotating by 120 degrees, the support frame SS for moving upward the container to which sand is fallen, a certain action point is pressed in the rotation direction TD by the force MF, then the support frame SS is rotated by 60 degrees, then another action point is pressed in the rotation direction TD by the force MF, thereby rotating the support frame SS by 60 degrees. By such a configuration, the container to which sand is fallen is moved upward and time can be measured, and the action point can be pressed in the same direction for facilitating a rotation method.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an hourglass having a rotation mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] A rotating sandglass, which rotates by inverting the upper and lower containers of the sandglass, is known to rotate by a rotation mechanism consisting of a rotation axis of the support frame of the sandglass and its bearings (Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 8-2363).

[0003] However, when the upper and lower containers are inverted, the upper container is pushed from above to rotate the support frame 180 degrees in a semicircular shape. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application No. Hei 8-2363 [Patent Document 2] Jikko No. 59-30468 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In conventional rotating hourglasses, to invert the upper and lower containers, the upper part of the sand container's support frame is pressed to rotate it 180 degrees in a semicircular shape, and the direction of the force pressing on the sand container's support frame changes in a semicircular shape from horizontal to a vertical downward direction, and then back to horizontal.

[0006] The present invention aims to simplify the rotation method by making the direction of the force pushing on the support frame of the sand container the same when the rotating hourglass is rotating. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The support frame SS of the hourglass of the present invention, which has three sand containers and a tube for passing sand between them, has a rotation axis Y1 parallel to the Y axis of the XYZ three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. The support frame SS has six points of application of force MF in the rotation direction TD to rotate the support frame SS.

[0008] The point where the force MF is applied in the rotation direction TD is set as a fixed point BP, and when the point of action is at this fixed point BP, the force MF is applied in the rotation direction TD, thereby rotating the support frame body SS 60 degrees around the rotation axis Y1.

[0009] When the support frame SS is rotated 120 degrees to move the container into which the sand has fallen upward, the point of action at the fixed point BP is designated as point of action K6, which is pushed in the direction of rotation TD with force MF to rotate the support frame SS 60 degrees. At this time, point of action K1, which is located in the opposite direction of the direction of rotation TD from point of action K6, moves to fixed point BP.

[0010] Furthermore, the force MF is applied to the point of action K1 at the fixed point BP in the direction of rotation TD, causing the support frame SS to rotate 60 degrees. By these means, the container into which the sand has fallen can be moved upward, allowing the time to be measured. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] When rotating the support frame SS of the sand container, the point of application at the aforementioned fixed point BP is pushed in the direction of rotation TD, rotating the support frame SS, and another point of application that has moved in the direction of rotation TD is pushed in the same direction, causing the container into which the sand has fallen to rotate 120 degrees. This allows the container into which the sand has fallen to move from the bottom to the top, allowing time to be measured. This simplifies the rotation method of the rotating hourglass by keeping the starting point for pushing the support frame SS at one place, the direction of the force in the same direction, and making two 60-degree rotations. In addition, by placing a mark anywhere on the support frame, the time it takes for the mark on the support frame to return to its original position is the time it takes for the sand to move from one container to another three times, which can be used as a unit of time measurement. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of the structure and rotation mechanism of an hourglass according to the present invention (Example 1). [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view of the action point of the rotation mechanism of the hourglass of the present invention (Example 1). [Figure 3] 1 is a plan view of the action point of the rotation mechanism of the hourglass of the present invention (Example 1). [Figure 4] 1 is a plan view of the action point of the rotation mechanism of the hourglass of the present invention (Example 1). [Figure 5] 1 is a perspective view of the structure and rotation mechanism of an hourglass according to the present invention (Example 2). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] As modes for carrying out the invention, first and second embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Each drawing showing the embodiments shows an XYZ three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system. [Example]

[0014] FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an hourglass according to claims 1 and 2. The outer frame FR of the support frame SS is fitted to the inner surface P1 of the cylindrical rotating support TS, and the support frame SS rotates in a rotation direction TD around a rotation axis Y1 parallel to the Y axis relative to the rotating support TS. The rotation mechanism of the hourglass of the present invention has a configuration in which the rotating support TS is supported by supports SB and a base BS. The outer frame FR is reinforced by a reinforcing frame FS.

[0015] The force acting on the rotary support TS due to the dynamic friction between the support frame SS and the rotary support TS during rotation is supported by the support SB and the base BS.

[0016] The support frame SS has, inside its outer frame FR, containers C1, C2, and C3, into which sand is inserted, spaced apart around the rotation axis Y1, with a pipe T1 between container C1 and container C2 for passing sand, a pipe T2 between container C2 and container C3 for passing sand, and a pipe T3 between container C3 and container C1 for passing sand. Sand SD is shown in container C2 in Figure 1.

[0017] 2 to 4 show the configuration of the rotation mechanism of the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 shows the state of the hourglass before it starts to rotate. Sand SD has fallen from container C1 into container C2. K1 to K6 are examples of points of application where force MF is applied to rotate the hourglass. The point where force MF is applied in the direction of rotation TD to the point of application of support frame SS is defined as fixed point BP.

[0019] In the state shown in Figure 2, the point of application K6 is at the fixed point BP, and by applying a force MF to the point of application K6 in the rotation direction TD, the point of application K6 shown in Figure 2 moves to the position of the point of application K6 shown in Figure 3. At this time, the support frame SS rotates 60 degrees.

[0020] Next, the point of application K1 shown in Figure 3 is at the fixed point BP, and a force MF is applied to the point of application K1 in the rotation direction TD, moving it to the position of the point of application K1 shown in Figure 4. At this time, the support frame SS rotates another 60 degrees.

[0021] As a result, by performing two operations of applying force to the point of action in the rotation direction TD at the fixed point BP, the support frame SS rotates 120 degrees, and container C2, which is in the lowest position in the Z direction as shown in Figure 2, moves to the highest position in the Z direction as shown in Figure 4.Sand falls from container C2 to container C3, allowing time to be measured. [Example]

[0022] Figure 5 shows the form of an hourglass as described in claim 3. A cylinder T4 having a rotation axis Y1 is added inside the containers C1, C2, and C3 as described in claim 1, and a cylindrical rotation support TS is inserted inside this cylinder T4.

[0023] The outer surface P2 of the cylindrical shape of the rotary support TS and the inner surface of the cylinder T4 are fitted together, and the rotary support TS is supported by the support SB and the base BS. [Explanation of symbols]

[0024] TS Rotating Support Y1 rotation axis TD rotation direction FR outer frame T1 Sand passing pipe T2 Sand passing pipe T3 Sand passing pipe T4 tube SB support SS support frame BS base C1 Sand container C2 Sand container C3 Sand Container MF Power SD Sand P1: Inner surface of the rotary support TS of Example 1 P2 Outer surface of the rotary support TS of Example 2 FS Reinforcement Frame K1 Point of action K2 Point of action K3 Point of action K4 Point of action K5 Point of action K6 Point of action

Claims

1. An hourglass with a rotation mechanism, the rotation mechanism having a support frame (SS) that supports a container into which sand is inserted, and a rotation support (TS) that supports the rotation of the support frame, the rotation support (TS) having a rotation axis (Y1) parallel to the Y axis of an XYZ three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, the support frame (SS) having, inside its outer frame (FR), a container (C1), a container (C2), and a container (C3) into which sand is inserted, spaced apart around the rotation axis (Y1), a pipe (T1) through which sand passes between the containers (C1) and (C2), and a tube (T1) for passing sand between the containers (C2) and (C3). and a tube (T2) for passing sand between the container (C3) and the container (C1), and a tube (T3) for passing sand between the container (C3) and the container (C1), and the support frame (SS) has a form having multiple points of action that apply a force (MF) in the rotation direction (TD) to rotate the support frame (SS) around the rotation axis (Y1), and the rotation mechanism is characterized in that the force on the rotating support (TS) due to the kinetic friction force between the rotating support frame (SS) and the rotating support (TS) is supported by the support (SB) that supports the rotating support (TS) and the base (BS) that supports it.

2. An hourglass in which the rotating support (TS) of claim 1 has a cylindrical shape, and the inner surface of the cylinder of the rotating support (TS) is fitted to the outer surface of the outer frame (FR) of the support frame body (SS) of claim 1.

3. An hourglass in which the rotating support (TS) of claim 1 has a cylindrical shape, and further comprising a tube (T4) having a rotation axis (Y1) inside the container (C1), container (C2), and container (C3) of claim 1, and the aforementioned cylindrical rotating support (TS) is added inside this tube (T4), and the cylindrical outer surface of the rotating support (TS) and the inner surface of the tube (T4) are aligned.

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