Children's Time Signal Device with Illuminated Face Plate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing children's timing devices often disrupt sleep patterns with moving parts, unnatural lighting, and constant illumination, which can interfere with a child's sleep and confuse their understanding of wake-up and sleep times.
Innovation Solution
A children's time signal device with a housing unit, a decorative face plate, a clock timer, a controller, and illuminating sources that remain dark until a set time, activating a child-friendly signal, such as a clown's nose, to indicate when it is okay to get out of bed or start/stop an activity, using a combination of internal or external timers and power sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If moving faceplates are used to indicate waking and sleeping times, then the device can clearly signal different times of day, but the device produces noise and requires more moving parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical rotating faceplate system with an electronic controller that uses illuminating means (lights/LEDs) to display wake and sleep signals. The controller receives signals from the timing means and activates appropriate illuminating patterns, eliminating mechanical moving parts while maintaining clear visual signaling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses different illuminating colors or patterns to represent different states (wake/sleep). The illuminating means can change color or illumination pattern based on the timing signals, providing clear visual distinction between wake and sleep times without requiring physical faceplate changes.
2Illumination intensity
If constant illumination is used to display time information, then the device is always visible, but it disrupts children's sleep patterns
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic illumination controlled by the timing means. The illuminating means are activated only during wake hours and deactivated during sleep hours, creating a periodic on/off pattern that provides visibility when needed while avoiding sleep disruption during nighttime.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses different illumination characteristics for different time periods. During wake hours, the illumination is active and visible; during sleep hours, the illumination is deactivated or reduced to minimal levels, creating locally different illumination qualities appropriate for each time period.
3Loss of information
If a light remains on to switch between waking and sleeping designs, then the signal is always visible, but it creates unnatural light that interferes with sleep
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic illumination where the light is activated only during wake hours and turned off during sleep hours. This periodic on/off operation ensures the signal is visible when children need to see it (during the day) while eliminating unnatural light interference during nighttime sleep periods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The device helps toddlers learn appropriate wake-up and activity times without disrupting their sleep, reducing conflicts and promoting responsibility, while ensuring uninterrupted sleep for parents and gentle wake-up notifications.
Implementation Method 1
activate the illuminating means, such as an LED, low wattage bulb or other light or illumination generation source
Implementation Method 2
activate the illuminating means, such as an LED, low wattage bulb or other light or illumination generation source
Data Source
AI summary
A children's time signal device whereby a parent can set a predetermined time of day or period of time at which a decorative feature of the face plate would illuminate, such as a clown's nose on a clown face plate, to be used to teach and inform a child or toddler when to start or stop an activity, when to get up from a nap, as a meal-time signal informing the toddler when meal time occurs, or as a discipline timer, informing the toddler when the time-out discipline ends.